Carnavalsoptocht over de St. Servaasbrug in Maastricht op de achtergrond zie gebouwen.

Carnival

15 February 2026 - 17 February 2026

Celebrate Vastelaovend in Maastricht?

From 15 to 17 February 2026, Limburg will once again be awash in red, yellow and green. Maastricht is no exception, so we inform you where the carnival activities take place and, more importantly, how you can get there quickly and affordably by bike, public transport or car. Efficient travel is ideal, so you arrive relaxed and in a good mood to start sjoenkelen!

When are the parades and activities?

  • Welcoming the Prince of Carnival in Maastricht on Saturday 14 February at 1:11 pm.
  • The Heeg Parade, Maastricht’s youth carnival parade, on Saturday 14 February at 2:11 pm.
  • The major carnival parade “Boonte Störrem” in Maastricht on Sunday 15 February at 1:33 pm.
  • On Monday 16 February:
    • at 2:11 pm the Groete Optoch in Hier (Heer),
    • at 2:22 pm the Femilieoptoch of Maastricht,
    • at 2:30 pm the Wolder-Vroenhoven Carnival Parade.
  • For an overview of all parade starting times in South Limburg, visit: optochtenkalender.nl/Nederland/limburg.html.

Shop opening hours

On Sunday 15 February, shops are closed. Please note: many shops are also closed on Carnival Monday and Tuesday (16–17 February). Check the website of the relevant shop to avoid finding closed doors.

Traffic measures during Carnival in Maastricht

Some streets can become so crowded that at peak times the situation may become dangerous. The municipality of Maastricht is therefore taking measures in the city centre to ensure that no car traffic can enter the centre.

  • So-called barriers will be placed on various streets in the city centre during these days. These temporary closures for motor traffic are intended to ensure that the city centre remains largely car-free during the carnival days. This is done for safety reasons in order to manage crowds as effectively as possible.

    The barriers will be closed on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday between 13:00 in the afternoon and 03:00 at night, or earlier if necessary due to crowd levels. On Friday, the barriers may also be closed, depending on the number of people visiting the city that day. The barriers can be opened for emergency services and in emergency situations.

    • Removable bollards in Bogaardenstraat will be temporarily removed from Friday through Wednesday to ensure accessibility for residents.
    • Sint Pieterstraat will be closed to all motorised traffic from Friday 13 February at 16:00. At the same time, the one-way traffic directions of Achter de Molens and Witmakersstraat will be reversed.
    • Vrijthof and various surrounding streets will be closed for traffic safety reasons from Friday 13 February at 17:00 until Wednesday 18 February at 12:00.
    • On Sunday 15 February and Monday 16 February, a parking and stopping ban will be in force on Lage Barakken for the staging of the parade.

Will you take your bike or public transport during Carnival?

  • Hop on your bike in your carnival outfit to quickly reach the different parades or move between locations.
    Make sure to park your bike properly so it does not cause inconvenience or obstruction during the parades.

    Bicycle parking closed during carnival

    From Sunday 15 February through Tuesday 17 February, the covered bicycle parking facilities at Kesselskade, Vrijthof and Markt are closed due to blocked access routes caused by carnival activities. These facilities will reopen on Wednesday 18 February.

    Parking ban

    Parking ban for bicycles and mopeds in the bicycle parking facility on the south side of the Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk (Onze Lieve Vrouweplein): from Tuesday through Wednesday, due to the placement of toilet units. Bicycles and mopeds parked during this period will be removed by the municipality.

    Where can you park your bike?

    • In designated bicycle parking spaces and/or racks.
    • Covered bicycle parking at Maastricht railway station (supervised). Opening hours: from 15 minutes before the first train until 15 minutes after the last train.
    • The scooter parking at the station remains open during carnival.
    • Additional temporary bicycle parking at: Mosae Forum, Keizer Karelplein and Pierre Kemppark (on the grass field next to the lift of the Onze Lieve Vrouweplein parking garage).
      • The Pierre Kemppark bicycle parking facility will be set up on 13 February and removed again on 18 February. Please make sure your bicycle is removed from the parking area on time.

  • Do not drive yourself and choose a driver instead. Maastricht is easily accessible by train and bus.
    Please note that due to the various carnival events, buses will operate on adjusted routes and public transport may be busier than usual. Travel times may therefore be longer during carnival days.

