The Aoussou Carnival in the press, on radio and on television, from the archives to the latest editions.
Television, radio, newspapers and news websites have followed the Aoussou Carnival since its early years. From archive footage of the 1970s to reports on the 63rd edition, this page brings together the videos and articles that tell the story of Sousse’s great celebration. Choose an edition or a type of media, play a video in the viewer or open an article on its publisher’s website.
Television and radio reports, films from the carnival’s official channel, full parades and archive footage: every video opens right here, in the viewer.
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Recaps, announcements, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews posted by the association on its Facebook page. These videos open on Facebook, in a new tab.
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Announcements, reports, features and profiles, in French, Arabic and English. Enlarge the screenshot of an article or read it in full on the outlet’s website.
Working session on 13 May 2026 at the Ministry of Tourism, chaired by the minister, Sofiane Tekaya, with the Governor of Sousse, Sofiane Tanfouri, and the organising committee of the “Aoussou” festival.
Read the article ↗Radio Culturelle relays the announcement of the 63rd edition (12–26 July 2026) following the working session at the Sousse governorate. The governor, Sofiane Tanfouri, stresses the need for coordination between everyone involved to make this cultural and tourist event a success.
Read the article ↗Statement by the association’s president, Walid Ben Hassen, after a working session at the governorate: the 63rd edition, under the slogan “Aoussou, Art and Heritage”, will run from 12 to 26 July 2026.
Read the article ↗Tunisian Television announces the 63rd edition, from 12 to 26 July 2026, coinciding with Republic Day. A working session at the governorate headquarters, chaired by the governor, Sofiane Tanfouri, examined organisational, logistical and security matters, and the organising committee presented the…
Read the article ↗National Radio reports on the working session held at the Sousse governorate on the 63rd edition (12–26 July 2026): organisation, logistics and security.
Read the article ↗The website announces that the 63rd edition will take place from 12 to 26 July 2026, coinciding with Republic Day. It sums up the preparatory meeting at the governorate devoted to organisational, logistical and security matters.
Read the article ↗TAP dispatch: the 63rd edition, organised by the Aoussou Festival Association with the governorate and the municipality of Sousse, runs from 12 to 26 July 2026 under the slogan “Aoussou… Art and Heritage”.
Read the article ↗Assabah News carries the programme of the 63rd edition (12–26 July 2026, slogan “Aoussou… Art and Heritage”), organised with the governorate and the municipality.
Read the article ↗Jawhara FM publishes the programme of the 63rd edition (12–26 July 2026), “Aoussou… Art and Heritage”: opening on Boujaafar beach on 12 July, a day of beach games, the carnival on 24 July, evening events and the Republic Day celebrations.
Read the article ↗Tunisie Numérique gives details of the 63rd edition (12–26 July 2026, “Aoussou… Art and Heritage”), organised with the governorate and the municipality of Sousse. The article recalls the aim of showcasing Sousse’s heritage and keeping alive one of Tunisia’s oldest summer events, with a parade…
Read the article ↗Radio Culturelle carries the dispatch announcing the 63rd edition (12–26 July 2026), organised by the festival association with the governorate and the municipality under the slogan “Aoussou… Art and Heritage” and presented as one of Tunisia’s oldest summer festivals.
Read the article ↗The 63rd edition runs from 12 to 26 July 2026, organised by the Aoussou Festival Association with the governorate and the municipality, under the theme “Aoussou… Art and Heritage”.
Read the article ↗A repeat of the dispatch announcing the 63rd edition (12–26 July 2026) under the slogan “Aoussou… Art and Heritage”, with the opening at Boujaafar on 12 July and the carnival on 24 July.
Read the article ↗Presentation of the 63rd edition (12–26 July 2026, slogan “Aoussou… Art and Heritage”): opening on Sunday 12 July at Boujaafar with competitions and games, the grand parade on 24 July (allegorical floats, brass bands, giant puppets, folk troupes) along the corniche and Habib Bourguiba Avenue, fireworks…
Read the article ↗Walid Ben Hassen, the association’s president, presents the 63rd edition, which opens on 12 July 2026 with beach games, followed by a major concert, fireworks on 25 July, evenings with foreign troupes at the El Kantaoui marina and the carnival parade on 24 July.
Read the article ↗Tourist guide to the 63rd edition (12–26 July 2026, “Aoussou… Art and Heritage”): a grand carnival parade on 24 July with decorated floats and folk troupes.
Read the article ↗Announcement of the parade of the 63rd edition of the Aoussou Carnival on 24 July 2026 at 19:00 on Boujaafar beach, under the slogan “Aoussou, Art and Heritage”.
Read the article ↗The Aoussou Carnival’s consignment of fireworks, 958 kg this year, has reached Sousse after being unloaded at the port of Radès and clearing customs.
Read the article ↗Founded in 1958, the festival brings together delegations from France, Syria, Libya, Algeria and Poland (the Stowarzyszenie Orkiestra Dęta Świecie ensemble) in 2026, parading on floats and carriages made by artists from Sousse.
