October school holidays run from today until Sunday 4 November on the Côte d’Azur and it’s a time to sample some of the autumn activities in the region.
There are lots of school holiday options for kids that aren’t attending the centre de loisirs/centre aérés or booked on stages for holidays – I’ve written this post to highlight some of the free or low-cost activities for families with kids of all ages on the French Riviera. Have a safe and enjoyable Toussaint vacances!
Saturday 20 October and Sunday 21 October
JUAN LES PINS: The 4th edition of Village des Sciences et de l’Innovation is being held all weekend at the Palais des Congrès in Juan les Pins. The event has more than 60 stands with games, educational activities and demonstrations. If your children are interested in robots, tech, planets and science this is the place to go! Entry is free of charge all weekend. Opening hours are 1pm-7pm on Saturday, and 10am-6pm on Sunday. See the programme here: Village des Sciences et de l’Innovation 2018 Juan les Pins
Village des Sciences and de l’Innovation 2018 (image: AntibesJuanlesPins tourist office)
MOUANS-SARTOUX: The RE-PLAY festival is being held at Gymnase René Friard in Mouans Sartoux and is a great option if your kids are into video gaming, cosplay or computers with retro games on display, competitions and workshops. Entry is free for children under 10 years of age (limit of 2 kids per family), all others entry is €5. The festival is open from 10am to 7pm all weekend.
RE-PLAY Festival 2018 in Mouans-Sartoux (image: L’agenda Geek)
Wednesday 24 October
CAGNES-SUR-MER: Perfect for small children around 3-4 years of age, ‘Le grenier magique de Lili’ is a theatre show of 50 minutes duration with songs and magic. It will be held at the Centre Culturel, 28 avenue de Verdun in Cagnes-sur-Mer at 3pm. Tickets cost €5 each and can be pre-purchased from the Tourism Office on boulevard Maréchal Juin.
Saturday 27 October and Sunday 28 October
FRÉJUS : The Festival International de l’Air is a kite festival and is a great place to go where kids can watch over 100 kites in flight, as well as join in on free workshops. The festival is hosted at Base Nature François Léotard (1196 Boulevard de la Mer, 83600 Fréjus) with free parking there. Entry to the festival is free of charge, and opening hours are 10am-6pm on Saturday and 10am-5pm on Sunday.
Festival International de l’Air 2018 is a kite festival in Fréjus – video below is by ‘Là-bas, vu d’ici’.
Until 28 October
NICE: The 3rd edition of Quinzaine des Théâtres is presenting a number of musicals, comedies, dances and recitals that coincide with Toussaint school holidays. As well as a diverse programme, it gives local residents the chance to discover 21 theatres and venues in and near Nice. Some of the family-friendly shows on offer include:
Beauty and the Beast (suitable for kids 7 years and upwards, duration 1 hour, cost €6) and Même pas peur! (for kids 5 years and upwards, duration 1 hour, cost €6) at the Théâtre Bellecour
La Fôret Magique, a show with magic and songs (suitable for kids 5 years and up, duration 50 mins, cost €5-7) at Théâte de la Cité
Les Contes du Maneki-Neko is a show based on traditional Japanese stories (suitable for kids 6 years and up, duration 50 mins, cost €6) at Théâtre de la Semeuse.
Les Contes du Maneki-Neko is just one of a diverse range of shows as part of Quinzaine des Théâtres 2018 (image: Culturo)
Tuesday 30 October and Wednesday 31 October
NICE: Espace Magnan is hosting the Fête du Cinéma d’Animation over 2 days with films suitable for children 3 years upwards. Most films for younger ages average around 45 minutes duration, while films for older kids are around 1 hour -1.5 hours in length. Tickets cost €6 – €7 each depending on sessions and can be pre-purchased via Espace Magnan’s website. You can see the festival programme here: Fête du Cinéma d’Animation 2018 programme
Halloween on the French Riviera
Halloween, recognised on 31st October, hasn’t always been traditionally observed in France but it is very popular now. Schools host Halloween parties and local towns are getting more ‘into the spirit (pun intended)’ by giving out bon bons to children and putting up decorations.
