Timothy Persoons has been named Aalst’s 73rd Carnival Prince after defeating Kenny Baele on Saturday evening with 885 points out of 1,000.
Wet weather meant the Grote Markt filled up more slowly than in previous years. Even so, around 2,000 carnival revellers made their way to the city centre to watch the long-awaited performances by the two candidates.
Outgoing prince Joshy De Troch addressed the crowd at the start of the evening. He said that, after taking part in parades through snow, rain and strong winds, he knew what bad weather looked like — but also knew it would not dampen Aalst’s carnival spirit.
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He thanked those who had turned out despite the conditions, telling the crowd they had their hearts in the right place.
After the performances, De Troch bid farewell as Carnival Prince 2026. He did so with an unusual but moving goodbye song, singing: “Where my dreams once began, I found a home. It was an honour. The sceptre remains, the prince disappears. Oilsjt, thank you!”
The decisive moment came when presenter Tom Vermeir and a bailiff announced the results of the earlier knowledge test and the jury scores.
Persoons pulled ahead in both parts of the contest and finished with 885 points out of 1,000. The 42-year-old account manager, who is a member of the group Zwiejtzoel’n, was left briefly speechless.