Read the article ↗On Friday 24 July 2026, residents of and visitors to Sousse have a date with the parade of the 63rd edition of the Aoussou Carnival on the Boujaafar corniche, from 19:00.
Read the article ↗English-language tourist event listing dated 24 July 2026: the main parade after 20:00 along Habib Bourguiba Avenue towards the seafront (decorated floats, brass bands, Tunisian folk troupes and international delegations), followed by two to three evenings of entertainment, free admission.
Read the article ↗A look back at the Polish participation in the 2026 edition: the Stowarzyszenie Orkiestra Dęta Świecie ensemble (majorettes, dancers and musicians) livened up the parade and was warmly applauded, in the presence of the head of mission, Andrzej Stolarek.
Read the article ↗Announcement that the Chedli Klibi City of Culture and the Carthage Music Days have joined the Network of Silk Road Arts Festivals, in which Tunisia is already represented by, among others, the Carthage International Festival, the JTC, the Aoussou Carnival in Sousse and the Tozeur International Oasis Festival.
Read the article ↗Programme unveiled at the governorate by the association’s president, Walid Ben Hassen: beach games on 14 July, a major concert on the 23rd, fireworks on the 25th, evenings with foreign troupes at the El Kantaoui marina on the 26th and the carnival parade on 27 July 2025 from 18:00.
Read the article ↗Working meeting on Wednesday 4 June 2025 under the supervision of the Minister of Tourism, Sofiane Tekaya, and the Governor of Sousse, Sofiane Tanfouri, with local authorities, organisers and cultural stakeholders: a review of previous editions and the outline programme of the 62nd edition, with the aim of strengthening…
Read the article ↗According to the Ministry of Tourism, the 62nd edition, from 14 to 27 July 2025, will bring together 9 countries and more than 340 Tunisian and foreign journalists, with an emphasis on innovation.
Read the article ↗The association’s president, Walid Ben Hassen, presents the 62nd edition (14–27 July 2025) after a working session at the governorate: beach games on 14 July, a major concert by a Tunisian artist on the 23rd, fireworks on the 25th, evenings with foreign troupes at Port El Kantaoui on the 26th and the carnival on the 27th…
Read the article ↗Print-edition article (Radhouane Chebil) on Boujaafar beach, 1,500 metres long and the starting point of Sousse’s tourist zone: in “Aoussou” season, people of old would bathe there invoking Aoussou’s water, believing it cured aching joints.
Read the article ↗Announcement of the 62nd edition of the carnival, scheduled for Sunday 27 July 2025 in Sousse under the slogan “Aoussou… Sea and Arts”, organised by the Aoussou Parade Association.
Read the article ↗Radio Monastir announces the 62nd edition of the carnival for Sunday 27 July 2025 under the slogan “Aoussou… Sea and Arts”. The piece recalls the first edition in 1958 and details the activities: beach games, Miss Aoussou Carnival, a costume competition, and floats including that of the “king of the sea”.
Read the article ↗Press conference on Sunday 13 July 2025 presenting the 62nd edition, “Sea and Arts” (13–27 July): a day of beach games at Boujaafar (sandcastles, traditional games), a concert by Raouf Maher on 23 July on Twin Cities Square, a fireworks night on 25 July for Republic Day…
Read the article ↗Press conference on 13 July 2025 presenting the 62nd edition, “Sea and Arts”: beach games at Boujaafar, a concert by Raouf Maher on 23 July on Twin Cities Square, fireworks on the 25th, a mini-carnival at Port El Kantaoui on the 26th with troupes from France, Italy, Libya and Algeria, and the final parade on the 27th…
Read the article ↗The 62nd edition gets under way on Sunday 13 July 2025 on Boujaafar beach under the slogan “Sea and Arts”; the event, once limited to two days, now stretches over five.
Read the article ↗The 62nd edition runs from 13 to 27 July 2025 under the slogan “Sea and Arts”, a popular celebration blending the arts, folklore, heritage and tourism. The association’s president presents the programme at a press conference on Sunday 13 July.
Read the article ↗Walid Ben Hassen (ACA) presents the 62nd edition of the “Aoussou Festival of the Sea and the Arts”, from 14 to 27 July 2025: beach games, a concert on the 23rd, fireworks on the 25th, foreign troupes at the El Kantaoui marina on the 26th and a parade-competition on 27 July.
Read the article ↗In-depth article in La Presse on the edition scheduled from 14 to 27 July 2025, presenting the carnival as “the first in Africa and the Arab world”.
Read the article ↗The Aoussou Carnival Association announces that the fireworks, a Sousse tradition for Republic Day for decades, will be set off on Friday 25 July 2025 from 22:00 on Twin Cities Square, Boujaafar beach.
Read the article ↗Announcement of the concert by the singer Raouf Maher on 23 July 2025 at 22:00 on Twin Cities Square, as part of the 62nd edition, “Aoussou… Sea and Arts”.
