What to Do in July in and around Nice – 2024
First time ever: The Tour de France Finish in Nice! – July 21, 2024 – free – Due to the impending Olympic Games, for the first time in the history of the Tour de France, instead of finishing in Paris, in 2024 it will finish… in Nice! The final day will start in Monaco and dramatically end on the Nice Promenade des Anglais, in what will certainly be a… tour de force!
Summer Jazz Festivals
The Cote d’Azur hosts some of the best jazz festivals in Europe:
The Nice Jazz Festival Update: Usually held the third week in July, in 2024 (due to the Tour de France and Olympics) the Nice Jazz Fest will be pushed to August 20-23. It’s the summer jazz festival offering the best bang for the buck, featuring 6 concerts a night on two different stages. Tickets in the 40-50€ range, but can be as low as 120€ for a 4-day early-bird pass. Click the link above for a page of insider tips on how to make the most of the the French Riviera’s most famous Jazz Festival.
The Nice Jazz Festival also has an entire “Off” section of free concerts… think of it like “Off Broadway” – but completely free! The Nice Jazz Festival ‘Off’ Festival is bursting with free mini-concerts all over town including markets, tramways, open spaces, and city parks. Check out the nightly 7pm free ‘Apéro Concerts’ on top of the Nice Chateau.
Jazz à Juan July 8-18, 2024, features two top-tier concerts nightly on the Riviera’s most stunning sunset sea-view stage, in the village of Juan-les-Pins, near Antibes. This is a high-end festival, both in headliner quality and price. There are no bad seats, and even a standing section available for reduced prices.
Nuits du Sud July 4-13, 2024, a fun series of world music concerts held in the Vence town square over 2 weekends. Tickets are 32€ for most nights, and 39€ for July 11.
Jazz/Blues/Rock Concerts in Nice Besides nightly concerts at local jazz clubs and rock bars, there is also a robust monthly concert schedule with Nice Music Live; the concerts at Theatre de Verdure, Black Box, and Stockfish, all have easy tramway access.
Les Nuits Guitares July 2024 dates tbd is set in an ancient olive grove in the seaside town of Beaulieu-sur-mer. Easy access by train or bus from Nice.
If Classical is more your bag…
Sunday Orchestra Concerts in the Park – FREE – Every Sunday at 3:30pm the Nice Orchestra d’Harmonie gives a free concert in the gazebo in the Albert 1st gardens. Click here for this week’s program. To find it, just walk to the end of the Promenade du Paillon where the gardens meet the seaside, and you’ll find the gazebo in the far right corner. Tram stop Massena
Noon Canon Concerts FREE – lunchtime concerts in front of the Nice Opera at the stroke of noon, July 2024 dates tbd. Tram stop Opera
Les Soirees Estivals (Midsummer Nights Concerts) – FREE – Over 500 concerts all summer long in all the towns and villages up and down the coast. Click the link for the program and calendar, or sort by village. Most are in the small hill towns but there is a free Thursday night Jazz’Art Lympia concert series on the terraces on the far side of the Nice Port from 8-9pm. Tram stop Port
Mon Été a Nice An all-summer-long slate of outdoor concerts and events including opera and dance, concerts, art expositions, live theater, and even movie screenings under the stars… Just scroll down to the calendar then click on any date to see what’s going on… Things are being added often, so check back frequently!
Nice Classic Live From mid-July and into August, high-quality classical concerts held under the stars in the dream-like French gardens of the Cimiez monastery. Tickets are 9-19€. Easy access with bus #5 until 1am.
Candlelight Concerts in the Nice Observatory. An intimate one-of-a-kind concert venue, illuminated with hundreds of candles, and at the end the observatory opens the coupole to the stars! Various concerts and dates in July and August, from Vivaldi, to Queen, to a classical take on Coldplay. Tickets 45€/60€ Read more about the Nice Observatory and how to get there.
Festival de Saint-Paul-de-Vence July 2024 dates tbd Classical music and Jazz held under the stars in one of the most beautiful hilltop villages on the Riviera. Tickets 35€
Concerts in the Prince’s Palace – Monaco – July 26 and 28, 2024 The Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra gives a series of summer concerts in a one-of-a-kind venue: the interior courtyard of the Palace of Monaco. It’s a coat and tie affair, and tickets go from as low as 30€ to up to 250€.
Les Nuits Rothschild Every Monday and Tuesday night from July through August, the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in Cap-Jean-Saint-Ferrat opens its doors from 7:45pm-midnight, for an evening ambiance like no other. The villa is resplendent at night lit by hundreds of candles; enjoy live ballet and ‘dancing fountains’, wander the gardens with a ‘picnic panier’, enjoy the bar, or dine in the villa. Tickets are 35€, or 60€ including a picnic basket to enjoy in the gardens (note: no bringing in your own food/bottles), or 105€ including a glass of Champagne and 3-course dinner in the villa. There is also a family admission of 80€ for two adults and 2 children.
The Nice Opera has all kinds of events going on every week: Here is this month’s schedule
- Insider Tip: The Nice Opera ticket office has a last-minute ticket line, where one hour before the performance, unsold tickets drop to half-price …and for students and under-30s tickets are just 5€!