As Halloween falls during Toussaint school holidays, there are plenty of activities happening. The following day Toussaint (All Saints Day) is a bank holiday and a day where lives of deceased relatives are remembered.
Halloween costumes & decorations : French Riviera
There are many stores on the French Riviera that sell ready-made Halloween costumes and accessories, or for DIY inspiration you can look on Pinterest or Good Housekeeping that have loads of fun and inexpensive ideas.
If you’re looking for Halloween costumes for kids, spooky decorations and party items, the best places to go on the French Riviera are :
The €1 and €2 stores – Maxi Bazaar, Maximart and Destock – which always stock things such as tridents, plastic cauldrons and skeletons, and trick-or-treat buckets.
Trick or treating in neighbourhoods on the French Riviera is not as popular as other countries, with children mostly going around village shops or towns.
Some family-friendly Halloween 2018 activities this year on the French Riviera are:
Valbonne village is very popular for trick or treating from afternoon onwards.
Hard Rock Café in Nice hosts Halloween events each year. This year, on both Saturday 27 October and Sunday 28 October between 9.30am-midday they welcome families for a Halloween-themed breakfast, kids workshop and magic show. Reservation is necessary; cost is €16 each child under 10 years of age, free for under 2 years of age, €19 for adults. Email them to book: nice_sales@hardrock.com
Espace Magnan in Nice has a special screening of ‘Mary et la fleur de la sorcière‘ at 2pm. Suitable for kids 8 years up, children can go in costume and participate in a colouring-in competition to win cinema tickets. Cost: €6 per child
Parc Alpha Loup has Halloween celebrations running all through school holidays until 4 November. Any children under 12 years of age who come in Halloween costume get free entry – a hat doesn’t justify free entry, you must dress up with some effort! Note: The Alpha Loup website address given on all posters now redirects to Pure Montagne (the rebranded regional site for Côte d’Azur mountain activities and tourist sites).
Parc Alpha Loup for Halloween 2018
Vesubia Mountain Park is having a Halloween night party on Friday 2 November that includes abseiling by black light (essentially glow-in-the-dark!) Entry is reduced to half price for kids under 12 years that come in costume. More info is here: Vesubia Mountain Park Halloween 2018
Until 3 November
CANNES: P’tits Cannes à You is a family-friendly festival aimed at kids 3-13 years and comprises a programme of marionette shows, creative workshops, dance, theatre and music. The programme includes things such as a screening of Paddington 2 on October 22 and 25, a marionette show on October 24 suitable for kids from 2 years upwards and regular storytelling sessions for toddlers. Find the full schedule here: P’tits Cannes à You 2018 programme
P’tits Cannes à You is an annual festival with film, shows and workshops for kids (image: Ville de Cannes)
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Cannes is one of the most popular destinations in southern France and home to a dynamic variety of sport, cultural and artistic events, as well as over 40 trade fairs, conferences and business meets yearly.
If you’re looking for somewhere to visit with a lovely climate and plenty of things to see and do, book a trip to Cannes at any time of the year – you can never accuse Cannes of being a boring destination!
1. Illuminated Landmarks
Until January 22, landmarks in Cannes will be spotlighted at night by artist Gaspare di Caro whose beautiful illuminations have lit up the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, the Negresco Hotel in Nice and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Visit Cannes in January to see Gaspare di Caro’s illuminations
2. Dance & Choreography
Cannes is well known for its biennale Festival du Danse (the next edition is December 2019) but you can still find other dance shows year-round.
From the urban vibe of breakdancing, street dance and hip-hop at Break The Floor to classical dance performances during the Gala d’Étoiles, you can find exceptional choreography and expressive dance in venues around Cannes.
Gala d’Étoiles – classical dance performance in Cannes (image copyright: Eric Dervaux)
3. Festival des Jeux 2018
Held across 3 days (23 to 25 February 2018), the Festival International des Jeux is a family-friendly event at the Palais des Festivals where you can discover new board games, video games, fantasy and role play games, wooden toys and kids comics.
A number of tournaments and game demonstrations are onsite as well as boutiques, authors and illustrators for games.
Entry is free; there are also VIP Passes (paying) available which include early entrance to the show and goody bags.
