The City of Aalst will introduce new rules for the 2026 carnival parade to make it shorter, smoother and safer, said Matthias De Ridder (N-VA), the councillor in charge of events, on Wednesday.
The 2025 edition saw record attendance, with more than 100,000 spectators at Sunday’s parade. As a result, another less glorious record was also broken: that of the longest parade. "The groups at the end were no longer able to show their creations to the entire audience," explained De Ridder.
Separate regulations will now apply to fixed groups and independent groups. The composition of the groups will also be determined based on the number of costumed participants, and the maximum dimensions of the floats will be set by category.
Vehicle maintenance will be mandatory in order to avoid breakdowns and interruptions in the parade. In the event of a problem, carnival participants will not be able to refuse assistance, and a maximum speed of 10 km/h will be imposed. Noise levels will also be reduced, and drivers may be tested for alcohol consumption.
Quality monitoring will also be implemented: groups that consistently achieve poor results risk losing their permanent place. The City of Aalst is working with the Flemish Traffic Agency to develop a suitable route. The aim is to make the parade more compact and enjoyable for both carnival participants and the public.