Catch one of the eclectic Candlelight Concerts at the Nice Observatory. A one-of-a-kind concert venue in a historic (but still operating) observatory lit only by a thousand candles… and at the end the cupola opens up to the stars. Tickets start at 47€ and the Observatory is a bit complicated to get to, but worth it for a unique concert in a truly magical ambiance.
Music Festivals on the Wild Side…
Cannes Bal de Fous Themed masked blow-out dance parties on the beach in Cannes, every Sunday night in July. Tickets are 30€ and its for over-18’s only.
Other July events…
Villefranche-sur-mer’s retro American 4th of July Festival is a blast from the past with an afternoon parade in army jeeps, and from 6pm-11pm music and dance in the town square. Villefranche was a favorite US serviceman’s hang-out during WWII, and it celebrates US independence day with a 1940’s flair. Villefranche-sur-mer is easy to get to from Nice by bus or train.
Open-Air Cinema on the Nice Port – FREE classic films presented on the big screen every Tuesday night at 9:30pm; many films shown in English. Tram stop Nice Port
Contes de l’Apero (loosely translated to The Happy Hour Tales) Theater in the Park – FREE – Every evening in July at 7pm at the far end of the Promenade du Paillon gardens. These nightly open-air performances range from theater, dance, music, and comedy. They’re in French, but the music, dance, and physical humor is universal. Tram stop Cathedrale or Garibaldi
Nice Bastille Day Attack Memorial Ceremonies, July 14th. The most tragic and heartbreaking night in Nice’s recent history is commemorated with a day of somber ceremonies and moving tributes to the 86 victims… ending at exactly 10:34pm when 86 spotlights will shine to the heavens.
- Traditional Bastille Day Fireworks, July 13 on the Promenade des Anglais
- Fireworks and Beach Party Cagnes-sur-mer – July 14
- Monaco Pyromelodic Competition – mid July – early August
- Cannes Festival of Pyrotechnic Art – mid July – end of Aug
- Antibes Festival Pyromelodic – mid July – end of August
Pink Parade/Nice Gay Pride Parade – FREE…and freeing! 4pm Saturday July 10 tbd, 2024. Glam up and gather at the Theatre de Verdure at 4pm, when the parade struts down the Promenade des Anglais to the Negresco and back. And that’s when they really get the Pink Party really kicks into gear with pink drinks, DJ’s, dancing and fabulousness from 6pm-11pm, when the everyone will probably head to rue Bonaparte.
The Hopman Cup Tennis Tournament – Update: It’s skipping a year for 2024, but will be back in Nice for 2025.
Attend the Summer Olympics! As part of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, Nice is hosting some of the men’s and women’s soccer/football elimination matches. If you’ve never attended an Olympic event, here’s your chance! The dates are August 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31 at the Allianz Riviera Stadium, and tickets start at just 24€
Fete du Malonat in Old Nice -FREE- 3rd weekend in July. A yearly tribute to the Madonna for protecting this little neighborhood from the Cholera plague of 1854. With the epidemic flaming, the hospital was at capacity and started sending the overflow to the convents. This neighborhood was full of fishermen families, who panicked to have so many sick sent into their midst, and too poor to get out of town, so they turned to the Madonna to save them. The survivors promised her a yearly procession, and they’ve kept their word through generations. It starts with a 10am mass at the Eglise du Gesu, then follow the 11am procession as they parade the Madonna all over the town! If you have never been a part of a religious procession dating from the medieval ages, here’s your chance! Tram stop Cathedrale
Blind Date? Here’s an out-of-the-box idea, a Blind Dinner (July date tbd). Blindfolded before being lead to your table, you’ll experience your meal in a way you will never forget! Tickets for the 3-course blind dinner are 60€, and you select your surprise 3-course menu based on meat, fish or vegetarian. Starts at 8:30pm at Ornato Restaurant 54 blvd Jean Jaures, tram stop Opera.
Attention Bargain Hunters! The massive Annual French Summer Sales go from July 3 through July 30, 2024, with deeper discounts each week…
Free Parc Phoenix Weekend for local residents – Free – The first full weekend of each month Parc Phoenix nature park/arboretum is free to local residents (but you need to bring proof: a recent phone or electric bill, or tax notice). Right after lunch is the busiest time with a line to get in so mornings or late afternoons are best. Tram stop Parc Phoenix
See Related Pages:
- Weekly Open-Air Food and Antique Markets – don’t miss the famous Monday Antique Market at Cours Saleya
- What to do on Sundays in Nice – free afternoon orchestra concerts, free museum days, special family-friendly concert matinees at the Opera House, and of course numerous Catholic masses to choose from…
- Nice by Nite – concerts, jazz clubs, salsa and tango venues, pub quiz nights, English-language theater and movie venues…
- Summer in Nice: 5 Ways to Beat the Heat
Photo credits: Fireworks by Billy Hicks, licensed by Creative Commons. Nice Jazz Festival by Alain Morana.