Seychelles and La Reunion islands are busy planning for the 2nd edition of the “Carnaval International de Victoria," due to take place between March 2-4, 2012 and comprising 3 days of festivities that promise, once again, to make Victoria the place to be.

In the 2012 edition, Emirates Airline will be the carnival’s official airline partner, while in the true spirit of the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands, La Reunion will be Seychelles’ partner in hosting the 2nd edition of the carnival that has already attracted some 35 foreign delegations and floats.

The official countdown ceremony of the 2012 “Carnaval International de Victoria" will take place on January 13 at the International Conference Center of Seychelles (ICCS) in Victoria when the full program, list of invitees, and performing artists will be rolled out.

Once again, the carnival will kick off with an official opening in central Victoria, attended by both international and local dignitaries, as well as Seychellois from the tourism trade and a cross-section of local businesses. Live music performances, entertainment from home and abroad, and a wide choice of international food stalls will be the order of the day against a backdrop of bright lights, colorful decorations, and levels of excitement appropriate for the carnival of carnivals.

Day two will be the carnival procession day when all local and foreign participants will join in a spectacular carnival procession through the streets of the capital amid huge numbers of locals, visitors, and crews from visiting navies, together echoing the carnival theme, “the melting pot of cultures."

This carnival procession remains the unique attribute of the “Carnaval International de Victoria" in the Seychelles. This is the carnival where the best carnivals of the world and the most known ones walk side by side in a carnival procession. They are followed by cultural troupes from the Community of Nations from the four corners of the world.

The third and final day will be one of pure family fun as local hotels and caterers make their culinary specialities available to the public while live bands, both local and international, play into the night. This is a great day for everyone to interact, as it brings the philosophy behind the carnival to life.

The second “Carnaval International de Victoria" looks set to attract a far greater and more diverse participation than the highly successful, first edition and is looking at bringing in some very popular international artists for its 2nd edition, as well as a star-studded list of foreign dignitaries and invitees.