What to Do in January in and around Nice – 2026

Contrary to what most people expect, there are no New Year’s Eve fireworks in Nice, however, we do have a really great New Year’s Day Concert:

New Year’s Day Free Mini-Nutcracker Ballet/Concert, 3-4pm at the Nice Opera – free  A fantastic way to kick off the new year, with a free presentation of the highlights of the Nutcracker ballet accompanied by the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra.  No reservations, just line up for your free tickets from the Opera ticket office on the day of starting at 10am.

Galette des Roi – Pick one up from any bakery in town during the first week of January; it’s a tradition to share this delicious almond paste filled cake with friends, and whomever finds (ie.; chips a tooth on!) the little ceramic figurine (from the Christmas nativity scene, called a santon) is the ‘king’ and wears the crown.

New: Notre Dame Basilica Luminiscence Immersive Sound and Light Show After precision mapping every nook and cranny of this opulent church, they programmed the 360 degree immersive light show to fit the magnificent basilica to the millimeter.  With an all-new show including a sense-surround classical soundtrack accompanied by a live choir on Friday, the 45-minute experience is a wow.  Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only, two showings a night; tickets can be as low as 13€ or as high as 39€,  side seats (still great) are half price, less on Thursday nights without the live choir, less for the second show, and even less if under 25 or over 65, or with a family.  Tram stop Jean Medecin, entry to the right of the church.

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Attention Bargain Hunters!  The massive Annual French Winter Sales kick off January 7 until February 3, 2026.

 

 

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’, every Sunday at 5:30pm and cover charge is just 8€ or 5€ students.  27 rue Benoit Bunico, tram stop Cathedrale.

 

Music and Concerts

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.

The Chagall Museum is hosts a monthly 1-hour classical concert by members of the Nice Philharmonic, and held in the magnificent stained-glass concert hall designed by Chagall himself.  This month it is Monday Jan 12, 2026 at 7pm, and tickets are just 12€.  Easy access up and down with bus #5 that runs until late, bus stop Musee Chagall.

Another Classical Concert at the Chagall Museum is Saturday January 31, 2026, but this one is FREE.   The final-year students of the prestigious Nice Music Conservatory get to strut their stuff in one of the most beautiful venues in Nice.

FREE concert at the Holy Trinity Church – Free – Friday evening at 6:30pm January 23 2026, for a very original flamenco-style interpretation of Brahms. 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.

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.

Candlelight Concerts  Ranging from classic, to themed, to classical interpretations of rock legends, these eclectic concerts are lit by a sea of candles. Most of this month’s 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 there is one on January 24th at the Westminster Hotel right on the Prom, so super easy access and a majestic setting.  Tickets start at 30€.

For Sporty Types

Prom Classic 10k Run The first Sunday after New Years, January 4, 2026.  One of the world’s most picturesque 10ks, held along the seaside on the gorgeous Promenade des Anglais.

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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