Read the article ↗On Sunday 20 July 2025, Walid Ben Hassen, president of the Aoussou Parade Association, announces the purchase of around one tonne of fireworks imported from France for the 62nd edition.
Read the article ↗Around one tonne of fireworks imported from France has been secured for the 62nd edition; according to Walid Ben Hassen, president of the Aoussou Parade Association, the display will be supervised by a French team.
Read the article ↗One tonne of fireworks imported from France has been delivered and secured in a depot in Sousse, Walid Ben Hassen announces; the display on 25 July 2025 at 22:00, from Borj Khadija to the edge of Boujaafar, will be supervised by French technicians.
Read the article ↗Sousse traffic police announce the measures taken for the fireworks display on Friday 25 July 2025 on Twin Cities Square: traffic and parking banned on Habib Bourguiba Avenue and Hédi Chaker Avenue from 15:00, and restrictions around the square.
Read the article ↗So that the public can attend the evening events of the Aoussou Festival 2025, the Métro du Sahel is running extra late-night services on the Sousse–Monastir line in both directions for 5 days.
Read the article ↗English version of the traffic police notice: Habib Bourguiba and Hédi Chaker avenues closed from 15:00 on Friday 25 July 2025 for the Aoussou Carnival fireworks on Twin Cities Square, parking banned around the square and diversions signposted; towed vehicles taken…
Read the article ↗Sousse traffic police announce the closure of Habib Bourguiba and Hédi Chaker avenues (from Twin Cities Square to the Hotel Riadh Ennakheel) from 15:00 on Friday 25 July 2025 for the carnival fireworks, with parking bans and diversion routes.
Read the article ↗On 25 July 2025, the carnival crowd watches a fireworks display billed as unprecedented on Twin Cities Square from 22:00. Walid Ben Hassen, president of the Aoussou Parade Association, explains what makes the show special and the transport arrangements for spectators.
Read the article ↗Friday 25 July 2025 marks the start of the agricultural calendar’s “Aoussou” period, which lasts around 40 days until 2 September and is characterised by warmer sea water and high humidity.
Read the article ↗Short piece on the parade of the 2025 edition: giant floats, spectacular puppets, and costumes and masks designed by stage managers, costume makers and set designers, for a colourful parade of around three hours intended to liven up the resort.
Read the article ↗On Sunday 27 July 2025, the carnival of the 62nd edition set off along the Boujaafar corniche before a large crowd, under the patronage of the Minister of Tourism, Sofiane Tekaya, and in the presence of the governor, Sofiane Tanfouri.
Read the article ↗The Minister of Tourism, Sofiane Tekaya, who presided over the parade on 27 July 2025, praises the organisation and the “resounding success” of the 62nd edition. He tells Jawhara FM that the festival is one of the oldest and largest international festivals, ranked in his words “the fourth-largest festival”, a…
Read the article ↗On Sunday 27 July 2025, the closing day of the 62nd edition, the carnival set off from the Boujaafar corniche towards the city centre before a large crowd.
Read the article ↗Article by Raja Senoussi on the Republic Day evening (25 July 2025) in Sousse: fireworks on Boujaafar beach as part of the 62nd edition, “Aoussou… Sea and Arts”, watched by more than 200,000 people according to the article, one of the largest gatherings of recent years.
Read the article ↗Report on the parade of the 62nd edition on Sunday 27 July 2025 along the Boujaafar corniche: floats made by Tunisian hands, giant puppets and symbols of the coastal city.
Read the article ↗Investigation by Maher Jaidane into the links between the carnival and Sousse’s theatre movement, and into its founders: Mohamed Zarkati, Hamed Zaghdan and Abdelhafidh Bouraoui.
Read the article ↗The Aoussou Carnival Association installs the “I love Sousse” artwork on Twin Cities Square, near the Boujaafar corniche, an initiative welcomed by residents and visitors.
Read the article ↗Ahead of the 61st edition, the Aoussou Carnival Association (ACA), chaired by Walid Ben Hassen, holds a talk entitled “Aoussou Carnival: back on the international stage” at the Espace Badiaâ on 24 June 2024, with the historian Adel Ben Youssef, the artist Tarak Zorgati and Mounir Bouraoui, to introduce young people…
Read the article ↗Working session on 8 July 2024 at the Sousse regional tourism office, chaired by the regional tourism commissioner, Mohamed Boujdaria, with the association’s president, Walid Ben Hassen, to finalise preparations for the carnival, considered important for the destination and for its historical symbolism.
Read the article ↗Working session at the Sousse governorate on preparations for the 61st edition. The governor, Nabil Ferjani, announces that the festival will run from 14 to 27 July 2024 on the Boujaafar corniche, with a day of beach games, fireworks on 25 July for Republic Day, evening events…
Read the article ↗Press conference by the Aoussou Parade Association presenting the 61st edition, “Aoussou, Sea and Peace” (14–27 July 2024): beach games, a concert by Balti on Twin Cities Square, fireworks for Republic Day, an evening of troupes and the final parade on 27 July.
