What to Do in February in and around Nice – 2026

Nice Carnaval  February 11 – March 1, 2026

Follow Best of Nice’s Insider Carnaval Tips to make the most of your Carnaval experience… if you have the inside scoop, it can be easy, free, fun… and unforgettable!

Part of Carnaval is the Bataille de Fleurs, the famous Nice Flower Parade, on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Don’t miss the fabulous (and free) Nice Queenaval on Friday night, February 27, 2026; the only gay Carnaval in France, and open to everybody.

If you want to do Carnaval old-style (ie: homemade floats, getting pelted with flour-bombs, copious drinking, street music, merriment and mischief…) then join in the Carnaval Independant… if you dare! Sunday March 1st, 2026 from 1pm at Place Saint Roch, tramstop Saint Roch.  It starts with a pot-luck so bring something to share.

And if that doesn’t give you your fill of floats, flowers and fruit in Nice, head out of town for:

Apart from all the Carnaval-related craziness:

The Picasso Museum in Antibes offers a free week for everybody every February, and it’s February 3-8, 2026.

MIDEM in Cannes – February 4-7, 2026 – It’s the Cannes Film Festival for the music industry, and whereas the Film Festival is very complicated to get in, the music festival has concerts/events/parties/screenings all over town and makes it easy with individual tickets, or get an all-access 3-day pass for 100€.  And while you’re there, here are some ideas for what to do in Cannes between concerts

Dinner on Stage at the Nice Opera – February 11 and 12, 2026.  An exclusive and unforgettable dinner experience set right on the stage, while being feted by musicians and dancers from the Nice Opera.  The limited number of tickets are super expensive at 250€ per person, but if you’re rich it’s an unique event that you will never forget.

Masked Ball – For something really different, don’t miss The Vegilone: a Masked Ball on the stage of the Nice Opera – Friday, February 13, 2026 the eve of Carnaval – Free for the first part from 7pm-8:30pm with masked waltzing to the Nice Philharmonic, then ticketed for the second part, a electro show followed by DJ and dancing, 5€ for students, 15€ for everyone else.  Only rule: must be masked!

World AI Festival Expo in Cannes – February 12 and 13, 2026 – This AI expo showcases the latest developments, newest start ups, and cutting edge AI.  It’s a huge convention for business professionals but you can get a free day pass here for free unrestricted entry to explore all the exhibitors and booths. Open 8:30am – 6:30pm at the Palais des Festivals, home of the Cannes Film Festival.  As long as you’re there, here are more ideas for a day in Cannes.

Doorway to hidden barAfterwork Jazz Concert at ‘secret bar’ Cave Bianchi – February 18 and 19, 2026,  Part of the Nice Opera’s Afterwork series, this 1-hour swing concert is held in a historic ‘secret bar’ that is rarely open to the public.  The 20€ ticket (just 10€ if you are under 30!) covers your first drink, but honestly this surprising venue is so cool you won’t want to miss it.  7 rue Raoul Bosio, tram stop Opera.

Free Afternoon Jazz Concert at Villa Massena Museum – Saturday February 7th 2026 at 4pm with the group So What.

Stand up comedy showStand up Comedy in English – The Bobar Comedy Club in Old Nice does weekly stand-up comedy shows in English  ‘Spill the Tea’, at 5:30pm every Sunday and cover charge is just 8€ or 5€ students.  27 rue Benoit Bunico, tram stop Cathedrale.

L'atelier au mimosa, Pierre Bonnard, 1935

L’atelier au mimosa, Pierre Bonnard, 1935

 

Peak weeks to view the Mimosa Forest – Free

Just 24 km from Cannes lies The Tanneron, a Mimosa forest that suddenly turns bright yellow every February. It’s the largest mimosa forest in Europe, and it is  an amazing site to see in full bloom.

 

Attention Bargain Hunters! 

February 3, 2026 is the last day of the ‘Soldes‘, the massive Annual French Winter Sales, and this is the time for the deepest discounts!   In Italy they go until February 16th so definitely worth a day trip across the border.

