The 96th Aalst Carnival parade will take place on Sunday in the streets of the East Flanders city, featuring 68 fixed groups and over 200 occasional groups, with around 5,000 participants joining the procession.
The parade covers a seven-kilometre route. Fixed groups are categorised as large, medium, or small, while occasional groups, limited to a maximum of 15 members, are allowed to use vehicles with combustion engines. The event traditionally begins with an official segment, including Aalst’s Gilles, the city’s giants, Ros Balatum, and the Carnival Prince.
Initially, 70 fixed groups were expected to participate, but two groups withdrew at the last minute, according to the city of Aalst. The parade exclusively features local groups from Aalst, and advertising is strictly prohibited.
The procession will start at Majoor Charles Claserstraat at 13:00. The route includes Statieplein, Stationsstraat, and Esplanadeplein before continuing along Dendermondse Steenweg and Zeshoek.
At around 13:35, the parade will pass through Dirk Martensstraat, Koolstraat, and Koningin Astridpark. It will then head onto a section of the N9, where generator refill points are located. This area is closed to the public, after which the procession will proceed via Gentsestraat and Vlaanderenstraat towards Keizersplein, where large crowds are expected.
By 14:30, the parade will move along Zonnestraat, Houtmarkt, Pontstraat, and Kerkstraat. At approximately 15:00, the front of the parade will reach the Grote Markt, a highlight of the event, where thousands of spectators traditionally gather to cheer the passing floats and groups.