Created in 1992, the Cannes Half Marathon (Le Semi de Cannes) will be held on 25 February 2018 with a course that starts and finishes at Pantiero near Vieux Port and follows a circuit along the Cannes seafront.
Around 4000 runners will hit the pavements on a Sunday morning – there is also a 10-kilometre run for participants who prefer shorter distances (or like me, still recovering from the excess of food consumed over Christmas!).
Entrants must supply a medical certificate as usual; entry is €20 per person for the 10km run and €25 for the half-marathon.
For other keen runners, you can also enter the Nice-Cannes Marathon which is staged in the last quarter of the year.
5. MIPIM 2018
MIPIM (Marché International des professionals de l’immobilier) is an international property market that brings together over 24,000 professionals from over 100 countries looking for new markets, those who want to exchange ideas, share insights about property hotspots and discuss real estate trends.
Cannes will host the 28th edition of MIPIM from 13-16 March 2018 with the theme ‘MAPPING WORLD URBANITY’ : What will urban life be like in 2030 and 2050?
Keystone elements of the 4-day schedule at MIPIM 2018 include the Startup Competition for those who seek to innovate within real estate, the invite-only Real Estate Institutional Investor’s Summit, a diverse range of conferences and the MIPIM Awards that celebrate the leading global property developments.
The MIPIM Awards celebrate outstanding global real estate projects, completed or yet to be built. (image: Twitter).
6. Cannes Sports – Running trails guided by a free app
Cannes is blessed with a mild climate and running outdoors year-round is possible with many different trails that take in city and sea views.
In September 2017, a new app was launched by the Mairie de Cannes which gives joggers and runners sixteen different trails to follow in and near Cannes.
The Cannes Sports app is available in French or English and trail options include Croix des Gardes, Le Suquet, Cannes La Bocca and Ile Sainte-Marguerite.
MIPDoc is the documentary-specific prequel and MIPFormats is focused on non-scripted formats. They both run just prior to MIPTV, and are set for 8 and 9 April 2018.
MIPDoc will be hosted at the JW Marriott Hotel on the Croisette, it involves over 1600 programmes of non-fiction that may catch the interest of 400 buyers. At-market screenings, co-production networking plus a print and online catalogue ensure good visibility for factual or documentary programmes supported by a dedicated MIPDoc Screening Library.
If you’re interested, the Top 30 MIPDoc programmes last year are found here: MIPDoc Top 30 Programmes
MIPFormats focuses on the changing trends with non-scripted shows and is a great place to find new talent and ideas. Held at the Palais des Festivals, there are a lot of distributors and production companies networking over reality TV concepts, game shows, quiz shows, dating shows and similar.
MIPTV (Marché International des Programmes de Télévision) is the global TV and digital content market which is held in Cannes every April.
MIPTV 2018 will run from 9 – 12 April 2018 and continue as the epicentre for producers and buyers hoping to find success with the next big show!
New for 2018, the Kids Live Action Pitch will be a platform for creators to pitch original kids live action series aimed at kids aged 6-12 years.
View the MIPTV 2018 trailer below (video: mipmarkets)
9. CANNESERIES 2018TM
The inaugural season of CANNESERIESTM (Cannes International Series Festival) will be held in the palm-tree lined resort from 4 – 11 April 2018 and feature an Official Competition that will showcase 10 world debut series – from any genre, any country and any format.
Dubbed as an incubator for international series, the event will cross-over dates with MIPDoc, MIPFormats and MIPTV creating the biggest week in TV.
The festival Patron is Danish actress Sidse Babett Knudsen and the event will feature the world premiere Out of Competition screening of ‘The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair’, a 10-part series from MGM Television, Eagle Pictures and Barbary Films which will screen in France on TF1 this year.
CANNESERIESTM Institute will begin prior to the festival proper and welcome 8 international students to a 5-week writing residency, overseen by teachers from the University of Cote d’Azur (UCA) and a Berlin-based writing residence, Serial Eyes. The ultimate aim is to give writers a platform to conceptualize and write a pilot TV series which may be developed by Canal+.
