The Carnaval Tropical once again enchanted Paris for its 25th edition. The date was set for Sunday, July 6, 2025, to attend this festive event on the most beautiful avenue in the world. Hundreds of dancers and some twenty carnival groups paraded down the Champs-Elysées avenue.
This event, organized by the city of Paris and the Fédération du Carnaval Tropical, brings together a number of associations from Paris and the Île-de-France region to parade and proudly represent cultures from the four corners of the globe, through traditional dress and dance.
In this symbolic year, groups from Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana, Brazil, Reunion, Haiti, Trinidad, Tobago, Bolivia and Peru energetically celebrated the peoples, territories and biodiversity of this ecosystem vital to humanity. All to the bewitching rhythms of Gwo Ka, samba, bèlè, steel pan and Guyanese drums.
Troops from French Guiana were particularly honored, due to their geographical proximity to Brazil and their rich carnival traditions, notably the emblematic Touloulous, which French Guiana would like to see included in UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.
As every year, troupes from Paris, theParis region, overseas France, the Caribbean and Latin America were on hand for the Carnaval Tropical de Paris. These groups are competing for the prestigious Grand Prix Ville de Paris, as well as in three other artistic and cultural categories.
The groups registered are : ADOM, Association Sinnamary, Azulinha, Caporales Mi Viejo San Simon Paris, Caporales San Simon Cochabamba, Consejo Pro Bolivia, Danseuses d'Or - Davina Samba, École de Samba Vila Sena-Samambaia, École Santa de Brasis, Estampas del Peru, Ethnick'97, Hibiscus d'Haïti, Los Carnavaleros (Nota Musical), NikeenYaparadays - NKP Danse, Samba em Paris, Solidarité Internationale, Talentos Peru and Tropikana.
Each of these groups brought their own cultural identity, musical style and festive energy, helping to make this event a true festival of world cultures.
The carnival parade started at the bottom of theChamps-Élysées avenue, at Place de la Concorde, where the groups took their formation. The troops then made their way up to George V station, before making a U-turn. The procession then headed back down toAvenue Winston Churchill, between the Grand Palais and Petit Palais, where each group presented its performance to the jury.
The Carnaval Tropical de Paris is undoubtedly the capital's biggest carnival. Every year, it attracts some 200,000 spectators for a highly animated parade. Launched in 2001, over 20 years ago, this carnival was originally organized by West Indians in mainland France, but today sees many different origins come together, including China, Brazil, England, Holland and Colombia.
For the record, what is Carnaval Tropical? It's a gathering of hundreds of colorful costumes from all over the world, with music ranging from the traditional to the exotic, and choreography imagined for the occasion that gives free rein to the groups present to blend history and creativity. There's also a competition to reward the best performances in front of the grandstand at the end of the show.
In short, we enjoyed this festive summer event in Paris. The sun may have failed to shine, but the joy and good humor were unmistakable. The showers didn't dampen the carnival's festive mood.
Location
Avenue des Champs-Elysées
Av. des Champs-Élysées
75008 Paris 8
Access
Metro: Champs-Élysées-Clémenceau (lines 1 and 13) Franklin D. Roosevelt (lines 1 and 9) George V (line 1) Charles de Gaulle-Étoile (lines 1, 2 and 6)
Prices
Free
Recommended age
For all
