What to Do in September in and around Nice – 2024
200th Anniversary of the Prom: August 31 to Sunday Sept 1, 2024 FREE – 200 years ago, wealthy British tourists flocked here every winter, and they wanted an upgrade of the dirt beach road so they could stroll along the seaside without getting their finery soiled with dust and dirt. The working-class Niçois didn’t really see the point, so the industrious English (Anglais) just got to it and organized and financed the paving of what is now called the Promenade des Anglais (and now you know why!) To celebrate the 200th anniversary of its inauguration in 1824, the Ville de Nice is throwing a birthday party of sorts with lots of fanciful animations, music and surprises, mostly centered around the Jardin Albert 1ere, but also all along the Prom including vintage photos under the pergolas.
The Crossover Music Festival is THE festival for electro, rap, DJ, and cutting edge bands. Happening September 4-7, 2024, at Nice’s seaside Theatre de Verdure. Tickets 35-40€ night, or 2-day for 65€, 3-day for 90€. Tram stop Massena
…and for the first time, the Crossover Music Festival has a FREE night, September 8, 2024, but at the Espace 109, the cavernous industrial space now edgy art hub. No tickets needed, just come as you are.
Stand up Comedy in English – Every other Sunday, the Bobar Comedy Club in Old Nice does a stand-up comedy show (Spill the Tea) in English at 6:30pm and cover charge is just 8€ or 5€ students. 27 rue Benoit Bunico, tram stop Cathedrale.
Bellet Winery Shuttle – Every Saturday in September, Nice runs a special shuttle bus that does a continuous loop of Bellet wineries for the cost of a regular bus ticket!
Jazz’Art Lympia concert series – FREE – Catch the last concert of the series on Thursday September 5, 2024. Jazz under the stars on the terraces on the far side of the Nice Port . Tram stop Port.
Treme New Orleans Jazz Festival in Villefranche-sur-Mer – Free – September 13-15, 2024 – Named after the New Orleans ghetto that shaped Jazz world wide, this is kind of winter Mardi Gras tribute, with attention to the diverse inspirations from this ___, including Black Indians, flamboyant costumes, music, food, workshops, and parades.
Biot International Glass Festival, September 20-22, 2024.
History Weekend Fete du Patrimoine – FREE (plus all museums are free) – third weekend in September, 21 & 22 September 2024
Grande Braderie de Vieux Nice – September 20,21,22 – all the old town shops put their wares on the street to tempt you with their bargain prices!
Nice Ironman Women’s World Championship
- Saturday, September 21, 2024 – Free – Inauguration ceremony followed by the Parade of Nations (70 countries!) along the Prom across from the Old Town
- Sunday, September 22, 2024 – Free to watch! An ultra-endurance race of insane proportions… but we mere mortals can still watch! The 6:25am start is a 2.4 miles (3.8 km) open-water swim, then they bike over mountains for 112 miles (180 km), and if that wasn’t enough, then they run – I’m not kidding – a full marathon of 26.2 miles (42 km) on the Prom.
Prom Closure: On Ironman day, the Promenade des Anglais is closed to traffic all day, so even couch potatoes can take advantage of the unusually silent Prom for a relaxing drink at one of the bars facing the sea, with only the sounds of the waves and seabirds.
Fete de Sainte Fleur in Old Nice – FREE – Last weekend of September… The patron saint of florists (of course) is honored with a wandering floral fashion show made with over 6500 blooms, and wandering musicians.
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. To find it, just walk to the end of the Promenade du Paillon, where the gardens meet the seaside, and it is in the far right corner. Click here for this week’s concert program.
Catch one of the rare 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.
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.
Monaco Classic Week classic wooden yacht show – It happens every other year, so skipping 2024, but back for September 20-23, 2025 – Free
Other September Yacht Shows (but not free!) Cannes Yachting Festival September 10-15, and Monaco Super-Yacht Show September 25-28, 2024… it’s 600€ a pop for a day pass, so obviously I’ve never been, but here is a really interesting article on what it’s like behind that velvet rope…
Nice Music Live presents jazz and world music concerts at local venues. Particularly interesting are the concerts at the open-air Theatre de Verdure, and also those at the Black Box, or Stockfish, both of which have easy tramway access.
Flea Markets: September is prime Flea Market season… keep your eyes peeled for banners and posters touting Vide Grenier, which translates to “empty your attic!” In Nice there is usually a big one in the Nice Port once a month or so.
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
Annual Autumn French Wine Sales (Foire aux Vins), when the large French supermarket chains crank out over 25% of their yearly wine business in a few short weeks with deep discounts, bulk buying and margin slashing. The biggest sellers for restocking cellars are bottles in the 5-8€ range, but the deals are deep on all price ranges. Cheers!
Bellet Winery Shuttle – Every Saturday in September, Nice runs a special shuttle bus that does a continuous loop of Bellet wineries for the cost of a regular bus ticket! Last one of the season is September 28.
Free Port Ferry Boat – If you’ve never been on Lou Passagin, the free little boat that ferries 6 people at a time from one side of the Nice port to the other, now’s the time because its last day of the season is September 22, 2024.
Giant ‘Apero’ Street Party on Rue Delille – Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 Rue Delille closes to traffic and from 6:30pm to midnight throws a giant annual ‘Apero’ street party. The 15€ entry fee includes an ongoing finger-food buffet provided by the surrounding restaurants and drinks are just 4€ each, and the there is dancing in the streets with live music followed by DJ. Last year the tickets sold out fast so get there early, and the food is usually finished around 9pm, but that’s when the dancing really heats up. Tram stop Garibaldi
Jogging Rose Sunday, September 29, 2024 Two very pink seaside runs, 5k and 7k, along the gorgeous Promenade des Anglais. Expect around 1000 participants, with the proceeds benefiting breast cancer research.
Nice Prom’Swim Open Water Swim Sunday September 29, 2024 Plage des Ponchettes, across from the Old Town.
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…
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Photo credit: Rugby World Cup fans by Best of Nice, Nice Ironman photo by Patrice Lapoirie courtesy of the Nice-Matin