    During the carnival holiday, Arriva trains and buses throughout Limburg operate on an adjusted timetable:

    • On Monday 16 February, buses run according to the Sunday schedule.
    • On Tuesday 17 February, buses run according to the Saturday schedule, with the exception of line 44 (Heerlen–Aachen), which operates on the holiday timetable.

    For more information on adjusted travel times during carnival, visit the Arriva website.

    If you first travel to Maastricht by car or public transport, Arriva or shared public transport bikes may be a good option for getting around the city.

  • During Vastelaovend, special Borrelbuses will operate from Saturday 14 February until Tuesday night 17 February between 00:35 and 03:35. They depart from the Boschstraat/Maagdendries stop in Maastricht and travel to various districts within Maastricht as well as Meerssen, Bunde, Gulpen, Eijsden, Vaals and Valkenburg.

    You can choose from the following options:

    Borrelbus single ticket CITY – €5 per person
    The city Borrelbus routes 151 to Malberg, 152 Heer–De Heeg, 155 Daalhof–Wolder, 156 Amby and 157 Bunde–Meerssen are covered by the CITY ticket.

    Borrelbus single ticket REGION – €7.50 per person
    Routes 150 Gulpen–Vaals, 153 Eijsden–Gronsveld and 154 Berg–Sibbe–Valkenburg can be used with the REGION ticket.

    You can purchase a ticket in several ways and will automatically travel at the Borrelbus fare:

    • Check in with your OV-chip card or your bank card (OVpay)
    • Pay for a ticket by debit card directly with the bus driver

    More information about the Borrelbus can be found on the Arriva website (in Dutch)

    Please note: Borrelbuses are not shown in the journey planner. Check the timetable on the Arriva website.

Parking tips and the shortest route to the parking locations

Coming by car? The parking garages in the city center often fill up quickly, especially on weekends. The tips below will help you save travel time looking for a parking space and therefore have more time in the city center. You can also choose to park nearby, but keep in mind that the parking location of your choice might be full and you will have to deal with long(er) queues and extra travel time.

