One of my favorite things about summer on the Cote d’Azur is the Soirees Estivales du Conseil General: an all-summer-long free concert series in all the little villages both close and far from Nice. Every year this ‘Summer Nights’ series fills the Riviera with free music and gives us an excuse to visit the wonderful little villages up and down the coast and inland, that we might otherwise overlook.
The program is eclectic with something for every taste, the quality is good, and the settings range from quaint and quirky to magnificent. It’s the perfect excuse to get out of the city… Biot, Grasse, Breil-sur-Roya, Beulieu, Eze, St Jennet, Saint-Paul-de-Vence… every village in and around the Cote has something. A free concert of good quality in a charming village… what’s not to love?
To check out the list of upcoming concerts click here (and then click on ‘programme’); the concerts go through mid-September and you can search by town, date, or type of music. There’s something for everyone, from jazz, classical, opera, dance, rock, blues, folk, world, ethnic… and many that defy categorizing: but with a high level of quality guaranteed, you can afford to take a chance!
