The Nice Carnival celebration is one of the largest carnival events in the world. Each year, over a million visitors descend on Nice during the festival’s 15-day run.

The theme of Carnival changes each year. In 2017 it was Energy, in 2018 it was Space, and in 2019 it will be Cinema. Despite the different themes, the overall style of the floats is roughly the same. And to be blunt, it’s truly the stuff of fever dreams and childhood nightmares. Think Cirque du Soleil on acid. Lots of acid. The 2019 festival runs from Saturday February 16 through Sunday March 2.

For more details and additional photos from the 2018 celebration, check out our post Fever dream central: Your guide to Carnival in Nice.