Carnaval
Practical information about carnival
On this page, you will find practical information about carnival in ut Kielegat. From bicycle parking to first aid and from toilets to accessibility. We will guide you. This page will be further updated with new information in the coming period.
Accessible Kielegat on the map
Breda believes that carnival should be accessible to everyone. That is why various additional facilities are provided during carnival to make Ut Kielegat even more accessible. This way, everyone in Breda can celebrate carnival.
- Mobile changing places unit. This sanitary unit with hoist, stretcher, toilet, washbasin, space for companion(s) and alarm facilities will be located on Kasteelplein throughout Carnival and will be open as long as the first aid station is open.
- (Extra) (wheelchair-accessible) toilets
- During the Grand Parade, you will find:
- Wheelchair platform: corner of Markendaalseweg/Karnemelkstraat
- Grandstand: corner of Markendaalseweg/Karnemelkstraat
- Low-stimulus zone: Markendaalseweg, towards Karnemelkstraat
- Kielemaatjes are volunteers who pick up people who are unable to attend the parade independently from their homes and accompany them.
In addition to these and other facilities, the map below also shows the routes of the parades.
This is, of course, useful for everyone.
Bicycle parking facilities during Carnival
Also lock your bike during carnival in one of the bike sheds or at least in a place where it is allowed (bike racks). The municipality of Breda strictly checks for wrongly parked bikes and removes them to the bike depot.
During carnival, the usual bike sheds have extended opening hours. Additionally, there are pop-up sheds.
Lockers
The municipality has provided 200 lockers in the bicycle parking facility on Nieuwstraat so that you can leave your belongings safely. You can rent a locker online at www.breda.nl/fietsenstallingen.
Leut coins and Leut tax
With Leutpenningen, you can pay at nearly all cafés in the city centre, the Chassé Theatre, and the MEZZ. They cost € 3.60 and remain valid until after Halfvasten.
Besides using a leutpenning to buy your drink, you also support the carnival in Breda. This allows the foundation to hire artists and arrange practical matters to ensure that the carnival runs smoothly and safely.
Where can you buy Leutpenningen?
- from carnival Friday at all participating hospitality venues
- from carnival Saturday through Tuesday at machines on the Grote Markt (next to the Town Hall), at 't Zusje (next to the Hoge Brug), Havermarkt (at the Popocatepetl), and at the start of Veemarktstraat and Kasteelplein. See also the map at the top of this page (click on facilities).
Donate a Leutpenning and pay Leuttax
The Leuttax is the most fun tax that exists. With this, you also contribute to the organisation of the carnival. You can pay the tax to one of the collectors you encounter in the city. This can be done by cash, a QR code, or simply with a Leutpenning.
Download the Kielegat app
Do you want to always have all the information about carnival easily accessible on your mobile? Then download the Kieleapp.
And good news: the app has been updated! You can now follow the parade in real time, receive updates on things like how busy the city is, and much more.
You can find the app in the Apple Appstore or Google Playstore.
Glass and cans prohibited during carnival
It is not allowed to take drinks in glass and cans into the city centre of Breda during carnival. This applies to both opened and unopened containers. If you do not adhere to this, you risk a fine.
Together for a safer carnival on the streets. On the map next to this, you can see exactly where the ban applies.
In addition to the area shown on the map, the ban also applies to the area surrounding the MEZZ. Click here to see which area is affected.
No more disposable cups
The information below still refers to 2025. It will be updated shortly.
To contain the huge mountain of waste, the Kielegat Foundation has stopped using single-use cups. Like last year, the catering industry is using hard plastic cups and pitchers.
How does it work?
- With your first order, buy a cup (1/2 leutpenning) or pitcher (1 leutpenning).
- With your next order, exchange it for a new one
- No longer thirsty? Return the cups and pitchers to a small collection point. You get €0.50 for your cup and €2.50 for a pitcher.
- Do you hand in more than ten cups or pitchers? Then go to a large collection point at Park Valkenberg or the Graanbeurs in Reigerstraat.
Busy in the city centre of Breda?
The information below still refers to 2025. It will be updated shortly.
The Municipality of Breda, the police, and the Kielegat foundation continuously monitor the crowds in the city centre. If it becomes too crowded, certain access roads may be temporarily closed for everyone's safety. Always follow the instructions on site.
To better distribute visitors, the festivities are spread across the so-called Kieleplains, each with its own programming.
- Grote Markt
- Kasteelplein – Castillo Kielegat: Food court, lockers (Jassie) and toilets. A great stage in front of Plan B with an extensive programme from Friday to Monday.
- Haven: Ut Kielegats Festival aon d’n Haoven. On Friday, the ropes will already be untied. So get your toughest pirate outfit out of the closet and come aboard for five days of celebration.
- Havermarkt
- Kerkplein
- Van Coothplein
- MEZZ
Carnival updates via WhatsApp
The municipality of Breda has set up a WhatsApp channel again this year to send automatic carnival updates to your phone. For example, if it is so busy somewhere that a street has to be closed off or when there is other practical information to report.
It is one of the ways in which the municipality can better regulate the crowds in the city.
Night buses during carnival
During carnival, Arriva is deploying extra night buses to bring carnival revellers home safely.
From Breda centre, the extra buses leave on Friday 14 - Tuesday 17 February to:
- Teteringen en Oosterhout (lijn 870)
- Etten-Leur (lijn 871)
- Terheijden, Wagenberg en Made (lijn 872)
- Haagse Beemden (lijn 873)
- Rijsbergen en Zundert (lijn 874)
All nightbuses leave at 01:40, 02:50 en 04:00 from the centre.
Keep in mind that the buses can be crowded. Especially the very last night bus can be full. Therefore, for safety's sake, plan a bus earlier.
Also view the journey planner.
