Quelle Merveille ! The Menton Fête du Citron® 2026 celebrates Merveilles du Vivant

Menton, the Pearl of France, has accessorised itself yet again in zestful colours of lemons and oranges for the annual Fête du Citron®.

Now thru the 1st of March, locals and festival enthusiasts nationally and internationally once again flock to the French Riviera to celebrate an early spring on display in the form of creative citrus sculptures and floats. 

While there had been parades since 1895 to encourage winter and early spring town activities, the lemon made its festival debut in 1929, when Menton was still Europe’s leading lemon producer. According to the City of Menton:

A hotelier had the idea of ​​organizing a flower and citrus exhibition in the gardens of the Hotel Riviera. It was such a success that the following year, the festival spilled into the streets: carts laden with orange and lemon trees paraded through the town. The municipality, eager to develop tourism, sought to give the parade a distinctly local flavour.”

And it wasn’t until 1934 when the Menton Festival Committee officially created the Fête du Citron® as we now know it. The citrus and flower exhibit made its appearance two years later, and remained a perennial part of the festival as a whole. Today, the Fête du Citron® attracts more than 240,000 visitors each year.

The contrast of the azure sea and sky against the sunset hues of orange and pink and blues and purples provides the perfect backdrop for the Corsos des fruits d’or (the daytime parades), while the same colors pop with vibrancy against the Mediterranean night sky during the Corsos Nocturnes. (Note: the parades are ticketed events and attendees are encouraged to not be fashionably late!)

^{Courtesy and © Ville de Menton}

Spectators can expect to see floats down the street of the Porte de France in the forms of a blue sea nymph who seems to have risen from the nearby sea; a large insect with dangling aerialists as its prey; a whimsical Disney Minion on top of a turtle; a majestic swan elegantly gliding down the concourse; a fanned out peacock in full display; and the symbolic Menton lemon riding a polar bear in an orange jumpsuit (of course, made of oranges), among others. And of course, plumes and costumes in various states of fabric lengths and skin!

And for those who prefer a quieter afternoon of free and leisurely participation, one should head up and down the Les Jardins Biovès and admire the featured citrus sculpture exhibit with a 360 degree view. Walk around the citrus sculptures designed to the theme of Merveilles du Vivant (Wonders of Life), and do marvel at the wonders how the artists have created citric towers of art and its meticulously landscaped foreground completing the whole mise-en-scène.

The mother bird greets spectators, while protecting its offspring eggs.

A giant whale emerges from a sea of blue sand, reminding spectators of its quiet grandiosity and power.

Two giraffes affectionately intertwine.

Amidst the exhibition sits Mother Earth, cradling its pregnant belly – the Earth.

A menacing tiger quietly turns its head back and forth amidst the foliage, majestic yet dangerous – ready to pounce on its prey.

Three egrets hold their heads high as if looking at past, present and future.

Two perched parrots linked by the DNA double helix, create a gateway between the wonders of creativity and its possibilities in reality.

In addition to the sculptural art and festivities, the Fête du Citron® also hosts the Orchid Show and Winter Garden at Palais de l’Europe; the Marché de l’artisanat vendor market with delicacies, Limoncello, and hand-made crafts; and free music performances and family activities at the Cocteau Esplanade.

For tickets and more programming details, visit : Fete-du-Citron.com

PHOTO CREDITS

• All photos courtesy and © Marcus Gualberto, unless other wise credited
• Lead image courtesy and © Ville de Menton