What Is the Carnaval de Québec?
Each winter, Québec City hosts the Québec Winter Carnival, officially recognized as the largest winter festival in the world.
For more than a century, this celebration has transformed the provincial capital into a vibrant outdoor showcase of snow, ice, sport, and French Canadian heritage. First organized in the late nineteenth century to bring energy and community spirit to the coldest months of the year, the Carnival has grown into a globally recognized event attracting visitors from around the world.
The festival typically takes place over two weeks between late January and mid February. This year, the festival was hosted between February 6th to February 15th, 2025. During that time, more than 200 activities unfold across multiple sites in Québec City, with a concentration in and around historic Old Québec.
Winter here is not treated as an obstacle. It becomes the main star and character for celebration.
Statue of Bonne Homme in front of Parliament Hill, Quebec city
Who is Bonne Homme?
Bonhomme Carnaval is the official ambassador of the Québec Winter Carnival, and one of the most recognizable winter icons in Canada. The name comes from Old French word bonhomme, meaning “good man,” a term historically used to describe someone kind, approachable, and rooted in the community. The name was chosen deliberately when he was officially introduced in 1955 during the modern revival of the Québec Winter Carnival. Dressed in his red cap and traditional ceinture fléchée sash, Bonhomme represents everyday Québécois spirit rather than royalty or myth. He is the friendly ambassador who “rules” the Carnival from his Ice Palace each year.
His symbolism runs deeper than celebration. Québec winters are long, intense, and historically demanding, shaping how communities prepare, cooperate, and endure. Bonhomme stands smiling in the middle of that climate, not resisting it but embracing it. His Ice Palace is rebuilt every winter and melts every spring, reflecting the cycle of adaptation and renewal that defines northern life. The arrow sash he wears connects him to voyageurs and early settlers who navigated harsh landscapes with resilience and ingenuity. Bonhomme is more than a mascot. He embodies the spirit of the winter celebration in Quebec.
72nd Quebec Winter Carnival ( February 6 to February 15 2026)
The 2026 edition of the Québec Winter Carnival unfolded across four main activity zones spread throughout Québec City, each offering its own atmosphere and programming. From the central site near Bonhomme’s Ice Palace with interactive winter games and snow sculptures, to family friendly activity hubs featuring ice slides and performance stages, the city becomes a network of winter celebration spaces. Along the riverfront, spectators gather for the dramatic ice canoe races on the St. Lawrence, while historic districts host cultural programming, live music, and illuminated evening events. The multi zone format allows visitors to move through the city while experiencing different dimensions of Québec winter culture in one cohesive festival.
Image of a digital map of Carnaval de Quebec 2026.
Palasis de Bonnehome glowing with lights during the night at Carnaval de Quebec 2026.
The transparent ice blocks of Palasis de Bonnehome glistening during the day at Carnaval de Quebec 2026.
The Winter Carnival Night Parades
The parades at the Québec Winter Carnival are among the most anticipated moments of the celebration. Held at night, they transform Québec City’s snow covered streets into a moving festival of illuminated floats, costumed performers, live music, and fireworks. Crowds gather along historic routes as Bonhomme leads the procession, creating an atmosphere that blends theatrical spectacle with deep rooted tradition. The parades capture the essence of the Carnival: vibrant, communal, and proudly winter.
Illuminated floats move through Québec City’s historic streets as thousands gather to celebrate winter in spectacular fashion.
Did You Know?
At the Québec Winter Carnival, the effigy is more than a souvenir. It is the ticket to the carnival. Each year hosts a new design and becomes a collectible keepsake, with many visitors and locals saving them as part of a growing personal collection tied to specific Carnival editions. In 2026, the effigy reflected Québec’s environmental consciousness, as it was crafted using recycled maple sap materials, blending heritage with sustainability.
Ice Slides, Snow Sculptures, and Winter Fun
The Québec Winter Carnival transforms Québec City into an interactive winter playground, where towering ice slides invite visitors to race down frozen lanes amid laughter and cheers. Throughout the festival grounds, master sculptors carve massive blocks of snow into intricate artistic creations, turning packed snow into detailed figures and imaginative scenes. Beyond the slides and sculptures, visitors can explore outdoor activity zones filled with winter games, live performances, and hands on experiences that celebrate northern life. The result is a festival atmosphere where creativity, movement, and community energy come together in the heart of winter.
Live concerts, intricate ice sculptures, and bold winter challenges like the ice bath capture the high energy, creativity, and fearless spirit that define the Québec Winter Carnival.
Legendary Ice Canoe Race
One of the most dramatic and uniquely Québécois traditions of the Québec Winter Carnival is the ice canoe race on the St. Lawrence River. The race traces its origins back to the seventeenth century, when early settlers and voyageurs used canoes to cross the river in winter for trade and survival. Today, it stands as both an elite athletic competition and a living tribute to Québec’s resilience, endurance, and deep connection to its northern environment.
Organizing a class trip to Quebec during carnival
For many teachers and schools, bringing students to Québec during the Québec Winter Carnival creates an immersive language experience that simply cannot be replicated in a classroom. Students hear authentic Québécois French in real conversations, read signage, navigate cultural spaces, and engage with traditions that have evolved over centuries. Language becomes functional rather than theoretical. Cultural concepts move from textbook paragraphs to lived experience. Festivals like Carnaval also reveal how identity, climate, history, and community intersect in French Canada, giving students context that deepens fluency and confidence. That combination of language immersion and cultural participation can be genuinely transformational for young learners. that blends theatrical spectacle with deep rooted tradition. The parades capture the essence of the Carnival: vibrant, communal, and proudly winter.
The Prométour Advantage in building class trips
Prométour designs winter class trips that blend the energy of the Québec Winter Carnival with meaningful cultural and seasonal exploration. With guidance from our Québec-based team and a dedicated Tour Director on site throughout the journey, logistics remain smooth and fully supported. Carnival highlights are thoughtfully paired with guided walks through Old Québec, visits to Bonhomme’s Ice Palace, historic churches, the Plains of Abraham, classic toboggan slides, and even a ferry crossing to Lévis for sweeping winter views. The result is a balanced, curriculum aligned program that is engaging, safe, and seamlessly organized from start to finish.
Ready to Plan for Winter Carnival 2027?
With deep local roots in Québec and over 30 years of experience, Prométour designs balanced winter programs that combine the energy of Carnival with meaningful cultural exploration for a truly transformative student experience. The Québec Winter Carnival follows fixed dates and fills quickly, so early planning secures the best hotels, access, and experiences. Explore our Winter Carnaval itinerary and start planning your 2027 class trip today.
