85e Fête du Citron® : Bollywood

Play a part in the films’ plots. Tales full of twists and turns will unfold in the shade of the yellow and orange towering citrus fruit structures, under the impassive gaze of statues of the gods. Beautiful heroines will dream and dance beside a lotus-shaped fountain, before being taken away through the buzzing overcrowded towns by rickshaw to the happy ending that any great film requires.

When night falls, the Gardens of Lights (17, 23 February and 2 March at 8.30 pm) will offer the opportunity to stroll through the citrus fruit designs, which will take on a dreamlike quality under the artistic, artificial lighting.

The colours will sparkle and acquire a poetry of their own. However, la Fête du Citron ® would not be what it is today without its famous ‘Corsos’ (parades of decorated floats).

Events take place during the day with the ‘Golden Fruit Parade’ (Sunday 18 – 25 February and 4 March 2018 at 2.30 pm) and at night with the ‘Night-time Parade’, followed by a firework display (Thursday 22 February and 1 March at 9.00 pm).

Once again this year, decorated floats, each one more amazing than the last, will capture the world of Bollywood through the rhythm of Indian dance and music. It is a unique show that will be treat for all the senses…

The main events

• Saturday 17 February at 11.00 am: opening of the 8th Fête du Citron®
•  Saturday 17 February at 2.00 pm: opening of the Exhibition of Citrus patterns
• Saturday 17 February, 8.30 pm: Les Jardins de Lumières (The Gardens of Lights)
• Sunday 18 February, 2.30 pm: Golden Fruit Parade
• Thursday 22 February, 9 pm: The night-time parade, followed by fireworks
• Friday 23 February, 8.30 pm: Les Jardins de Lumières (The Gardens of Lights)
• Saturday 24 February, 3.30 pm: Holi Party
• Sunday 25 February, 2.30 pm: Golden Fruit Parade
• Thursday 1 March, 9 pm: The night-time parade, followed by fireworks
• Friday 2 March, 8.30 pm: Les Jardins de Lumières (The Gardens of Lights)
• Sunday 4 March, 2.30 pm: Golden Fruit Parade

Not-to-be-missed – A HOLI PARTY IN MENTON

The arrival of spring in India is marked with a huge celebration called Holi – the festival of colours. The whole country is inundated by a magical whirlwind of colours. Indians, dressed in white, throw coloured powder, the hues of which correspond to the following wishes: green for harmony, orange for optimism, blue for vitality and red for happiness and love. People sing and dance to traditional music.

La Fête du Citron® is organising a Holi Party on the Esplanade Francis Palmero (Saturday 24 February from 3.30 pm). Come and experience a whirlwind of colour to the sounds of Bollywood for a moment of pure Indian-style exuberance! The music and dancing at this huge open-air ‘party’ will be led by a DJ.

Admission price: € 3 for children up to 10 years, € 5 for children 11 years and over and for adults. A T-shirt, sunglasses and sachets of powder will be included with the ticket price.

The event in numbers

• 20 days of festival
• 240, 000 spectators on average each year
• 10 floats and 13 decorated displays in the gardens
• 200 artists (dancers, musicians)
• 400 participants (warehousemen, cashiers, screening staff)
• Over 20, 000 hours worked by crews, primarily municipal
• 12 people in charge of changing any fruit which has deteriorated each day
• 140 tonnes of citrus fruit for the gardens and floats
• Up to 18 tonnes of fruit for the most magnificent designs
• 45 kg of oranges or 30 kg lemons are needed to cover 1 m²
• 10 tonnes of additional fruit to replace any damaged fruit
•  Over 750,000 elastic bands for attaching the fruit
• Between 6 to 8 km of woven box hedge
• 15 tonnes of steel

Astonishment and amazement

In the Biovès Gardens…Imagine…patterns that can be up to ten metres high…

During the festival, the Biovès Gardens take on dazzling yellow and orange sunshine colours. The decors are incredible, some requiring nearly fifteen tonnes of citrus fruit…

Every year, it takes thousands of hours to create these ephemeral sculptures, with the fruits placed one at a time…

Go into the Biovès Gardens and discover these giant sculptures made of golden fruit according to a tradition that has been carefully maintained since the start of the last century…

High-energy parades and colourful celebration

On Sunday afternoon, come to the central focus of this unique event…

On Sunday morning, the town gets busy, with the coming and going of coaches and cars… Like an endless farandole, the crowd moves here and there, stretching out through the narrow streets and finally coming together along the sea front.

Today is festival day! Confetti is scattered against a background of blue sky. Entertainers, brass bands and folk groups wheel, spin and dance between the magnificent citrus fruit floats…

Meet on Sundays 18th, 25th February and 4th March 2018 from 2.30pm to 4pm on the promenade du soleil in Menton

Magical lights and sparkling enchantment

At night, the citrus fruit patterns take on clashing colours…

The patterns light up and unusual sounds combine with strange creatures of light… The gardens take on a new look, a new perspective…

With the play of light, the arrangements stretch out, soar upwards and amaze… Time seems to stand still in a world in which light and sound create a magical, enchanting place of unsuspected splendour…

Warning !

On the spot in the evening, closing of the desk at 8 pm

Meet on 17, 23 February and 2 March 2018 from 8.30 pm to 10.30 pm in the Biovès gardens in Menton.

We advise you to arrive on site at the latest at 9.30 pm, visiting the gardens of lights requiring an hour on average.

Enthusiasm and a zest of extravagance

Until dusk, the town seems to hold its breath…It’s all very peaceful, too peaceful…
In the distance, some drums show a touch of impatience, a trumpet replies… A float loaded with citrus fruit appears from nowhere, then another…
Time to party! Brass bands, orchestras, folk groups, dancers and the plain mischievous add a spark of splendour to the parade worthy of the most ambitious street festivals!

In apotheosis fireworks at 10.30pm

Suddenly, the first explosions ring out and light up the night above Menton.
The crackle of the sparks as they fall into the sea signals the end of this moment of extravagance.

Meet on Thursdays 22 February and 1 March 2018 from 9 pm to 10.15 pm on the promenade du soleil in Menton.