Read the article ↗Report on the Aoussou Parade Association’s press conference presenting the 61st edition (14–27 July 2024, slogan “Aoussou, Sea and Peace”). The director, Walid Ben Hassen, outlines five highlights: beach games at Boujaafar on 14 July, a concert by the rapper Balti on Twin Cities Square on the 21st, fireworks…
Read the article ↗Programme of the 61st edition from 14 to 27 July 2024: beach games on the 14th, a concert by the rapper Balti on the 23rd, fireworks on the 25th and 26th, festive afternoons on the 26th and 27th and the grand parade on 27 July, organised by the Aoussou Carnival Association (ACA).
Read the article ↗Programme of the 61st edition, “Aoussou, Sea and Peace”: beach games at Boujaafar, an evening with the rapper Balti on Twin Cities Square, fireworks on 25 July, an evening of international troupes (Italy, Germany, Algeria…) and a small fireworks display at Port El Kantaoui on the 26th, and the parade on 27 July with some 4,000 participants…
Read the article ↗The festival opened on 14 July 2024 and runs until the 27th, with a free concert by Balti on 23 July and fireworks on the 25th for Republic Day.
Read the article ↗The Aoussou Festival opened on 14 July 2024 in Sousse and continues until 27 July, with a free concert and a fireworks display for Republic Day; the association’s president, Walid Ben Hassen, says he wants to restore the festival’s former prestige and promote tourism.
Read the article ↗Walid Ben Hassen, president of the Aoussou Parade Association, posts a video of the final preparations for Balti’s concert on Tuesday 23 July 2024 on Twin Cities Square.
Read the article ↗The rapper Balti gave a concert on Twin Cities Square in Sousse before more than 30,000 spectators as part of the 61st edition. The festival director, Walid Ben Hassen, stresses that the concerts are free for the general public; the security arrangements were praised.
Read the article ↗Presentation of the “Aoussou” season (25 July – 2 September) and its customs (dawn sea bathing against rheumatism, bsissa, herbal baths in the interior of the country), with the researcher Walid Allaoui.
Read the article ↗On Thursday 25 July 2024, the people of Sousse, visitors from all over Tunisia, and Algerian and European tourists watched the fireworks evening on Boujaafar beach, as part of the 61st edition of the “Aoussou Carnival”.
Read the article ↗Report on the 61st edition (14–27 July 2024): a parade of floats and giant puppets along the Boujaafar corniche, with troupes from France, Italy and Algeria.
Read the article ↗On the closing day of the 61st edition (27 July 2024), the Minister of Tourism, Mohamed Moez Belhassine, calls for the festival’s standing to be preserved, and the minister responsible for culture, Moncef Boukthir, recalls that Aoussou is “one of the first carnivals in Africa and the Arab world”.
Read the article ↗Report by Maher Jaidane on the 61st edition (2024): the historic carnival, founded in 1958 just after independence, is still carried by its public. The actor Bouraoui Ouhichi, who played the character of “Aoussou” (modelled on the Neptune mosaic in Sousse’s archaeological museum), regrets his absence…
Read the article ↗On Saturday 27 July 2024, under the slogan “Aoussou, Sea and Peace”, Sousse hosted the parade of the 61st edition organised by the Aoussou Parade Association, in the presence of the Minister of Higher Education with responsibility for Culture, Moncef Boukthir, and the Minister of Tourism, Mohamed Moez Belhassine.
Read the article ↗On Saturday 27 July 2024, the procession of the 61st edition set off from the Sousse Youth Centre towards Habib Bourguiba Avenue before a crowd of visitors and tourists.
Read the article ↗Article by Raja Senoussi on the 61st edition, held under the slogan “Aoussou, Sea and Peace” on the Boujaafar corniche and organised by the Aoussou Parade Association.
Read the article ↗Report on the 61st edition: a parade of allegorical floats on Saturday 27 July 2024 along the Boujaafar corniche, under the slogan “Aoussou, Sea and Peace”, in the presence of the Minister of Tourism, Mohamed Moez Belhassine, the acting Minister of Culture, Moncef Boukthir, and the governor, Nabil Ferjani.
Read the article ↗The Aoussou Carnival, represented by its president Walid Ben Hassen (also the founder of FIVS), takes part on 18 October 2024 in Shanghai in the 4th annual conference of the Network of Silk Road Arts Festival, which brings together more than 30 festivals and cultural institutions.
Read the article ↗At a working session on 29 May 2023, the Minister of Tourism, Mohamed Moez Belhassine, calls for richer content for the “Aoussou Carnival”, scheduled from 9 to 27 July for its 60th edition, and for the region’s heritage and crafts to be showcased.
