Planning France events February 2027 means choosing between citrus floats on the Riviera, a three-week carnival in Nice, rugby at the Stade de France and a classic-car show in Paris. It is also low season for most of the country, so rooms are easier to find and queues shorter, apart from the Riviera parade weekends and the school-holiday weeks. This guide lists confirmed dates, flags what is still to be announced and shows how to combine events. For the wider picture, see our best time to visit France guide and the France public holidays and festival calendar.
At a Glance
| Date | Event | Location | Type | Tourist Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-7 Feb | Rétromobile | Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles | Classic-car show | Medium |
| 6 Feb | Six Nations: France v Wales | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | Sport | Medium |
| 6 Feb | Lunar New Year (Year of the Goat) | Paris and other cities | Cultural | Medium |
| Parade dates to be confirmed | Chinese New Year parades | Paris (Champs-Élysées, 13th arrondissement) | Cultural | Medium |
| 9 Feb | Mardi Gras | Nationwide | Tradition | Low |
| 9-28 Feb | Carnaval de Nice, theme Vive l’Amour | Place Masséna, Nice | Carnival | High |
| 10-14 Feb | Fête du Mimosa | Mandelieu-La Napoule | Flower festival | Medium |
| 13-28 Feb | 93rd Fête du Citron, Douce France | Menton | Festival | High |
| 21 Feb | Six Nations: France v Scotland | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | Sport | Medium |
| Weekends to 7 Mar | Carnaval de Limoux | Limoux, Aude | Carnival | Medium |
| 27 Feb-7 Mar | Salon International de l’Agriculture | Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles | Fair | High |
| To be confirmed | Carnaval de Dunkerque (season to about 21 March) | Dunkirk area | Carnival | Medium |
France Events February on the Riviera: Nice, Menton and Mandelieu
February is when the Côte d’Azur has its own season. Three events overlap within about 40 km of each other along the coast, which makes it possible to see all three in one trip if you plan the weekends.
Carnaval de Nice
When: 9 to 28 February 2027. Where: Place Masséna and the seafront area of Nice. Type: carnival with floats, flower battles and street performances.
The 2027 edition is themed “Vive l’Amour”, and the tourist offices describe it as a celebration of poetry and universal love; it also introduces a Queen who is now equal in prominence to the King. The carnival runs daily for three weeks, but the big evening and afternoon parades fall on specific days. The detailed programme is published on the official carnival site (nicecarnaval.com), so check it before you book. Listings for the flower battles give Wednesdays 10, 17 and 24 February and Saturdays 13, 20 and 27 February 2027 (daytime, around 9:30 am to 4:30 pm), with the illuminated evening parades on other dates; the exact parade calendar is still best confirmed on the carnival site. One aggregator shows 10 to 27 February, but the regional tourist board listings give 9 to 28 February, which we follow. Tip: book grandstand seats in advance for the parade you most want and stay for a flower battle as well, since the two formats feel very different.
Fête du Citron in Menton
When: 13 to 28 February 2027, the 93rd edition, titled “Douce France”. Where: Menton, near the Italian border. Type: citrus festival.
The daytime Golden Fruit parades take place on Sundays 14, 21 and 28 February from 2:30 pm on the Promenade du Soleil, and the night parades on Thursdays 18 and 25 February at 9:00 pm. Alongside the parades there is a citrus-sculpture exhibition in the Biovès gardens, a crafts market and an orchid fair. Organisers say the festival draws over 200,000 visitors a year. Tip: prices and seat categories change from year to year, so check the official ticket page rather than relying on last year’s numbers. A weekday night parade is usually calmer than a Sunday.
Fête du Mimosa in Mandelieu-La Napoule
When: 10 to 14 February 2027 according to the regional tourist board listing (one source gives 9 to 14 February, so confirm with the organiser). Where: Mandelieu-La Napoule, west of Cannes. Type: flower festival.
The 2027 theme is “Le Mimosa entre en jeu”. The centrepiece is the flower parade on Sunday afternoon on the seafront facing the Château de La Napoule, with further parades, mimosa distributions, a children’s carnival and fireworks around town. Because it ends on 14 February, it fits neatly before the Menton festival begins on 13 February; a Sunday 14 February is the one day when the Mimosa parade and the first Menton parade compete, so pick one.
Paris in February
Rétromobile
When: 3 to 7 February 2027. Where: Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles. Type: classic-car show.
It marks its 51st year and is aimed at collectors, clubs, restorers and dealers, with organisers expecting around 550 exhibitors and some 146,000 visitors. Ticket prices vary by purchase date; buying online beforehand is typically cheaper than at the door, but check the official site for current prices. Go on a weekday morning to avoid the heaviest crowds.
Six Nations at the Stade de France
When: Saturday 6 February (France v Wales) and Sunday 21 February 2027 (France v Scotland). Where: Stade de France, Saint-Denis. Type: international rugby.
The 2027 Six Nations runs from 5 February to 13 March. Published kick-off times were around 16:40 GMT for the Wales match and 15:10 GMT for Scotland, but times can be moved by broadcasters, so confirm them. Tickets for France home games are notoriously hard to get; if you cannot, the fan atmosphere in bars around Paris on match days is part of the experience. Expect busy RER B and line 13 services on match days, and hotel rates in central Paris tend to rise.
Salon International de l’Agriculture
When: Saturday 27 February to Sunday 7 March 2027, open daily 9 am to 7 pm. Where: Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles. Type: agricultural and food fair.
Listed details for 2027 include the Ferrandaise cattle breed as the featured breed and Serbia as the guest country. Ticketing details were not yet released at the time of research. It is a rare chance to sample regional cheeses, charcuterie and wines from every part of France in one hall; the first weekend and Saturday are the most crowded. Only the opening weekend falls in February; most of the fair is in March.
