From Ice Canoe Races to Snow Baths: Everything You Can Expect at Quebec’s 2025 Winter Carnival

Canada’s iconic Quebec City Winter Carnival has unveiled its lineup for the 71st annual celebration. This frosty extravaganza draws over 400,000 visitors annually, making it no wonder it is considered one of Canada’s crown jewels for festivals.

The Quebec Winter Carnival is considered one of the world’s four major winter festivals, along with the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan, and the Oslo Ski Festival in Norway.

This year, the festival committee has concentrated on the shift from day to night. During the day, families are the focus, and at night, adults are the focus. Ice sculpture exhibits and winter sports competitions will occur during the day, followed by evening pajama parties and DJ sets.

This year’s festival includes a craft jukebox, an ice sculpture garden, an ice canoe race, a night parade, a snow bath, street food booths, laser games, and a silent disco.

The night comes alive with two spectacular parades. The Snow Bath Contest is just one of the many highlights. Participants in the snow bathing competition run around in the snow while wearing swimsuits. The winner is the one who endures the longest. After a half-hour warm-up, the competition lasts approximately an hour. Free admission is offered, and the event begins at 2:00 p.m. on February 16.

This year, the nighttime events have also grown in scale. There are two types of night parades: Limoilou and Grande Alle. Limoilou is held on February 8, and Grande Alle on February 15. Each parade features hundreds of artists, dancers, musicians, and the festival mascot Bonhomme. In addition, there are performances such as DJing, hip-hop, and country music, including the opening ceremony.

Festival admission tickets are available for a discounted price of CAD$25 (about 18.5 USD) until January 12, 2025. After that, they are CAD$39 (about 29 USD).

Bruno Marchand, the Mayor of Quebec City, couldn’t contain his excitement. “The Quebec Carnival is a celebration of winter’s beauty. It reminds us of the simple joy of playing outside with our loved ones,” he said with a smile.

The Quebec Winter Carnival runs from February 7 to 16, 2025.