Read the article ↗The Minister of Tourism, Mohamed Moez Belhassine, asks for richer content for the 60th edition, scheduled from 9 to 27 July 2023 in Sousse, to showcase the region’s heritage and crafts.
Read the article ↗Report from Habib Bensalah: a preparatory session for the 60th edition chaired by the Governor of Sousse, Nabil Ferjani, with the main partners (regional delegates for tourism, culture — Chedli Azzabou — and youth, the municipality of Sousse, and the Société de transport du Sahel).
Read the article ↗On 12 July 2023, the Governor of Sousse, Nabil Ferjani, chairs a working session on the 60th edition, scheduled from 16 to 26 July 2023. The association’s president presents the programme: a press conference on 14 July, the carnival on 24 July 2023, a campaign promoting the character of Aoussou and cooperation…
Read the article ↗The festival committee announces a free concert by the singer Saber Rebai on Friday 21 July 2023 at 22:00 on Twin Cities Square, Boujaafar beach, as part of the “Aoussou Summer Carnival”.
Read the article ↗Announcement of the carnival’s kick-off on 24 July 2023 on Habib Bourguiba Avenue and the Boujaafar corniche: symbolic floats, brass bands and folk troupes from Tunisia and abroad.
Read the article ↗After four years’ absence, the carnival returns for its 60th edition along the Boujaafar corniche, with performances by troupes from Algeria, Libya, Syria, Egypt, Burkina Faso and Poland and the “Aoussou” float carrying the “king of the sea”.
Read the article ↗The carnival association posts the final preparations for the fireworks display on Tuesday 25 July 2023 at 22:00 on Borj Khadija beach in Boujaafar, near Twin Cities Square, as part of the festival that coincides every year with Republic Day.
Read the article ↗Column on the Aoussou season, celebrated on 25 July according to the Tunisian agricultural calendar of Julian origin: Toulou’ and Roujou’ Aoussou, an etymology linked to Augustus, rituals that may date back to Antiquity and may be linked to Neptune, and the Sousse procession as a Tunisian peculiarity.
Read the article ↗The Governor of Sousse, Nabil Ferjani, reviews the 2023 edition on Jawhara FM: organising the festival after several years’ interruption was a challenge.
Read the article ↗Analysis by Maher Jaidane of the 2023 summer festivals in Sousse: Carthage, Hammamet and Aoussou are presented as the “locomotives” of Tunisia’s summer events, taking the lion’s share of the budgets.
Read the article ↗As part of the year-long celebration in 2023 of the carnival’s 60th anniversary, the steering committee installs the symbolic float outside the Mall of Sousse in Kalâa Kebira.
Read the article ↗Encyclopaedia article: the carnival is held near Boujaafar beach in Sousse, on the eve of the Aoussou period, the great heat of the agrarian calendar.
Read the article ↗Meeting at the Sousse governorate, chaired by the acting governor, Fares Mejri, to prepare the 60th edition of the Aoussou Carnival, “held on 24 July every year”, as tourism recovers after the health crisis.
Read the article ↗The new Governor of Sousse, Nabil Ferjani, a guest on the programme “Politica”, says the Aoussou Festival file has been examined and that some activities could begin at the end of July 2022; he has met the Minister of Tourism and a session is planned for the following week, pending funding from the ministry.
Read the article ↗Print-edition article (Radhouane Chebil) on Boujaafar beach: the people of Sousse used to bathe saying “O water of Aoussou, take away the pain I feel”, the water being associated with the Phoenician legend of the king of the sea “Aoussou”, king of the riches of the sea, and regarded as a cure for every ailment.
Read the article ↗A review of the return of the summer festivals after a two-year break (Covid): the calendar, disrupted by the constitutional referendum, forced the Aoussou International Festival to postpone its shows, evening events and fireworks to the end of August 2022, for the first time in its history, having always kept to its date…
Read the article ↗Article on the “Aoussou” period’s customs (around 40 days of scorching heat from 25 July according to the Amazigh calendar): a week of therapeutic bathing, sand baths, diet.
Read the article ↗The Aoussou Parade Association announces the cancellation of the 60th edition, scheduled from 17 July to 28 August 2022, and its postponement to summer 2023, as public subsidies (from the Ministries of Culture and Tourism, the municipality and the governorate of Sousse) have not been paid.
Read the article ↗Following a meeting of its board on 19 August 2022, the Aoussou Parade Association announces the cancellation of the carnival of the 60th edition, scheduled between 17 July and 28 August.
Read the article ↗Nessma relays the Aoussou Parade Association’s press release of 20 August 2022: after a meeting of its board on 19 August, the carnival of the 60th edition (scheduled from 17 July to 28 August, the date of the international carnival) is cancelled for financial reasons, the public subsidies from the Ministries of Culture and…
Read the article ↗The Ministry of Cultural Affairs responds to the postponement of the festival to summer 2023: a session with the minister was held on 25 May 2022, a subsidy of 180,000 dinars was granted, the contract signed on 8 August 2022 and a first instalment of 135,000 dinars transferred to the association.
