{"id":1141,"date":"2026-04-30T16:34:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T16:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/frenchrivieratraveller.com\/blog\/?p=1141"},"modified":"2026-04-30T16:34:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T16:34:50","slug":"whats-on-may-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frenchrivieratraveller.com\/blog\/whats-on-may-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s On May 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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May is an exciting month to be on the French Riviera. The weather is mild, the sea is getting warm enough to swim (18\u00b0C as of today) and tourists have yet to flood the region. And there’s so much to do! From traditional festivals to international events plus concerts and garden visits you’re spoiled for choice. Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Nice<\/h2>\n

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May Festival<\/h3>\n

Jardins de Cimiez May 1-31<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The month of May in Nice is synonymous with tradition, music, dance and conviviality thanks to the F\u00eate de Mai<\/strong>, an emblematic event which takes place in the gardens of the Ar\u00e8nes de Cimiez every weekend of the month. It’s one of Nice’s most delightful local festivals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

May 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0 festivities begin at 11am with a folk dancing performance followed by bands and more dancing. The May Queen will be elected at 1pm followed by more dancing. There will also be games, stalls of traditional Nice products and plenty of food stalls.<\/p>\n

Note that May I is a national holiday in France<\/a> which means that there’s no public transportation whatsoever.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every Sunday throughout May<\/strong> , entertainment takes place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on two stages: the main stage of the Olive Grove and a small stage dedicated to children’s shows. In the gardens, workshops, traditional wooden games, face painting and culinary stands will punctuate the days.<\/p>\n

Evening events\u00a0<\/strong>
\nEvening musical events will also take place at various venues in and around Nice<\/p>\n

See the full program here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Regional Folklore Day<\/strong><\/p>\n

The folklore troupe La Ciamada Nissarda<\/strong> will strut their stuff May 31<\/strong> also at the Ar\u00e8nes.<\/p>\n

Author Readings<\/h2>\n

Mass\u00e8na Around the World Bookshop<\/h4>\n

Nice’s largest international bookshop hosts regular author readings and book signings from 5-7pm. This month you can catch mystery writer Jim McGhee<\/strong>; German author Bettina de Cosnac<\/strong> May 9th; journalist and author John Jay<\/strong> May 18; memoirist Magdalena Diab<\/strong> May 30.<\/p>\n

I’ve presented my book, <\/span>Nice Uncovered: Walks Through the Secret Heart of a Historic City<\/em>\u00a0 at this bookshop several times. Why not pick up a copy?<\/span><\/p>\n

European Museum Nights<\/h3>\n

National Museums throughout the region May 23<\/h4>\n

On this day and into the evening, admission to many national museums is free. <\/strong>(The Matisse Museum is a national museum but the Chagall Museum is not.) There’s also a program of special events in the museums. See more about Museums in Nice<\/a> and check out the Museum Nights program here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fete de Voeu<\/h3>\n

\"Procession<\/p>\n

Place de Saint Fran\u00e7ois\/Eglise de Voeu May 31<\/h4>\n

The\u00a0Fete de Voeu<\/em>\u00a0is a procession and ceremony to honor the “vow of Nice”. In 1832 as a cholera epidemic threatened to engulf the city (again), the administration vowed that if the city was spared, they would build a church to honor the Madonna and hold a procession each year. The church they built was the\u00a0Notre Dame des Graces<\/em>\u00a0(or\u00a0Eglise Saint Jean Baptiste-Le Voeu<\/em>), commonly known as the Eglise de Voeu. In a bow to tradition this annual festival is regularly hosted by Nice’s mayor. The tentative<\/em> schedule is as follows:<\/p>\n