Summer on the Côte d’Azur is in overdrive — and this is your coveted invitation to the season’s most exquisite moments. Consider it your bespoke passport to the Riviera’s most elegant gatherings!
Here, summer is not merely a season — it’s a ritual. The air hums with music from open-air festivals and the Mediterranean shimmers under an endless sky. At every turn, something beguiling calls your name. We’ve distilled the Riviera’s endless temptations into a hand-picked selection, so you can savour only the very best.
Whether you are a long-time local with a discerning eye or a guest in search of that once-in-a-lifetime, sun-drenched escape, your journey begins here.
From the unmissable to the unforgettable, here’s what to experience on the Côte d’Azur this week — let the season sweep you away!
SATURDAY 16th AUGUST
Le Bal des Fous is back for a double-header this weekend starting off with Le Bal Western in Cannes. Get yourself down to the Saloon and experience the Wild West for yourself! All the action takes place on Terrasse Riviera in the Palais des festivals et des congrès. Tickets may be reserved online but you need to act fast, they are selling like hotcakes!
Experience les Nuits d’Été at the Hippodrome de la Côte d’Azur in Cagnes-sur-Mer with 7 races on the card for this Soirée semi-nocturne. Admission is €5, free for those under 18 – please note that you must book and pay online. Restaurants may also be booked online.
Cagnes-sur-Mer will be a lively location this evening with the Promenade en Fête taking place along the seafront, with plenty of activities for all the family, live music and of course, a fireworks display. Taking place from 8:30pm to midnight, free admission. For those going to the racing at the Hippodrome, please be aware of traffic restrictions.
La Note Bleue Summer Festival in Monaco continues with Setenta, a Paris-based seven-piece ensemble who bring their brand of Latin Funk and Afro-Latin sounds to the Côte d’Azur. The concert starts at 9pm and reservations may be made by calling +377 93 500 502
Jilly Jackson, singer, dancer, and showgirl who has graced the world’s biggest stages, presents her show “Reliving the 80s” (Revivre les années 80) at 9pm in Place de la Courtine, Saint-Paul de Vence. Free entry. This concert is part of the Soirées Estivales organised by the Département des Alpes-Maritimes 06.
SUNDAY 17th AUGUST
Le Bal des Fous returns for round two this weekend with Le Bal Copacabana, a tropical extravaganza where anything goes – especially excess! You don’t just come to dance … you come to shine. The Terrasse Riviera in the Palais des festivals et des congrès is the location for this not-to-be-missed event. Tickets may be reserved online but you need to act quickly, they are almost sold out.
MONDAY 18th AUGUST
Further racing and fun with Les Nuits d’Été at the Hippodrome de la Côte d’Azur in Cagnes-sur-Mer with 7 races on the card. Admission is €5, free for those under 18 – please note that you must book and pay online. Restaurants may also be booked online.
More movie action from Ciné Quartier in Cannes with Bridget Jones – Folle de Lui (2025 | 2h04). Bridget Jones is fifty-two years old and has two children. After the death of Mark Darcy, with whom she had lived a happy ten years, she is once again on the hunt for the perfect man. But, rest assured, Bridget’s misadventures have lost none of their sting!. Screening at Place du Marché de la Bocca. Free admission. Film starts at 10pm. Sous-titres pour Sourds et Malentendants (SME)
Les Nocturnes de la Villa 2025 continue at Villa et Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild with an evening entitled Le spectacle énerveillant, featuring Larsène, the great magician-mentalist. Tickets for the show cost €35 or you may opt for a picnic option for €60. Tickets may be reserved online.
The Amphithéâtre de la Mer in Cap d’Ail plays host to ‘A Tribute to Queen’, a concert paying homage to Freddie Mercury et al, performed by the band Magnifico. Expect to hear all the classics, from ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘We are the Champions’, to ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Radio Gaga’. Concert starts at 9pm, free admission.
Fréjus hosts another fireworks display as part of the town’s ongoing Summer Fireworks programme. The display starts at 10:30pm in Port-Fréjus. Free entry.
TUESDAY 19th AUGUST
Further action from Les Nocturnes de la Villa 2025 tonight in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, with not one, but two offerings on the cards for tonight. First up is Brigitte Fossey who takes us on a journey through great classical texts, immersing us in the most beautiful moments of love from Flaubert’s Sentimental Education. This will be followed by AMOUR h where choreographer Gaël Rougegrez brings together four men, whose animated bodies give way to a series of encounters. Tickets cost €35 or €60 for the picnic option and may be reserved online.