Read the article ↗Announced for July 2022 after the Covid-19 pandemic, the carnival is postponed because it clashes with the referendum of 25 July, then cancelled for mainly logistical reasons.
Read the article ↗The organising committee cancels the 60th edition because of financial difficulties and meagre local contributions (governorate, municipality, tourist office, Ministry of Culture); a budget of around 80,000 dinars is mentioned.
Read the article ↗On 19 August 2022, the organising committee announces the cancellation of the 60th edition, scheduled for 28 August, because no funds have been released despite subsidies agreed by the Ministries of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, the governorate and the town hall, owing to bureaucratic procedures.
Read the article ↗On 20 August 2022, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs states that it allocated 180,000 dinars to the carnival, of which 135,000 had already been paid into the association’s account, contradicting the steering committee, and regrets the cancellation.
Read the article ↗Analysis of the cancellation of the 60th edition in 2022, first postponed because of the referendum and then cancelled. The article recalls that the carnival is linked to the proclamation of the Republic on 25 July 1957, and that its first edition dates from 1958.
Read the article ↗A nostalgic opinion piece on Sousse’s decline: the author recalls that the Boujaafar corniche once hosted the “famous Aouessou carnival”, a joyful festive parade, and laments its disappearance (written after the 2022 cancellation) as well as the state of the hotels and the promenade.
Read the article ↗Mosaïque FM relays the association’s announcement that the carnival is postponed from summer 2019.
Read the article ↗A review of the 2019 summer festival season in Sousse, marked by the national mourning that followed the death of President Béji Caïd Essebsi.
Read the article ↗In-depth feature on the “Aoussou” season: a period of scorching heat running from 25/7 to 2/9 in the Gregorian calendar (or from 17/7 to 27/8 in the old Amazigh calendar, 13 days apart), celebrated in many of North Africa’s coastal towns.
Read the article ↗Mosaïque FM video report on the parade of the 59th edition through the streets of Sousse on 26 July 2018.
Read the article ↗On Thursday 26 July 2018, floats and giant puppets parade along the Boujaafar corniche for the 59th edition, with troupes from Nice, Algeria and Russia and Tunisian Sufi groups.
Read the article ↗Article by Maher Jaidane on popular imagination: every July, the people of the Sahel turn to the sea with the cry “Aoussou, take away the pain I feel”, believing sea bathing to have healing powers.
Read the article ↗Report on a Tunisian-Algerian vintage car parade taking part in the 59th carnival (2018), with some twenty Tunisian participants from Ksar Hellal and Moknine and Algerian crews who had driven more than 1,000 km.
Read the article ↗Municipal event listing: the Aoussou Carnival returns in 2017 and will liven up Sousse, especially the tourist zone of El Kantaoui and Chatt Boujaâfar. It recalls that the festivities have taken place over several days at the end of July since 1958.
Read the article ↗Announcement on the official website of the municipality of Sousse (published on 30 April 2017): the Aoussou Carnival returns in 2017 in a new format, hosted in Sousse, particularly in the tourist zone, at Port El Kantaoui and Boujaafar.
Read the article ↗Municipal news item announcing the grand carnival on 26 July 2017 from 18:30: a parade of colourful floats, folk troupes, giant puppets, dancers, brass bands and ballets, with guests from friendly countries, along the tourist road and Habib Bourguiba Avenue.
Read the article ↗Diary listing: from 25 to 27 July 2017, Sousse celebrates with fireworks on 25 July, the carnival on 26 July at Boujaafar and on 27 July at the port of El Kantaoui.
Read the article ↗The 2017 programme as carried by the tourism portal: the carnival on 26 July as part of the festival (18–27 July), with janissaries, majorettes, brass bands, floats, giant puppets and folk troupes between the commercial port and the Boujaafar corniche.
Read the article ↗Explanatory article: Aoussou is the summer period from 25 July to 2 September (Gregorian calendar) or from 17 July to 27 August (Amazigh calendar), marked by scorching heat and a warm sea, and celebrated in many coastal towns in North Africa — hence the Sousse carnival.
Read the article ↗Tourist overview: a parade of symbolic floats, brass bands and folk troupes near Boujaafer beach, on the eve of Aoussou (the August heatwave of the Berber calendar).
Read the article ↗Mosaïque FM announces that the Aoussou Festival opens on Tuesday 18 July 2017 and continues until 6 August 2017, with a varied programme in Sousse.
Read the article ↗TAP dispatch carried by Nessma: the 58th edition runs from 18 to 26 July 2017 in Sousse and Port El Kantaoui. Programme: a day of entertainment on 18 July on Twin Cities Square and Boujaafar beach, the National Ballet of Burkina Faso on 19 July at Port El Kantaoui, evenings with Tunisian and foreign troupes…
Read the article ↗The carnival will take place on 26 July 2017 as part of the Aoussou Festival (18–27 July): janissaries, majorettes, brass bands, floats, giant puppets and folk troupes, from the commercial port to the Boujaafar corniche via Habib Bourguiba Avenue.