CANNESERIESTM Addict is a week of free public screenings of classic series, Competition series and digital selections. CANNESERIES TM Digital will focus on short formats.
In Development, the Cannes Drama Creative Forum is a 2-day mini session that takes place at the Gare Maritime and aims to accelerate new productions at an international level; the dates are 10 – 11 April 2018.
Don’t miss the emerging and established TV talent that will be present at CANNESERIES 2018TM
CANNESERIES (TM) and MIPTV will be held in April 2018
10. Red Bull Air Race Cannes 2018
For the first time ever, the Red Bull Air Race will be coming to Cannes from 21 – 22 April 2018 where the world’s best pilots navigate an aerial racetrack marked by air-filled pylons. Reaching speeds in excess of 350kph with forces up to 10G, the pilots need to be extremely skilled to fly at high speed, low altitude and perform tricky manoeuvres.
The series pilots come from Canada, Australia, China, Spain, Japan and South Africa (to name a few) and amongst them are 5 French pilots in the series – 3 Master Class pilots: Mikael Brageot, Nicolas Ivanoff and François Le Vot and 2 Challenger Pilots: Melanie Astles and Baptiste Vignes who will get the chance to show off their aerobatics in front of a home crowd.
Cannes is one of 8 global cities included in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship for 2018 (Race Calendar courtesy of Red Bull)
11. Cannes International Triathlon 2018
From 27 to 29 April 2018, the 5th edition of the Polar Cannes International Triathlon will be staged in Cannes incorporating a 2 kilometre swim off Bijou Plage, 100 kilometre cycle stage to Tanneron, Montauroux and Pegomas and 16 kilometre run based around Port Pierre Canto.
The triathlon attracts competitors from over 40 countries with the main Village Expo hosted at Square Verdun.
For the registration process, race schedule and information about volunteering, find out more at CIT2018
Watch the teaser video from Mikael Sport for Polar Cannes International Triathlon below:
12. Cannes Film Festival 2018
Undeniably the crowning glory of the annual events in Cannes, the world famous Cannes Film Festival will be hosted from 8 to 19 May 2018.
For the 71st edition, the opening day has moved forward one day and will start on a Tuesday. The organisers say the change in dates means they can also hold an additional gala evening before the Festival weekend, and organise previews of the opening film throughout France.
By bringing forward the announcement of awards by one day to Saturday evening, it is expected that this will increase its prestige while at the same time giving the closing film better exposure.
Cannes Film Festival 2018 is a world famous film festival (image: critique film.fr)
Australian actress Cate Blanchett, who won two Oscars for The Aviator and Blue Jasmine, has been named as Jury President of Cannes Film Festival 2018 and will join other jury members to decide the winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or.
As usual, Access Riviera will be publishing a full guide to Cannes Film Festival 2018 closer to the event including festival tips for Marché du Film.
13. Watersports in summertime
Cannes is making a strong effort to promote outdoor activities and watersports are always high on the list of things to do. Cannes occupies a wonderful location on the Mediterranean and has great views to the Iles de Lérins, the Esterels and beyond to Cap d’Antibes. Whether you are a beginner or experienced, there are plenty of companies where you can rent equipment and/or take lessons to learn a new on-water activity.
During summer, pontoons on plage du Midi, boulevard Jean Hibert and along the Croisette are open daily until around 7pm (weekends until approx. 6pm) and offer a range of watersports including waterskiing, jet skiing, stand up paddle boarding, kite surfing, wakeboarding, flyboard sessions, kayaks, dinghy hire, pirogue tours and more!
Watersports are popular in summer in Cannes (map: Cannes Destination)
14. MIDEM 2018
What is MIDEM? For the uninitiated, MIDEM (Marché International du Disque et de l’Edition Musicale) will take place from 5 – 8 June 2018 and unite leading players in the music industry.
It is the industry event to attend for rising talent looking for labels, musicians looking for licensees and distributors, bands to connect with creatives for advice about how to boost their marketing, tech innovators showcasing their products as well as publishers and agents looking for new talent and trends.
