Nice Jazz Fest returns to Place Masséna and the Théâtre de Verdure from 23rd to 25th July, with Sting, Busta Rhymes and Lola Young topping a three-day bill that spans jazz, soul, hip-hop and pop. The festival, one of the longest-running jazz events in Europe, continues its recent format of pairing major international headliners on the Masséna stage with a more jazz-focused programme at the nearby Théâtre de Verdure.
The festival opens Thursday on the Masséna stage with Girlband! at 8pm, followed by Naïka at 9.15pm and Sting closing the night at 11pm. Over at the Théâtre de Verdure, the evening runs from Gabrielle Cavassa at 7.30pm to Kassa Overall at 8.45pm and Gotts Street Park at 10.30pm.
Friday 24 July
Friday’s Masséna line-up brings Durand Bernarr at 8pm and Noga Erez at 9.15pm, before Busta Rhymes headlines at 11pm. At the Théâtre de Verdure, the Mario Canonge Trio opens at 7.30pm, followed by Nubiyan Twist at 8.45pm and Cymande at 10.30pm.
Saturday 25 July
The festival’s final night sees The Getdown open the Masséna stage at 8pm, followed by Gabriel Jacoby at 9.15pm and Lola Young closing out the festival at 11pm. The Théâtre de Verdure programme features Biréli Lagrène at 7.30pm, the James Carter Quintet performing ‘Coltrane: A Centennial Supreme’ at 8.45pm, and Obongjayar closing the stage at 10.30pm.
Tickets and rates
A three-day pass costs €165, while two-day passes are priced at €125 for Thursday combined with either Friday or Saturday, and €80 for the Friday/Saturday combination. Single-evening tickets are priced differently for Thursday than for Friday and Saturday: Thursday’s standard adult rate is €90, dropping to €75 for the reduced rate (covering families, students, seniors aged 65 and over, jobseekers and visitors with disabilities) and €75 for ages four to 17. On Friday and Saturday, the standard adult rate is €45, with the reduced rate at €32, also applying to the four to 17 age bracket. Children aged three and under go free on all three nights, and a transaction fee of €1.40 applies per order.
Gates open at 5.30pm on the Thursday and 6pm on Friday and Saturday, with concerts beginning at 7.15pm each evening. The festival box office on Place Masséna opens from Saturday 11th July through to the final night, with extended hours once the festival itself gets under way.
See also:
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Photo source: Nice Jazz Fest