Read the article ↗Announcement that the 58th edition opens the following day at 9:00 (running until 26 July 2017): a day of entertainment on Twin Cities Square and Boujaafar beach, the National Ballet of Burkina Faso at Port El Kantaoui, evening events on 20–22 July, and fireworks on 25 July on Twin Cities Square and at Borj Khadija.
Read the article ↗The Governor of Sousse, Adel Chelioui, announces the Aoussou Festival from 18 July to 6 August 2017, extended to other towns in the region to reach more citizens and tourists.
Read the article ↗The 58th edition of the “Aoussou Carnival” festival opens on Tuesday 18 July 2017 at 9:00 in Sousse and continues until 26 July.
Read the article ↗Grand carnival scheduled for Wednesday 26 July 2017 at 18:30 along the tourist road and Habib Bourguiba Avenue, preceded by the fireworks on 25 July at Borj Khadija.
Read the article ↗The festival opened on 22 July 2017; highlights: fireworks on Tuesday 25 July and the carnival on Wednesday 26 July. The fireworks return after an absence of around 7 years — Sousse’s age-old tradition for Republic Day, which marks the official start of the “Aoussou” period.
Read the article ↗Sousse traffic police ban traffic and parking on Habib Bourguiba and Hédi Chaker avenues from 25 July 2017 at 8:00 to 26 July at 21:00, and on Avenue Abdelhamid Belkhadhi on 26 July from 12:00 to 21:00, for the Aoussou Festival.
Read the article ↗Press release on the official website of the municipality of Sousse: on Tuesday 25 July 2017, after years of interruption, fireworks once again lit up the sky over Boujaafar to celebrate Republic Day, as part of the Aoussou Festival.
Read the article ↗Fireworks are back on the programme in 2017: the display is on Tuesday 25 July at 22:00 from Borj Khadija beach, next to the port, visible from the Boujaafar corniche.
Read the article ↗On Wednesday 26 July 2017, Sousse enjoyed the festival’s closing parade on the Boujaafar corniche, with several troupes including one from Libya. In attendance were the Minister of Cultural Affairs, Mohamed Zinelabidine, the Minister of the Interior, Hédi Majdoub, the Minister of Technologies…
Read the article ↗In brief: fireworks lit up the sky over Sousse on 25 July 2017 for the Aoussou Carnival, after seven years without festivities of this kind.
Read the article ↗Photo gallery of the carnival on Wednesday 26 July 2017, which filled Sousse with a joyful, festive atmosphere (photos credited to the “Bienvenue à Sousse” page).
Read the article ↗Sunday 6 August 2017 brings the 58th edition of the festival to a close, after it opened on 22 July on Boujaafar beach; the Aoussou parade had drawn nearly a quarter of a million spectators from all over Tunisia and abroad.
Read the article ↗The 57th edition opens on 20 July 2016 and runs until the 26th, in Sousse and Port El Kantaoui. According to Ali Marmouri, the association’s secretary general, the parade on 26 July will feature brass bands, majorettes, floats, models and giant puppets, setting off from the Quai des Arts near the commercial port towards the Boujaafar corniche…
Read the article ↗Announcement of the 2016 edition (events from 22 to 26 July in Sousse, El Kantaoui and Chatt Boujaâfar), with the parade on Tuesday 26 July at 18:30 along Habib Bourguiba Avenue: floats, folk troupes, giant puppets, brass bands and guests from Russia, France and Algeria, plus fireworks.
Read the article ↗Column on the Aoussou season, which begins on 25 July according to the Tunisian agricultural calendar and is divided into Toulou’ Aoussou (the rising heat) and Roujou’ Aoussou (the waning heat).
Read the article ↗The festival carnival sets off on 26 July 2016 at 18:30 from the Quai des Arts at Bab Bhar, along Habib Bourguiba Avenue to Boujaafar beach. Some 13 floats take part, with more than 1,500 artists and dancers from several countries (Syria, Libya, Algeria, France, Russia, Morocco).
Read the article ↗According to Ali Maamouri, the association’s secretary general, quoted by Jawhara FM, the parade of the 57th edition sets off on Tuesday 26 July 2016 at 18:30 from the Quai des Arts at Bab Bhar.
Read the article ↗The Aoussou Carnival opens on Tuesday 26 July 2016 in Sousse under the theme “Tunisia in Permanent Celebration”. Several countries are taking part, including Syria, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, France and Russia, amid tight security.
Read the article ↗The carnival, which opened on Friday 22 July 2016 with street entertainment, concerts and workshops, closes on 26 July at 18:30 with the grand parade on Habib Bourguiba Avenue: majorettes, folk troupes, giant puppets, brass bands.
Read the article ↗On Tuesday 26 July 2016, the 57th edition of the carnival sets off under the slogan “The Celebrations Go On”, with troupes from Tunisia, Syria, Russia, Algeria and Libya, before more than 50,000 spectators for over an hour and a half along Boujaafar beach, a year after the Sousse attack.