Fashion Week timing
Women’s ready-to-wear for autumn-winter 2027-2028 is listed from 1 to 9 March 2027, so it falls just after this month, while menswear is listed for late January. Hotel rates in Paris can climb in the days just before the shows, so if you are arriving on 26-28 February, check rates.
Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, starting the Year of the Goat. Paris usually holds a Champs-Élysées parade and a large parade in the 13th arrondissement, but the 2027 parade dates are not confirmed in what we found: dates to be confirmed — check the organiser (the 13th arrondissement parade has long been run by an association of the local Asian community), the City of Paris and the Paris tourist office page. The 13th arrondissement (around Avenue d’Ivry and Avenue de Choisy) is also good for restaurants on the holiday weekend.
Carnivals Elsewhere
Limoux (Aude): the carnival runs on weekends from 3 January to 7 March 2027, with groups taking turns (for example Les Arcadiens on 7 February, Las Estelas on 12 February, Les Estabousits et Las Coudenos on 20 February and Les Mainatches et Les Copin’s on 27 February). Gatherings happen at about 11 am, 4:30 pm and 10 pm. It is a village-scale, participatory event, quite different from Nice.
Dunkirk: the big northern carnival season is expected to run from mid-January to around 21 March 2027, but the detailed bands and balls schedule was not yet published when we checked: dates to be confirmed — check the organiser. Mardi Gras itself is 9 February 2027 because Easter falls on 28 March.
Holidays, School Breaks and Practical Details
There is no national public holiday in February. Easter Monday is 29 March 2027 and falls outside the month. The practical issue is the winter school holiday, staggered by zone: Zone C (including Paris) from 6 to 22 February, Zone A from 13 February to 1 March, and Zone B from 20 February to 8 March (dates confirmed by several calendars; classes resume on the morning of the end date). These weeks overlap with the Riviera festivals and ski resorts, so book trains and accommodation early. Our public holidays and festival calendar explains how the system works.
Strikes can affect SNCF and air traffic at short notice; check your carrier a few days before travelling and keep flexible tickets for the festival weekends. Neighboring months are covered in our France events in January 2027 and France events in March 2027 guides.
What Is February Like for Travelers
Météo-France’s long-term figures for Paris-Montsouris give a February average of about 9°C by day and 3°C at night, with moderate rain spread over roughly nine days, so pack a warm waterproof coat. Nice is milder, with highs of roughly 11 to 13°C and lows around 6°C, though it can rain heavily on a few days. Do not count on beach weather: parades are outdoors, so bring layers and an umbrella. Crowds are thin at museums and the major sights in Paris, which makes it a good month for the Louvre and Versailles. Prices are generally lower than in spring and summer, apart from event weekends, school-holiday weeks and ski resorts. For the Alps, February is peak season; see the best ski hotels in Chamonix if that is your plan.
Where to Stay
Riviera cluster. For Nice, Menton and Mandelieu, base yourself in Nice: trains run along the coast and you have the most choice. Our guide to the best hotels in Nice and the French Riviera covers areas and tiers. Menton itself is small and fills up on parade Sundays, so book early if you want to stay there. For Mimosa, Cannes or Mandelieu works well.
Paris cluster. For Rétromobile or the Agriculture show, stays in the 15th arrondissement and nearby Montparnasse put you close to the Porte de Versailles; for the Stade de France, choose somewhere with a quick RER or metro link. Our comparison of the best hotels in Paris helps you choose between the Right Bank, Left Bank and Marais, and the Paris travel guide covers the rest of the trip.
City-break alternatives. If you want a quieter winter stay with good food rather than a festival, consider Lyon (see best hotels in Lyon) or Bordeaux (see best hotels in Bordeaux). We did not confirm a major February event in either city, so treat these as city breaks rather than festival trips.
What Should Tourists Prioritize
- Fête du Citron and Carnaval de Nice — the most distinctive and photogenic events, and the only ones that give you a reason to go to the Riviera in winter. Pair them over a weekend, with the Menton Sunday parade and a Nice evening.
- Fête du Mimosa — an easy add-on, especially if you arrive before 14 February.
- Six Nations at the Stade de France — if you can get a ticket; otherwise watch in a bar.
- Salon International de l’Agriculture — best for food lovers, ideally on a weekday in March or the first days after opening.
- Rétromobile and Lunar New Year — worthwhile if you have a particular interest; confirm the parade dates first.
Bottom Line
February is a month for carnival and citrus on the Riviera, with Paris offering rugby, cars and a big farm fair at the end of the month. Confirm the programmes that were still unpublished at the time of writing, book accommodation early for the Riviera weekends and school-holiday weeks, and pack for cold, wet weather in the north.
Sources
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur tourism: Carnaval de Nice 2027
- Côte d’Azur France: Carnaval de Nice 2027
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur tourism: Menton Lemon Festival
- Fête du Citron official site: golden fruit parades
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur tourism: Mimosa Festival
- Paris je t’aime: Rétromobile
- Paris je t’aime: Six Nations
- Wikipedia: 2027 Six Nations Championship
- Paris je t’aime: International Agriculture Fair
- Vacances-scolaires.com: winter holidays 2027
- Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode: next dates
- Tourisme Occitanie: Carnaval de Limoux 2027
- Météo-France: climate sheet, Paris-Montsouris
- iCalendrier: winter holidays 2027
- Faire-le-pont: 2027 carnival dates
- Paris je t’aime: Chinese New Year in Paris
- Côte d’Azur France: Bataille des fleurs
- Côte d’Azur France: Fête du Mimosa 2027