I’m always interested in Midemlab which is the startup competition as it is great to see innovative concepts for online promotion, tech or musical education. The Midem Artist Accelerator (MAA) is also interesting to see develop and is into its fourth year, it aims to continue supporting emerging talent; submissions close on January 28 so get in quick!
Some of the brands who will be attending MIDEM 2018 include Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Fox Music and Billboard. Find out more about the event at Reed MIDEM‘s official website: MIDEM 2018
MIDEM 2018 will run from 5 – 8 June 2018 (image: Flickr)
15. Guided tours in Cannes
Year round, visitors to Cannes can experience a number of guided tours bookable through the Tourist Office. Two popular options include :
Cannes and the Cinema – in French and English, this guided tour runs from October to May every Wednesday at 2.30pm ; from June to September every Wednesday at 9.15am. Duration: 1.5 hours. Adult price: €6 each, free for under 16 years of age. Note: Minimum of 5 people required.
Visit of the Croisette – in French and English, this guided tour runs from October to May every Wednesday at 2.30pm in French and English; from June to September every Wednesday at 9.15am. Duration: 1.5 hours. Adult price: €6 each, free for under 16 years of age. Note: Minimum of 5 people required.
One of the nicest places to visit when in Cannes are the Iles de Lérins (Lérins Islands) just a short cruise away. You can join a wine tasting experience on the first Friday of every month on Íle Saint-Honorat and sample some of the wine harvested by the Cistercian monks. Buy a wine tasting excursion here: Wine Tasting Abbaye de Lérins. Visit the island courtesy of a virtual tour viewable here: Ile Saint-Honorat
Visit the Lérins Islands when you come to Cannes (image: Atout France)
16. Cannes Lions 2018
Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity is a 5-day festival for branded communications, marketing, media, entertainment and tech which will be held from 18 – 22 June 2018.
The event has over 4500 attending companies however for the 2018 edition, the event length has been reduced from 8 days to 5 days amidst feedback from holding companies, stakeholders and agencies that Cannes Lions was becoming ‘too expensive’. Additionally, for Cannes Lions 2018 there will be a six-Lion entry limit for one piece of work.
Cannes Lions 2018 has been adapted to reflect feedback from previous years including restructuring of categories to win Gold Lions (image: Campaign Asia)
Again, the organisers have been shuffling around with the Categories; for 2018 they’re scrapping the Categories for Cyber, Integration and Promo & Activation and introducing new Categories including Social & Influencer and Creative E-Commerce.
To find out more about what’s in store this year for Cannes Lions, the official website is here: Cannes Lions 2018
17. Festival d’Art Pyrotechnique Cannes 2018
Firework enthusiasts will love the French Riviera in summer because Cannes is one of a number of places that hosts regular public firework displays through July and August. Other fireworks competitions are held in Antibes/Juan les Pins and Monaco.
Festival d’Art Pyrotechnique Cannes takes place over the bay of Cannes and features international pyrotechnic teams who create brilliant fireworks displays to music and a winner is chosen at the end of the summer series.
Panzera from Italy competed in the Cannes fireworks competition (image: Festival d’Art Pyrotechnique)
Each year in the square in front of the Notre-Dame de l’Espérance church at the top of Le Suquet, you can listen to open-air orchestral concerts under the stars in late July.
Featuring the Orchestra of Cannes and acclaimed soloists, the atmosphere is inviting and relaxing.
The 2018 Nuits Musicales du Suquet programme is yet to be released, so stay updated by subscribing to my blog on the right-hand side (you can unsubscribe at any time), or refer to the Orchestra of Cannes or Palais des Festivals websites regularly.
19. Les Plages Électroniques 2018
One of the French Riviera’s best summer festivals for dance music, Les Plages Électroniques is an annual electronic music festival that is held on the beach beside the Palais des Festivals and the rooftop terrace of the Palais.
This year, Les Plages Électroniques will be held from 10 – 12 August 2018.
Unfortunately as with many events here on the French Riviera, the organisers Panda Events have put no information about accessibility on the official event website but if you have restricted mobility and would like to attend this music festival, please do get in touch with me via my Contact Me page to obtain more information about accessibility options for this event.