Read the article ↗A flash mob of more than 1,200 people (dancers and citizens) danced on Sunday 7 June 2015 on the Boujaafar corniche under the slogan “We Are All Tunisia”, filming a promotional clip announcing the revival of the Aoussou Carnival, “held every year on 24 July”.
Read the article ↗Portrait of Sousse by Walid Tlili (a medina on the UNESCO list since 1988, around 1.5 million foreign tourists a year). Among the city’s festivals he mentions the “Aoussou” festival — meaning August — described as an international carnival bringing together groups from many countries on the corniche of the…
Read the article ↗After four years’ absence, the Aoussou Festival (56th edition) opens on Sunday 26 July 2015 with a parade of floats: Aoussou’s, followed by “Riches of the Sea”, “Culture” and “Sousse, History”, 30 motorbikes and two tourist trains.
Read the article ↗The carnival, organised by the Aoussou Carnival Association with the Ministry of Culture, the governorate, UTICA, the municipality and the hoteliers’ and travel agents’ federations, is announced for 23 to 26 July 2015 under the slogan “Let the Celebrations Begin”.
Read the article ↗The announced programme for the 2015 carnival, from 23 to 26 July, with artists from Tunisia, Algeria, China and Russia. The parade on 24 July will leave the Quai des Arts at 19:00 for Boujaafar, led by the majorettes of Sousse, Ksar Hellal and Hammam Sousse; street performances (fdaouis, acrobats, jugglers, fire-eaters…
Read the article ↗Sousse revives its carnival, which has not been held for four years: exhibitions, parades of brass bands, majorettes and traditional dress, and concerts are planned from 24 July to 13 August 2015 on the Boujaafar corniche.
Read the article ↗Ali Marmouri, the association’s secretary general, announces on Jawhara FM that the festival is resuming in 2015 after a four-year break.
Read the article ↗Friday 24 July 2015 sees the start of the historic “Aoussou” festival, which the children of Sousse call “Baba Aoussou”, after four years without an official celebration for security reasons.
Read the article ↗Jawhara FM video report on the parade of the 56th edition at Boujaafar, in July 2015.
Read the article ↗Photo report on the 56th edition, which opened on the afternoon of Sunday 26 July 2015 despite the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Sousse: a parade of caravans, carts, giant puppets and troupes from several countries along the Boujaâfar corniche, lined with stalls selling crafts and local food specialities.
Read the article ↗Reuters photo gallery of the parade on 26 July 2015 in Sousse: fire-breathers, a giant dragon, a stambeli troupe and Russian participants.
Read the article ↗English-language report on the return, after a four-year absence, of the Awessou float parade despite the attack of June 2015 (38 dead): thousands of Tunisians and tourists, with participants from Russia, Algeria and China.
Read the article ↗Report by Mongi Saidani: the “Aoussou” carnival returns after an absence of some four years, with the festival continuing until 13 August 2015 despite the terrorist attack in Sousse at the end of June 2015 (39 dead).
Read the article ↗On a visit to the Sousse International Fair, the Minister of Culture, Mourad Sakli, announces the return of the Aoussou Festival to Sousse “with a new look”, as part of efforts to promote the region’s cultural scene.
Read the article ↗At the Sousse governorate, the carnival’s steering committee announces the return of the carnival on 24 July 2014 “in a new concept”, free of any politicisation, the event having been impossible to hold since the revolution.
Read the article ↗Mohamed Ali Marmouri, president of the “Aoussou” association, announces on Jawhara FM that the 2014 carnival has been cancelled for organisational and financial reasons.
Read the article ↗Report on tourism in Sousse that mentions Boujaafar beach, the carnival’s usual setting.
Read the article ↗Short piece that mentions, in passing in a profile, an Aoussou parade from the late 1990s.
Read the article ↗Cultural blog post on Sousse describing the Aoussou Carnival on 24 July as the highlight of the summer on the Boujaafar seafront: a procession of floats celebrating local heritage, folk groups and scenes of traditional life.
Read the article ↗Portrait of Sousse, “the Pearl”, which lists the famous Aoussou Festival among its summer festivals.
Read the article ↗Announcement of the Aoussou parade on 24 July 2004 in Sousse, under the theme “Renewing the Commitment”, and an account of the preparations.
Read the article ↗“Aoussou Parade Festival” listing in the Ministry of Cultural Affairs’ cultural diary.
Read the article ↗Encyclopaedia article on Sousse’s annual parade: symbolic floats, brass bands and folk troupes near Boujaafar beach.
Read the article ↗English-language encyclopaedia article on the Sousse parade: symbolic floats, brass bands and folk groups near Boujaafar beach.
Read the article ↗No articles for this selection.
Newspaper cuttings, front pages and documents kept by the association: the carnival’s paper memory, to browse one image at a time.
