Music Festivals on the French Riviera

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Music Festivals on the French Riviera

Below is information on the 2009 cycle of annual music festivals which run from May through August across the Côte d'Azur and in Monaco.

Festival des Heures Musicales de Biot

8 May to 23 June 2009

The 26th anniversary of the music festival of the hilltop village of Biot will take place with a series of nine concerts by both professional musicians and young talents.

• All concerts are held in the church of Biot from 21:00
• Limited space means reservations are necessary. All bookings must be made at the Tourist Office, Tel: 04 93 65 78 00

There are plenty of restaurants and hotels around the village, see The AngloFILE for more:

• Riviera Restaurants: Inland
• Riviera Hotels: Valbonne & Sophia Antipolis 

Travel Information

• By train: Take the train to the Gare SNCF de Biot. Then take a taxi to the village (taxis listed in The Anglofile category Taxi, Shuttle, Airport Transfer & Minibus) or take the bus Envibus, ligne 10 from the station to the village
  • Timetable is online: Click here
• By car: From the A8 Autoroute, take exit 44 to Sophia Antipolis and follow the signs to Biot
• By bus: There is a bus that goes between Antibes, Biot, and Valbonne village
  • Detailed schedule and timetable is available online: Click here
• For a map of Biot from AngloINFO Maps: Click here

Festival de Musique Sacrée, Nice 

13 June to 28 June 2009

The Festival of Sacred Music first began in 1974. All concerts take place in the churches in the old town of Nice, Vieux Nice.

• Tickets are available by writing to: 
  • Festival de la Musique Sacrée de Nice
    2 Place Masséna
    06364 Nice Cedex 4
  • All requests must be made at least 15 days before the concert and include a cheque made out for the Trésor Public. Some tickets will also be available to buy at the door half an hour before the concert
• For more information contact the Direction de la Culture. Tel: 04 97 13 36 89

Travel Information

• By train: Take the train to the Gare SNCF Nice Centre Ville
  • Train timetable is online: Click here 
• By car: From the A8 Autoroute, take exit Nice Promenade des Anglais, and follow the Promenade all the way to the center of town
• By bus: There is a night bus service called Noctam'bus that goes from Nice to Cannes and Grasse. 
  • Timetable and detailed route map is available online: Click here (PDF) 
• For a map of Vieux Nice from AngloINFO Maps: Click here

Jazz à Juan 

11 July to 19 July 2009

The Jazz at Juan les Pins annual festival welcomes some of the most best known international jazz artists.

• All jazz evenings begin at 20:30 and take place on the Pinède Gould
• Ticket prices vary, depending on the performance, with up to 50 percent off for students and under 18s. Tickets are sold at the Tourist Office, 11 Place De Gaulle or Tel: 04 97 23 11 11

There are plenty of restaurants and hotels around the village, see The AngloFILE for more:

• Riviera Restaurants in Juan-les-Pins & Antibes
• Bars in Juan-les-Pins & Antibes
• Hotels in Juan-les-Pins & Antibes

Travel Information

• By train: Take the train to the Juan-les-Pins SNCF train station, from there follow the sign to the town centre
  • Train timetable is online: Click here 
• By car: From the A8 Autoroute, take exit 44 Antibes Sophia Antipolis, then follow the signs in the direction of Antibes and then Juan-les-Pins town centre
• For a map of Juan les Pins from AngloINFO Maps: Click here

La Fête de la Musique

21 June 2009

This music festival first took place in 1982 when the minister of culture Jack Lang, and Maurice Fleuret, invited all musicians to perform in the streets of towns and villages across France. Since then, it has become an annual arts event on the national calendar.

• Concerts take place in the streets and squares of most towns and villages of France, there are no tickets and all shows are free entry
• Every year there is a big concert that takes place on Place Masséna in Nice
• See the Fête de la Musique website

Nice Jazz Festival

18 July to 25 July 2009

With more than 45,000 spectators and 500 musicians each year, the Nice Jazz Festival is one of the largest in Europe having three stages with 75 concerts over eight days. All genres of jazz, blues, gospel, fusion and urban funk are played.