Les Plages Électroniques organised by Panda Events is an annual electronic music festival held on the beach in Cannes (image: discothequemagazine)
20. Cannes Yachting Festival 2018
As Europe’s leading in-water boat show, Cannes Yachting Festival is one of the French Riviera’s most important nautical events.
Hosted across both Vieux Port and Port Pierre Canto, Cannes Yachting Festival 2018 will run from 11 to 16 September 2018 and showcase new builds for motor yachts, sailing yachts, tenders and marine equipment.
In 2017, I was disappointed by the Luxury Gallery which was an uninspiring display zone that brought nothing dynamic to the event, and the Concours d’Elegance which seemed under promoted and underwhelming. A real shame, and I hope that the event marketing team take on feedback to boost these two elements of the show.
Within a short distance from Cannes, you can also visit the Musée Bonnard in Le Cannet, Chateau de la Napoule in Mandelieu-la-Napoule and the National Picasso Museum in Vallauris to get a cultural fix.
22. Cannes Régates Royales 2018
Staged in the bay of Cannes, the Régates Royales is an annual nautical fixture that brings the elegance of classic sailing to the French Riviera.
Founded in honour of King Christian X of Denmark, the Régates Royales Cannes are set for 22 – 29 September 2018, where you’ll see beautiful classic sailing yachts race amidst Dragons, Tofinous and International classes.
Don’t miss finding your vantage point to watch the action at sea! Here is the official website for the Cannes Régates Royales 2018
Régates Royales is an annual nautical fixture in the bay of Cannes (photo copyright: Guido Cantini/Panerai)
23. MIPCOM 2018
MIPCOM 2018 will be held in Cannes from 15 to 18 October 2018, where you can join around 4000 companies at the global event for programming for all genres across all sectors and meet international producers and production companies in one place.
It is deemed the world’s best entertainment content market and the place to go to secure licensees, pitch to broadcasters and finance or sell TV and digital content for shows, series and documentaries.
Previous companies who have been to MIPCOM include DreamWorks Animation, BBC Worldwide, Nickelodeon, FremantleMedia, NBC Universal Studios, MGM Studios, Viacom, HBO and Netflix.
MIPCOM 2018 will be hosted in Cannes from 15 – 18 October 2018
24. P’tits Cannes à You
For two weeks starting in late-October, P’tits Cannes à You is a family-friendly festival aimed at children 3 – 13 years of age offering puppet shows, cinema screenings, story telling, kids craft workshops and activities for free or low prices.
Timed to coincide with Toussaint school holidays, participating locations include Mediatheque Noailles, MJC La Raguin, Musée de la Castre and Theatre de la Licorne.
The P’tits Cannes à You programme will be released later in the year.
25. NRJ Music Awards 2018
Each November, the NRJ Music Awards are held at the Palais des Festivals and televised on TF1 French television. The award categories include French and international musicians, and they are handed out by well known French personalities such as actresses, DJ’s or fashion designers.
NRJ Music Awards Cannes 2018
In 2017, some of the attending musicians included Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, U2, Kygo, Amir, Soprano, Arcadian, David Guetta and Julien Doré.
Thank you for reading my post. As you can imagine this list is just a small sample of the events, activities and sightseeing that you can enjoy in Cannes in 2018. Other reasons to come to Cannes include Heavent Meetings, Tax Free Cannes, MAPIC, ILTM Cannes, traditional festivals and markets.
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The Toussaint school holidays begin this weekend, and if you are searching for ideas to keep your kids entertained on the French Riviera, try one of the many activities organised by the Mairie of Cannes.
From 15 October until 05 November 2014, they are running a festival for children – P’tits Cannes à You aimed at ages 3-13 years. Activities include:
Circus school
Film screenings including Frozen, Planes 2, Pinocchio
Dance
Theatre
Marionnette shows
Creative workshops like ‘The Secret World of Fairies’ and painting, collage, drawing, ceramics
Concerts including Babar the elephant with Cannes Regional Orchestra
P’tits Cannes à you (images: cannes.com)
My top pick is Weekend Fotokine with shadow silhouettes.
The festival will be held at various Cannes venues (note: some activities a cost applies). Click here for festival programme, venue details and booking site.
Access Riviera 