With Jazz à Juan in full swing and much more live music to look forward to over the coming weeks, let Monaco Life be your guide to the biggest festivals on the French Riviera this summer.
Juan-les-Pins’ famous Jazz à Juan kicked off on 2nd July and will continue until 8th August. The festival regularly attracts huge bands and singers from around the world, such as Kool & The Gang, who will be performing on 16th July, and Marcus Miller, who is set to delight the crowds on 17th July. To check out the full programme, click here.
Alongside the main shows in the Pinède Gould arena are the Jammin’ Summer Sessions in Antibes and Juan-les-Pins. This free concert series event features 20 jazz concerts, marching bands in the streets, exhibitions and guided jazz tours.
See more: Lenny Kravitz to star at Monte-Carlo Summer Festival
Classical music, with a dash of jazz, is the focus in Saint Paul de Vence, which will be hosting its own music festival between 20th and 28th July in the Place de la Courtine. All concerts begin at 9pm. Click here for the line-up.
From 28th to 30th July, Nice’s Théâtre de Verdure will be the stage for the Neon Festival, which boasts a roster of 18 internationally known DJs who will be spinning electro discs from Latin house to bass house and Saxo. Each evening has its own theme, so dress the part for added fun.
The Festival Musique de Menton, from 27th July to 12th August, will host nightly performances by some of the world’s best classical artists. This ‘can’t miss’ 75-year-old event takes place in several locations, details of which can be found here.
There is also Beaulieu-la-Nuit, formerly known as Les Nuits Guitares. The beautiful Jardin de l’Olivaie in idyllic Beaulieu-sur-Mer will be hosting this spell-binding series of concerts between 2nd and 4th August. Each evening, from 7pm until midnight, festivalgoers will gather to listen to the skillful tunes of guitarists from all genres. This family-friendly event offers food trucks, a bar, pétanque and water sports.
For more electro, head to Cannes for the annual Plages Electroniques event. Scheduled for 4th to 6th August at the Palais des Festival, this madcap event will celebrate with 15 hours of music each day, a 40,000m2 dancefloor, eight stages and after-parties that go on until 5am. Over 90 artists are participating this year!
One of the biggest of all music festivals on the Côte d’Azur will be kicking off on 20th August: Nice Jazz. This historically important ode to jazz in all its forms will last each night until 24th August in the Théâtre de Verdure and Place Masséna. Click here to explore the line-up. There will be food, drink and a special kids zone for smaller visitors, as well as a nightly after-party at the Radisson Blu, where the artists will congregate for intimate and improvisational jam sessions.
Music lovers local to Nice will be in for another treat during the first week of September thanks to Crossover Festival, which will be held between 4th and 8th of the month. This series is exactly what it says on the tin and offers a diverse programme of genres like rock, hip-hop, electro and rap, giving everyone a taste of what they love and then some. Concerts run from 6.30pm until 11.30pm, with plenty of after-parties in the works too. To check out the schedule, click here.
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Photo credit: Office de Tourisme Antibes Juan-les-Pins