    • Park easily on the outskirts of the city at P+R Maastricht Noord. Parking is free, and you can continue your journey comfortably by bus lines 3, 10 or 30 to the city centre.
    • Prefer to park closer to the centre? Keep in mind that parking rates are higher. The further from the centre, the cheaper it gets. Within just a 10–15 minute walk, you can save up to €18 per hour – money you can better spend on a terrace, some shopping or a visit to a museum!
    • Tip: You can also park smart just outside Maastricht at P+R locations in Bunde, Meerssen or Eijsden. Parking there is free, and you can take the train directly to the city centre.
    • Want to be sure of a spot in the city? Book your parking space in advance via the Q-Park website for extra peace of mind.
    • Check the traffic situation before you travel. On our live map, you can see where it’s busy (orange) or where traffic is at a standstill (red).
    • Planning to visit on a busy day like a weekend or public holiday? Then we recommend arriving before 10:00 or after 15:00, when it’s usually quieter on the roads and in the city.
    • From the A2 or A79: park for free at P+R Maastricht Noord. You can get to the city centre on bus number 10 for €2.55 (day return), or take bus number 30 to the main railway station/Wyck. Bus line 3 runs via Nazareth, Groene Loper, city centre to Wolder. A group ticket for groups of three to five people costs €6.40. Up to two children between the ages of four and eleven can travel for free with a paying adult.
    • It’s cheaper to pay for parking on a P+W site on the outskirts of Maastricht – Vrijthof square or Markt square are just fifteen minutes’ walk away. If you’re coming from the north, park at P Bonnefanten. At the weekend, you can also park at the Gouvernement car park for €14 (all-day parking) if P Bonnefanten is full.
    • Choose a parking location on your route: De Griend, P+R Station, De Colonel, Plein 1992. To access these parking locations, follow the parking routes ‘Wyck-Station’ and ‘Céramique-Wyck’.
    • Park for free at P+R Maastricht Noord. You can get to the city centre on bus number 10 for €2.55 (day return), or take bus number 30 to the main railway station/Wyck. Bus line 3 runs via Nazareth, Groene Loper, city centre to Wolder. A group ticket for groups of three to five people costs €6.40. Up to two children between the ages of four and eleven can travel for free with a paying adult.
      Take the N2 tunnel northbound from Akersteenweg/John F. Kennedybrug and then take exit 1 Bunde onto Nieuwe Limmelderweg.
    • It’s cheaper to pay for parking on a P+W site on the outskirts of Maastricht – Vrijthof square or Markt square are just fifteen minutes’ walk away. If you’re coming from the north, park at P Bonnefanten. At the weekend, you can also park at the Gouvernement car park for €14 (all-day parking) if P Bonnefanten is full.
    • Choose a parking location on your route: Plein 1992 or De Colonel. To access these parking locations, follow the parking routes ‘Wyck-Station’ and ‘Céramique-Wyck’.
    • Follow the A2 tunnel to the north and park for free at P+R Maastricht Noord. You can get to the city centre on bus number 10 for €2.55 (day return), or take bus number 30 to the main railway station/Wyck. Bus line 3 runs via Nazareth, Groene Loper, city centre to Wolder. A group ticket for groups of three to five people costs €6.40. Up to two children between the ages of four and eleven can travel for free with a paying adult.
      Take exit 1 Bunde northbound and turn left onto Nieuwe Limmelderweg.
    • It’s cheaper to pay for parking on a P+W site on the outskirts of Maastricht – Vrijthof square or Markt square are just fifteen minutes’ walk away. If you’re coming from the north, park at P Bonnefanten. At the weekend, you can also park at the Gouvernement car park for €14 (all-day parking) if P Bonnefanten is full.
    • Choose a parking location on your route: Plein 1992 or De Colonel. To access these parking locations, follow the parking routes ‘Wyck-Station’ and ‘Céramique-Wyck’.
    • It’s cheaper to park at Stadspark (fixed, all-day parking rate: €14)  or Frontenpark (fixed, all-day parking rate: €18) Vrijthof square or Markt square are just fifteen minutes’ walk away.
    • Choose a parking location on your route: Onze Lieve Vrouwe, Mosae Forum, or Sphinx.
      • If these car parks are full, check out the car park at Bonnefanten – it costs €14 a day at the weekend and €21.00 a day on weekdays.
    • If you’re coming from Belgium, follow Brusselseweg in Smeermaas and enter Maastricht via Belvédèrelaan. You’ll get to Maastricht faster, and you won’t have to wait at the ramp meter on Bosscherweg. Take the same road on your way back – it’s just as quick.
    • Fort Willem and Frontenpark offers low-cost parking (fixed, all-day parking rate: €8,30 at Fort Willem and €18 at Frontenpark). Vrijthof square or Markt square are just fifteen minutes’ walk away.
    • Choose a parking location on your route: Sphinx, Mosae Forum, or Onze Lieve Vrouwe.
      • You could also park on the outskirts at P+R Maastricht Noord, or park on the east side of Maastricht at P de Griend, P+R Station, Colonel, or Plein 1992. 

Also make sure to lock your car properly and do not leave valuables inside.

Bob – also during carnival

Carnival is a popular celebration enjoyed by many Limburg residents. However, alcohol consumption can endanger road safety. Please be aware that police will carry out additional alcohol checks in the period before and during carnival. Make Bob agreements together and stick to them to keep traffic safe. Are you the Bob today, or is your friend?

Taxis

Taxi traffic between Boschstraat and Markt and from Markt towards Vrijthof and vice versa will be prohibited.

Temporarily suspended taxi ranks:

  • Boschstraat (near the Minckelers statue) (Sunday 13:00 – Wednesday 02:00)
  • Vrijthof North and South (Sunday 13:00 – Wednesday 02:00)

Additional taxi ranks

  • Bus parking area along Maasboulevard (Stadspark) (Sunday 13:00 – Wednesday 02:00, for non-permit holders)
  • Statenstraat (Sunday 19:00 – Wednesday 02:00, permit holders only)
  • Boschstraat between Sint Catharinastraat and Achter de Barakken (Sunday 13:00 – Wednesday 02:00, permit holders only)
  • Bus stop at Kommel, opposite Kruisherenhotel (Sunday 13:00 – Wednesday 02:00, for non-permit holders)
Carnavalsversiering op gebouw In den Vogel Struys

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