Quebec Winter Carnival (Carnaval de Québec): Dates, Tickets & Venue (Quebec City)

Ten days of Bonhomme

The 73rd Carnaval de Québec runs February 5–14, 2027. It is one of the largest winter festivals in the world. For ten days, Quebec City’s coldest stretch of the year becomes its busiest.

At the centre is Bonhomme Carnaval, a tall snowman in a red tuque with a woven ceinture fléchée (arrow sash) around his waist. He has fronted the festival since the modern carnival began in 1955. You see him at parades, at his ice palace and on every poster in town.

Where it happens: the Plains and the Parliament

Most of the carnival takes place on the Upper Town plateau, just outside the stone walls of Old Quebec. The outdoor grounds are on and around the Plains of Abraham. The Ice Palace usually stands near the Parliament Building on Grande Allée.

From inside the walls, you walk out through Porte Saint-Louis and along Grande Allée. Château Frontenac and the Dufferin Terrace are about fifteen minutes behind you.

The evening parades, the ice canoe race on the St. Lawrence and the snow sculptures spread the action beyond the main grounds. Expect to see:

• Night parades: floats, brass bands and Bonhomme on top, with crowds lining the streets.
• Ice canoe race: teams drag and paddle canoes across the half-frozen river between Quebec City and Lévis.
• Snow and ice sculptures: carved blocks you can walk around and photograph after dark under coloured lights.
• Snow bath: a long-running stunt where people in swimsuits roll in the snow.

Out-of-town visitors usually arrive through Jean Lesage International Airport or the Gare du Palais train station in Lower Town. From the station, there is a steep climb up to the Plains.

Tickets: the effigy on your coat

Carnival tickets aren’t paper. The pass is the Bonhomme effigy, a small plastic figure of the mascot that clips onto your jacket. It lets you into the paid sites for the whole festival, and staff check that it’s visible as you walk in.

The Carnaval de Québec organisation publishes the dates, site maps, programme and where to buy effigies on its official website. The price appears there too, and this guide doesn’t quote one. Some outdoor events, including the parades along public streets, are open to everyone, effigy or not.

Effigy out, layers on

People here wear the effigy on the outside of their coat, usually on the chest or the zip pull. Volunteers glance at it rather than scanning a code, so a pass buried in a pocket slows the gate down. Many locals keep effigies from past years.

Daytime temperatures in February often fall below minus fifteen Celsius, and the wind across the Plains makes it feel colder. Regulars dress like this:

• Thermal base layers under a down coat
• Insulated, waterproof boots with grip, because Grande Allée and the Old Quebec slopes ice over
• A tuque, a neck gaiter and mittens rather than gloves
• Hand warmers, sold in pharmacies all over town

The festival drink is caribou, a sweet mix of red wine, spirits and maple syrup. It’s traditionally sipped from a hollow plastic cane shaped like Bonhomme’s. Order in French with a “Bonjour” first. Staff switch to English easily, and card payment is standard at the food stands and in Old Quebec restaurants.

Most visitors spend two or three days. They pair one evening parade with daytime visits to the sculptures and the Ice Palace, then warm up in the cafés along Rue Saint-Jean.