Basel Carnival – Fasnacht

February 23 · Level 9 · #426 of 2238

Basel Carnival – Fasnacht

Basel’s Fasnacht fills the Swiss city with masked performers, music and pointed humour. It starts on the Monday after Ash Wednesday, giving it a different rhythm from carnivals that finish before Lent begins.

How it is celebrated: costumed groups march through the streets playing drums and piccolos, accompanied by painted lanterns. Pictures and satirical verses poke fun at the year’s events, while spectators gather along the procession routes.

The opening happens at precisely four in the morning. Street lighting in the centre goes dark, leaving carnival lanterns to illuminate the scene, and the festivities run for exactly 72 hours.

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