Carnival LA BANDE DE BERGUESWhere conviviality becomes legend
Every year, when winter begins to let go, Bergues is transformed. The town, usually peaceful behind its ramparts, bursts into life with laughter, colour and music. It’s the grand return of the Bergues gang, the colourful procession that marches to the sound of fifes and drums, bringing the whole town with it in a joyous effervescence.
Carnival here is more than just an event: it’s a living tradition, passed down from generation to generation, deeply rooted in the hearts of the local people. Preparations are made months in advance. People come in fancy dress, in disguise, sometimes unrecognisable, but always ready to laugh, sing, and above all… join the gang, as we say here.
Along the cobbled streets, you’ll come across colourful local figures, songs sung at the top of their lungs and sincere hugs. It’s not a carnival of pomp and circumstance: it’s a carnival of bonds, human warmth, light-hearted humour and shared pride.
To experience the Bergues carnival is to understand what it really means to celebrate together. It’s about feeling the heartbeat of an area, of a town that, for one day, becomes a theatre of freedom and fraternity.
