What to Do in March in and around Nice – 2026
The Carnaval Swim 10am-1pm Sunday March 1, 2026 at Opera Plage – FREE Are you hearty enough to join the polar bear plunge into the sea on the day after Carnaval? It’s a traditional purifying ritual after the Carnival King is burned the night before. Dip into the waves, in costume or not, at 11:45am at Opera Plage beach, then take part in a buffet with festive music.
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.
Paris-Nice Bike Race March 14-15, 2026 – Free. Missed the Tour de France? Catch the finish of the Paris-Nice! Covering over 1000 kilometers over 7 punishing days, the Paris-Nice bike race roars into Nice for its spectacular final day and dramatic finish. There is a free village off Place Massena from March 8-16 with food, fun, expos, demos, and more.
Mars aux Musees All Museums in Nice are free March 1-31, 2026 for students and those under 26, with lots of special activities, conferences, soirees and tours.
Stand up Comedy in English – Every Sunday– The Bobar Comedy Club in Old Nice does weekly stand-up comedy shows in English ‘Spill the Tea’, at 5:15pm and cover charge is just 8€ or 5€ students. 27 rue Benoit Bunico, tram stop Cathedrale.
Old Nice Spring Sidewalk Sale – first weekend in March. Over 300 boutiques pull their wares out on the streets of the Old Town, for a week-long ‘braderie‘ bargain-fest.
Gourd Festival – Free – March 29, 2026 in the Cimiez Gardens. Nice has a long history with gourds, and at its origin this festival used to include gourd battles where squabbling couples were invited to have it out once and for all (as depicted on this 500-year-old fresque found in Old Nice). Now days its more folkloric, and a fun way to spend an afternoon.
Saint Patrick’s Day in Old Nice, Tuesday, March 17, 2026 A plethora of Irish Pubs await you in the old town, for the wildest pub crawl night of the year! See if you can hit them all!
Spring Movie Madness! From March 22-24, 2026 all seats at all cinemas are just 5€! It’s called Printemps du Cinema (Springtime at the Movies) and is a France-wide cinema celebration. Here is a list of local cinemas featuring movies in English.
Here’s another surprising event: a multi-artist exhibition in an extraordinary abandoned villa! I can’t decide which is more captivating, the art or the elegantly decaying ruins of the once stately Villa Cameline. It’s not a squat: the owner gives a free hand to chosen artists every spring, usually from mid-March to mid-April. During exhibition dates, open Wednesdays and Saturdays only from 3pm-6:30pm. Free! 43 ave Monplaisir, tram stop Borriglione, then from the tram stop a 6 minute walk along Ave Romain Rolland that curves into ave Monplaisir up the hill. Worth the effort!
Afterwork Jazz Concert at ‘secret bar’ Cave Bianchi – March 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 (10€ if you’re 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.
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 March 2026 date tbd. 11 rue de la Buffa, tram stop Jean Medecin or Alsace-Lorraine
FREE Classical Concerts where the prestigious Nice Music Conservatory’s final-year students get to strut their stuff:
- Wed Mar 11 – L’Artistique Museum, 3-4pm, Carte Blanche
- Wed Mar 18 – Matisse Museum, 3-4pm, Carte Blanche
- Sat Mar 28 – Chagall Museum, 3-4pm, Carte Blanche
Classical Concerts in Nice’s fabulous Baroque Churches – These evening concerts are ticketed (usually around 20€ish but also often have senior/student discounts)
- Sat Mar 7 – La Providence Cultural Center in Old Nice – Les Dames de Ferrare
- Sat Mar 7 – Palais de l’Agriculture (tram Magnan) – Rhapsodie in Blue
- Fri Mar 13 – Eglise Saint-Augustin in Old Nice – Bach/Bartock
- Sun Mar 15 – Protestant Temple blvd Victor Hugo – Concert Paroissial
- date tdb – Cathedrale Ste-Reparate Old Nice, Les Moments Musicaux
- date tbd – Eglise Saint-Francois-de-Paule – Musicam Ensemble
Each month, The Nice Opera features a major symphony and a big theatrical or ballet production.
This months main events:
- Opera Don Pasquale – March 11-17, 2026
- Ballet Apres la Pluie (After the Rain) – Mar 28-31, 2026
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. Tickets start at 35€.
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.
Go 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!
Ice Skating: Nice has a full-sized indoor ice 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. And since Nice will be hosting the ice skating events for the 2030 Winter Olympics, this might be just the time to go ice skating in Nice!
See Related Pages:
- Weekly Open-Air Markets – don’t miss the famous Monday Antique Market at Cours Saleya, and great shopping for Italian wares at the sprawling Friday Market in Ventimiglia, even in Winter!
- What to do on Sundays in Nice
- Nice by Nite – concerts, jazz clubs, salsa and tango venues, pub quiz nights, English-language theater and movie venues…
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