Annual Events
When you book your stay at a holiday rental villa in Villefranche-sur-Mer, you can time your stay around one of the regular annual events held in the region. Here are some of the most notable events held in the region, and you can enjoy and even partake in some of these.
Nice Carnival – Nice – February
The Nice Carnival is an annual event that provides two weeks of unforgettable carnival experiences like carnival floats, flower floats, giant heads, dancers, musicians, masks, and much more. The carnival is held annually in February and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2023. The carnival includes a Parade of Lights and the Flower Parade, a premier international Carnival in France. It is also dubbed the most important winter event on the Cote d’Azur, and when you plan your stay in Villefranche-sur-Mer, you should add this event to your agenda.
Lemon Festival – Menton – March
The Lemon Festival in Menton is a unique event celebrating local lemon production. The festival began in 1934; this event is held each year in March, attracting over 230,000 visitors yearly. It includes floral processions on the Promenade du Soleil, with citrus-themed floats, confetti, dancers, and singers. The Citrus Limonia is the main float in celebration of the lemon, and the city is adorned with giant citrus fruit sculptures that dazzle the visitors.
Cougourdons Festival – Nice – March
Every year, there is an enjoyable Cougourdons Festival in Nice, devoted gourds, as most people know them. The festival celebrates the locals’ relationship with the gourd – showcasing the many uses of this incredible plant. It is a mainly family event where one can see animations, music, and dancers. Also, many local products and shows feature extraordinary craftspeople created from the coucourdon (gourd), like musical instruments, household items, and various decorative items.
Cannes Film Festival – Cannes – May
The city of Cannes holds the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival in May every year. The festival includes movie screenings, and even though this is a professional-only event, the festival attracts passionate movie followers and curious spectators. As a part of the festival, there is the Beach Cinema, an outdoor cinema that shows a movie every night, and these open-air screenings are open to all to strengthen the bond between the Cannes Film Festival and the movie audience.
Cannes Pyrotechnic Art Festival – Cannes – July/August
The Cannes Pyrotechnic Art Festival welcomes the most fantastic pyrotechnics from across the globe for an annual show performed over the 400-meter seafront along the Croisette (Cannes’s main promenade street beside the sea). The event is watched by about 200K people every night and is a multi-colored and musical spectacle.
Fete des Roses – Saint-Jean-Cap-Cap-Ferrat – June
The annual Fete des Roses is held every year at the stunning villa of Ephrussi de Rothschild and celebrates all things floral. The festival is held in beautiful gardens, and visitors can walk through a fantastic landscape of climbing roses, ground-cover roses, and all other types of roses in a broad range of colors. The festival features exhibits by professional rose growers and an exhibition of rare and exotic plants, Mediterranean plants, and more.
Expo Rose – Grasse – May
Grasse is the world capital of perfume, and this town pays tribute to the rose – the queen of all flowers. The festival takes place over a weekend in May and has been held here for over 50 years. Dancers and musicians perform over the streets, and the town of Grasse lives with the rose in its primary place.
Jasmine Festival – Fete du Jasmine – Grasse – August
The annual Jasmine festival, or Fete du Jasmine, is held every year on the first weekend in August, with the first festival in 1946. The 3-day festival includes dances, concerts, exhibitions, and fireworks. The town of Grasse, the world’s perfume capital, gets donned in jasmine blossoms and floats decorated in jasmine parade around the town, with skimpy-clad women throwing jasmine flowers at the visitors. Also, a local fire truck filled with jasmine-infused water sprays the spectators, all in celebration of the jasmine harvest season.
Saint Jazz Cap Ferrat – Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat – August
Saint Jazz Cap Ferrat is an annual open-air jazz festival held at the Jardin de la Paix in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, featuring prestigious international and French artists and acts. The festival attracts a loyal audience and offers an intimate, friendly atmosphere. The Jardin de la Paix offers incredible scenery, with pine trees and a lovely view of the sea.
