What to Do in September in and around Nice – 2025
Nice Ironman Men’s World Championship
- Saturday, September 13, 2025 – Free – Inauguration ceremony followed by the Parade of Nations (70 countries!) along the Prom across from the Old Town
- Sunday, September 14, 2025 – 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.
Last Days: Don’t miss the last days of the ‘Matisse Mediterranee(s)’ exhibit at the Matisse Museum which runs through September 8, 2025; or the Chagall Museum mosaic exhibit ‘Glass and Stone’ which ends September 22, 2025. Take bus #5 to Chagall stop, then Matisse/Arenes stop.
History Weekend Fete du Patrimoine – FREE (plus all museums are free) – third weekend in September, 20 & 21 September 2025
Nice Prom’Swim Open Water Swim Sunday September 21, 2025 Plage des Ponchettes, across from the Old Town.
Grande Braderie de Vieux Nice – September 19,20,21 – all the old town shops put their wares on the street to tempt you with their bargain prices!
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!
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.
Free Swing Dancing – Every Sunday in September from 6pm-8:30, the Place Palais de Justice in Old Nice turns into an open-air dance floor! Swingin’Nice brings the music and the dancers show up and strut their stuff, and there are some pretty impressive pairs. If you’re not up twirling, then just have a drink and watch from one of the surrounding bar terraces. Tram stop Opera
Stand up Comedy in English – Every Sunday, the Bobar Comedy Club in Old Nice does a stand-up comedy show (Spill the Tea) in English at 5150pm and cover charge is just 8€ or 5€ students. 27 rue Benoit Bunico, tram stop Cathedrale.
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 in September at 3:30pm the Nice Orchestra d’Harmonie gives a free open-air concert in the gazebo in the Cimiez gardens. Click here for this week’s program. To find it, just take the bus #5 Rimiez and get off at the Musee Matisse stop, and you might as well visit the Matisse Museum or adjacent Roman Ruins as long as you’re up there!
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 10-13, 2025 – Free
Other September Yacht Shows (but not free!) Cannes Yachting Festival September 9-14, and Monaco Super-Yacht Show September 24-27, 2025… 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
The Crossover Music Festival is THE festival for electro, rap, DJ, and cutting edge bands. Happening September 5-6, 2025, at Le 109 (also known as Le Frigo). Tickets are 25€, or 2-day pass for 40€. Tram stop Palais des Expositions then 10 minute walk.
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!
Giant ‘Apero’ Street Party on Rue Delille – Friday, 2025 date TBD 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
Biot International Glass Festival 2025 dates TBD.
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