More bargains can be found at the local flea market Vide Grenier in the Liberation neighborhood – Sunday February 8, 2026 – all day, starting just across from the Liberation tram stop.  Vide Grenier means ’empty your attic’ and you can find all sorts of interesting objects and clothes here for a pittance.  One person’s trash is another’s treasure!

And for still more deals, the last weekend of Carnaval is the Braderie in Old Nice, where all the shopkeepers in the Old Town pull their sales racks out to the sidewalk for a blow-out clearance.

More Music and Concerts

Jazz/Blues/Rock Concerts in Nice  Besides nightly live music 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.

Sunday Orchestra Concerts – FREE – Every Sunday at 3:30pm the Nice Orchestra d’Harmonie gives a free concert in the either the Church in the Port (tram stop Port) or the Basilica Notre Dame (tram stop Jean Medecin).  Click here for this week’s concert program.

FREE Afternoon Concert at the Holy Trinity Church – Free – 1-hour concert Tuesday afternoon February 3, 2026, 12:30pm featuring The Flanders Cello Duo.  11 rue de la Buffa, tram stop Jean Medecin or Alsace-Lorraine

Classical Concerts in Nice’s fabulous Baroque Churches – These evening concerts are ticketed (usually around 20€ish but also often have senior/student discounts)

Seating at the Nice OperaEach month, The Nice Opera features a major symphony and a big theatrical or ballet production.

This month’s main events:

Insider Tips for an affordable Night at the Opera:

  • Half-Price Last-Minute Ticket Line It’s called ‘Ticket Happy Hour’… just line up at the ticket booth 1-hour before the major performances and any unsold seats drop to half-price!  
  • Half-Price for under-30s If you are in your 20s, ALL performances are always half-price, no standing in line needed.
  • Avoid the temptingly cheap tickets in the ironically-named ‘Paradise’ section:  You enter through a decidedly unglamorous side-entrance and march all the way up to the attic section via a narrow winding stairwell.  The seats are long benches, and if you are seated on the sides but not on the front row you will see nothing.  The acoustics are actually good: the music rises… but so does the heat, so by the second act you will be peeling off layers and mopping your brow.

Besides the big productions, The Nice Opera also has all kinds of outreach events going on all month long… click here for this month’s complete schedule.

Candlelight Concerts  Ranging from classic, to themed, to classical interpretations of rock legends, these eclectic concerts are lit by a sea of candles. The first half of February, the very romantic candle lit concerts are at the Chateau de Cremat winery, which is a beautiful venue but hard to get to if you don’t have a car.  But the second half of the month they move to the Westminster Hotel right on the Promenade des Anglais, so super easy access and a majestic setting. Tickets start at 30€.

For Sporty Types

The Cannes Semi-Marathon is Sunday February 22, 2026.

The Monaco Run is a fun 10k in an unforgettable setting, and is Saturday February 8 and 9, 2025

Ice Skating: The best ice skating is in Monaco, at their giant municipal outdoor ice skating rink, right on the port facing the super yachts.  It’s open to the public and costs just 8€ which includes skate rental, helmets and pads.  Opening day is December 5, 2025 and it’s open through end of February.  And as long as you’re there, here’s some other ideas for things to do in Monaco.

If it’s raining, Nice has an indoor skating rink with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the rooftops, and it’s just 7€ including skate rental.  Easy access: the Patinoire Jean Bouin is right across from the Palais des Expositions tram stop.

Ski liftGo to the Snow:  Take the bargain snow-bus for just 14€  round trip and in just 90-minutes, you can be up in the mountains for an easy day-trip with the feel of a mini-vacation. Here is a recent ranking of the best ski resorts and why, but know that Valberg is worth the day trip even if you don’t ski: you can still play in the snow, warm up with raclette for lunch,  soak up the alpine ambiance, hike or snowshoe the Planetary Trail in the afternoon (a multimedia GPS guide is available at the tourist office), and sip hot spiced wine in a warm chalet before napping on the bus ride back.

How to get there on the Ski Buses:  Besides the Valberg ski bus, there are three other Ski Express Buses to three different ski resorts, Isola 2000, La Colmiane and Auron… so really you can shuss in a different ski resort every weekend of the month and your transpo costs are only 7€ each way!

 

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