Riviera Pebbles Blog: All that Jazz

Posted on 12th Jul 2018 in Go & Do

© Nice Tourisme

The worlds’ first jazz festival (yes in Nice not the USA!) celebrates its 70th birthday in 2018. It is set to be bigger and better than ever.

Nice Jazz Festival is one of the French Riviera’s unmissable events and aims to bring over 60,000 music lovers to Nice over the second week of July.

Nowadays it is an international gathering, and caters for music fans of all genres from pop and soul to disco and funk.

This year sees Rag’n’Bone Man, Massive Attack, Young Fathers and many others performing outdoors on the Massena Stage and indoors at La Verdure Theatre, a 19th century public park, Jardin Albert I. It’s a setting few festivals can match, just across the road from the Promenade des Anglais and a ten minutes walk away from at least 50 of our apartments.

Even if you’re not a jazz fan, it’s a brilliant atmosphere to holiday in. There is such a happy sunshine vibe that you can’t help but get swept up in.Tickets start from 25 euros and are free for children under the age of 10. To buy tickets and for more information take a look at: www.nicejazzfestival.fr, and if you can’t make it this year, then there’s always next, or you can check out the Jazz a Juan Festival in the neighbouring town of Juan Les Pins near Antibes.

Ever since jazz pioneer Sidney Bechet arrived here in 1951, jazz has meant a lot to Juan. For 2018 the festival welcomes Norah Jones, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Earth, Wind & Fire, Lenny Kravitz and Carla Bruni.

The setting is unrivalled. Crowds gather to watch the stars under the old pine trees of the Gould Pine Forest, which overlooks the Mediterranean.

On the street behind the seaside stage you can find tiles laid into the pavement with handprints from previous stellar headliners including Stevie Wonder, B.B. King and George Benson.

To buy tickets and for information on how to get to Juan Les Pins, please follow this link: www.jazzajuan.com