A sneak peak at 2012, as this year's carnival ends with a royal roasting

This year's carnival parade

Yesterday, ahead of the closing bonfire and firework extravaganza, the mayor announced that the theme for 2012 will be the 'King of Sport', with the hope that this will provide an umbrella under which a sense of unity and togetherness can be evoked. He believes that it is an ideal focus for the city's carnival next year because, “in a time when there is conflict, sport seems to be what brings the people together.”

He added that under this theme, the carnival “will bring the world to Nice during a season when many major international sports events will be happening across Europe, most importantly, the London 2012 Olympics games.”

A number of athletes have already been chosen to participate in the festivities in February next year, including elite members of the Nice swimming team Agnel Yannick and Lefert Clément as well as some of Britains's top sportsmen and women, who are so far unnamed.

Estrosi also announced that the stands in 2012 are to be moved from their familiar home on the Promenade des Anglais although he is yet to decide to where they are to be relocated.

Looking back over the 2011 carnival, he expressed how pleased he was with the prompt, efficient and professional conduct of the Municipale Police. “The foreign visitors who have come to Nice for the first time this year have felt safe at the carnival. People on the streets were clearly enjoying themselves and didn't have a care in the world.”

This year, around 600,000 spectators enjoyed the party over a 17 days period and 184,140 tickets were sold, 10 percent more than in 2009. "The economic crisis has not stopped people from coming,” Estrosi said, and for two years, “the number of people attending has consistently been increasing.”

AA