More open air cinema at Théâtre de la Batterie in Beaulieu-sur-Mer tonight with a screening of The Naked Gun (Y-a-t’il un flic pour sauver le monde?)(2025 | 1h27), starring the unlikely pairing of Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. The film is in English with French subtitles and is dubbed ‘the comedy of the summer’. Tickets cost €8.50 (reduced rates available) and may be purchased online.
Un Autre Monde, a Téléphone tribute band, take to the stage in Théâtre sur la Mer in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat at 9pm tonight. The concert is part of les Soirées Estivales, organised by the Département Alpes-Maritimes 06. Free entry. Further information is available from the Office de Tourisme by calling +33 (0)4 93 76 08 90
WEDNESDAY 20th AUGUST
The racing and fun continues with Les Nuits d’Été at the Hippodrome de la Côte d’Azur in Cagnes-sur-Mer with 7 races on the card. Admission is €5, free for those under 18 – please note that you must book and pay online. Restaurants may also be booked online.
The France versus Serbia friendly volleyball match takes place at 8:30pm at the Palais des Victoires in Cannes-La Bocca. This is a great opportunity for the Cannes public to see and support the team before their departure for the Philippines for the World Championships in September. Tickets are available online.
Cinémathèque Hors les Murs continues in the Port of Nice with an outdoor screening of the classic Le Grand Bleu by Luc Besson (1988 | 2h18 | French & English, subtitled). Admission is free and limited places available.
THURSDAY 21st AUGUST
The summer of Les Squares Dansants concludes in Cannes tonight. Get your dancing shoes on for an evening of rock, waltz, tango and salsa in an absolutely idyllic setting. €10 entry (concessions available), open to all. See you at Pointe Croisette from 8:30pm to just after midnight!
Jazz Art Lympia continues in Port de Nice with Glam’ Jazz who offer a melodic and accessible jazz that revisits the great standards that have marked the history of jazz since its beginnings. Enjoy some great rooftop sounds, overlooking the port! Doors open at 7pm, performance starts at 8pm. Free admission, limited places.
More fireworks choreographed to music with the Festival pyromélodique in the Baie de Juan-les-Pins. The show starts at 10pm and entry is free. Please note the traffic and parking restrictions in place.
FRIDAY 22nd AUGUST
The stunning Théâtre sur la Mer in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat will transform into a paradise for electronic music lovers from 7pm tonight for Crossover Summer. International electro sensation Feder, known for his chart-topping hits and electrifying DJ sets, will take the stage against one of the most breathtaking backdrops imaginable—the beautiful Mediterranean. Sunlee and Karlota also on the programme for the evening. Tickets may be reserved online.
More action form La Note Bleue Summer Festival in Monaco with Afro-disco queen Oby Onyioha collaborating with Sai Galaxy. The concert starts at 9pm and reservations may be made by calling +377 93 500 502
Catch Basilic Swing in concert this evening with their brand of jazz manouche at Jardin de l’Olivaie in Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Free admission and proceedings start at 8:30pm. What a beautiful way to start the weekend, under the stars!
OTHER EVENTS & ATTRACTIONS
Les Nocturnes Cannoises continue throughout August, taking place on Tuesdays at Esplanade Panthers (until 19th August), Wednesdays at Place du Marché de la Bocca (until 27th August) and Boulevard Jean Hibert (until 28th August). These evening craft markets feature local products and artisanal objects, blending oh so well with the mild summer evenings!
Compagnie Miranda brings the history of Nice to life with La Castellada, which runs until the 19th August at la colline du Château in Nice. Come and experience theatrical scenes, sound and light effects, all in a magical setting at nightfall. Tickets may be reserved online.
Monaco Open Air cinema continues with movies each night of the week.
Villefranche-sur-Mer also has a busy programme for its summer of open air cinema in the Théâtre de la Citadelle, running until 30th August. Movies start at 9:30pm and admission is €6. No reservations required. Tickets may only be purchased on site and payment is by cash or cheque only.
Une Journée à l’opéra continues at Opéra Nice Côte d’Azur until 31st August – come experience Nice Opera like you’ve never seen it before!
Pages à la Plage continues in Cannes, an initiative where you can borrow books for 48 hours to read on the beach. Open everyday, it runs until 29th August.
Les Soirées Estivales organised by Département des Alpes-Maritimes 06 continues throughout the summer with an amazing programme of events. Check out the programme and decide for yourself what you want to do or see – the list is almost endless!
There are also plenty of exhibitions on throughout the region, many of them coming to a close very soon.
Be sure to check out our roundups of the must-see exhibitions in Nice | Monaco | Cannes
Have a great week, wherever you are!
Lead image © RIVIERA BUZZ; all other images/photos as credited
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