• At the Arènes and Jardins de Cimiez, from 19:00-24:00 every day
• Tickets on sale at FNAC
• See the Nice Jazz Festival website

There are plenty of restaurants and hotels around the village, see The AngloFILE for more:

• Restaurants in Nice
• Bars in Nice
• Hotels in Nice

Travel Information

• By train: Take the train to the Gare SNCF Nice Centre Ville
  • Train timetable: Click here
• By car: From the A8 Autoroute, take the exit Nice Promenade des Anglais, follow the Promenade, then take the Voie Mathis on the left after the Parc Phoenix, exit Cimiez
• By bus: The night bus service, Noctam'bus, goes from Nice to Cannes and Grasse
  • A timetable and detailed route map are available online: Click here (PDF)
• For a map of Nice from AngloINFO Maps: Click here

Festival des Nuits du Sud, Vence

10 July to 8 August 2009

The 12th edition of the Nuits du Sud festival in Vence showcases sounds from the South, with music by celebrated performers and musicians from Chili, Columbia, Cuba, Brazil, Ivory Coast, Mali, Spain, Senegal and many more countries.

• Tickets from €10 to €75 (book of tickets) are sold at the Vence Tourist Office, at Carrefour supermarkets, and at FNAC. Entrance is free for children under 12 years of age. 
• All concerts take place outdoors in the Place du Grand Jardin from 20:30 and carry on until about midnight
• For more information Tel: 04 93 58 40 17 
• Festival Nuits du Sud website 

Travel Information

• By car: From the A8, take exit 28 in direction of Cagnes-sur-Mer, then follow the signs to Vence. Free parking is available south of the town (near the Gamm Vert) with a regular shuttle service to the venue.
• By bus: Ligne d'Azur has routes from Nice to Vence
  • A timetable and detailed route map are available online: Click here 
• The Conseil Général des Alpes Maritimes has a route that goes from Vence to Sophia Antipolis, passing through St-Paul-de-Vence and Valbonne, and a route from Nice to Vence. 
  • A timetable and detailed route map are available online: Click here

Festival de Musique de Menton 

1 August to 18 August 2009

The Menton Music Festival welcomes well known musicians from around the world for three weeks of classical music at Le Parvis de la Basilique Saint-Michel Archange in the old town.

Tickets available for one concert or book of tickets available for 3 to 10 concerts. Reduced rates for students and for groups of more than 20 people

• Tickets are sold at the Menton Tourist Office and online: Click here 

• More information from the Festival de Musique de Menton website 

Travel Information

• By train: Take the train to the Menton station (Gare de Menton) and follow the signs to the Basilique Saint Michel Archange
  • Train timetable available online: Click here 
  • Taxis are available from the station to the concerts. Tel: 04 92 10 47 02
• By car: From the A8 Autoroute, take exit 59 Menton, and follow the signs to the town centre
• For a map of Menton from AngloINFO Maps: Click here

Le Sporting Summer Festival, Monaco 

July and August 2009

The Sporting Club Monte-Carlo hosts international music artists every summer for performances in the spectacular Salle des Etoiles. 

• All tickets include dinner and the performance. Tickets available from Fnac, Galeries Lafayettes, Carrefour, Auchan, E-Leclerc and Messagerie Musicali or Tel: +377 98 06 36 36
• Sporting Summer Festival website

There are plenty of bars, restaurants and hotels in and around Monaco, see The AngloFILE for more:

• Restaurants in Monaco
• Bars in Monaco
• Hotels in Monaco

Travel Information

• By train: Take the train to Gare SNCF Monaco Monte-Carlo and follow the signs to Place du Casino. Train timetable is available online: Click here
• By car: From the A8 Autoroute, take exit 56 in direction of Monaco, and follow the signs to the town centre and Place du Casino
• For a map of Monaco from AngloINFO Maps: Click here

Further Information

• See the AngloINFO What's On Guide

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