The French Riviera buzzes with activity all year with the peak season coinciding with the mildest weather. Nice has a wonderful selection of local festivals, based on centuries-old traditions and there are always fireworks somewhere around the big national holidays.
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Here is a selection of the best festivals and events on the Cote d'Azur.
Event: Carnival
Where: Nice
When: Around Fat Tuesday
What happens: Parades, floats, bands, dancers, the Bataille des Fleurs. More information
Event: Fete du Citron
Where: Menton
When: Around Fat Tuesday
What happens: Parades, floats celebrating Menton's citrus fruit
More information
Event: Fete du Mimosa
Where: Mandelieu La Napoule
When: February
What happens: Parades, floats celebrating mimosas
More information
Event: Cannes Film Festival
Where: Cannes
When: mid-May
What happens: Movie stars, screenings, parties, cocktails. . .mostly for film insiders and celebrity-watchers. More.
Event: Monaco Grand Prix Formula I
Where: Monaco
When: mid-May
What happens: Racing fans fill the stands for the world's most prestigious car race.
More info.
Event: Nice Jazz Festival
Where: Jardins Albert Premiere, Nice
When: mid-July
What happens: A mixture of jazz, funk, blues, world & pop musicians on several stages. More.
Event: Jazz a Juan
Where: Juan-les-Pins
When: mid-July
What happens: The world's best jazz musicians play on an outdoor stage. More.
Event: Summer Music Festival
Where: Towns and villages on the Cote d'Azur
When: July through mid-August
What happens: Nightly concerts in parks, gardens and town squares, many of them free. Highlights are the Les
Nuits du Sud in Vence, the Festival de Musique in Menton, and Nice Classical in the cloister of the Franciscan Monastery in Cimiez, Nice.
Event: Journeés du Patrimoine
Where: Towns and villages on the Cote d'Azur
When: Beginning of September
What happens: For one weekend monuments and historical sites normally closed to the public open their gates. Museums are free and often host special events.
More info
When to Go to the French Riviera
Things to Do in Winter on the Riviera
October on the Riviera
Hi! I'm Jeanne Oliver--tour guide and author and I've been living on the Riviera for years. With my local insights your trip will be easy and fun. And, do check out my book Nice Uncovered: Walks Through the Secret Heart of a Historic City.
