Cannes

Cannes is perhaps best known as a playground for well-heeled celebrities and celebrity-spotters using the Riviera as little more than a glitzy backdrop for film festival photo ops. But dig beneath that undeniably chic surface of boutiques and recently-buffed supercars, and a large part of what made Cannes special — an affinity for restorative summers spent resting and indulging in bouts of people-watching— is still very much alive and well.

Take a long stroll along Rue Saint-Antoine to the cobbled streets of Le Suquet and you’ll find a startlingly attractive old town, filled with pretty little restaurants, a historic church and castle, and breathtaking vistas of the sea and celebrity-studded Boulevard de la Croisette. But if the crowds become too much, escape on the ferry to the nearby Illes de Lérins. Choose Ille Ste-Marguerite to luxuriate on its idyllic beaches and rustic hidden coves, or Ile St. Honorat to visit the monastery and to sample the monks’ prized organic wines that are often featured on France’s state dinner menus.

THE 4TH EDITION OF THE FESTIVAL DES JARDINS DE LA CÔTE D’AZUR WILL TAKE PLACE FROM MARCH 25 TO MAY 1, 2023

Along the Mediterranean coastline and in the countryside, the most beautiful parks and gardens are open to the public on the Côte d’Azur.

Be transported by the beauty of these ephemeral landscape creations designed by national and international landscaping teams.

Take part in the numerous activities and exclusive visits which punctuate the almost month-long Festival des Jardins on the Côte d’Azur!

17 COMPETING GARDENS

The creations will be spread over 6 sites on the Côte d’Azur: Antibes-Juan-les-Pins, Cannes, Grasse, Menton, Nice and the Principality of Monaco.

The towns will each host 2 or 3 pop-up gardens, free for the public to enter during the day, throughout the Festival from 25 March to 1 May 2023.

Mipim is the annual event that is shaping the future of the housing market. The exhibition devoted to the international market for real estate professionals is held annually at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.

Mipim provides you the opportunity to meet with leaders of great influence: investors, developers, property consultants, auctioneers, property management companies, architects - designers, lawyers, construction companies, users, development corporations, local authorities and regional.

In four days, the Mipim shape the future of the housing market, allowing participants to discover the latest trends and issues of a rapidly expanding sector.

Event profile MIPIM / Cannes

Industries: Sale, Consumer goods, Investors, Store, Financial, Real estate

Frequency: anual

Scope: Nacional

Next edition MIPIM / Cannes

From Tuesday 14 to Friday 17 March 2023

Venue: Palais des Festivals et des Congrès

City: Cannes

Country: France

More info.: mipim.com

For two weeks every May, the French seaside town of Cannes is transformed into a glamorous destination in the film landscape hosting one of the most prestigious international festivals of the entire year. But in order to make the star-studded red-carpet event happen each year, Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Frémaux hurdles the long and intensive process of selecting the slate of films that will be screened, the premieres that will be debuted, and the categories where they will appear either in or out of competition.

An appearance at Cannes is sure to boost a film’s global attention whether it is an international arthouse work, a prestige awards player, or a Hollywood blockbuster.

September and October in Antibes

In terms of weather, fall isn't the best time to visit the French Riviera. Though temperatures are comfortable, with temperatures hovering in the 60s and extending into the lower 70s on warmer days, storms and rainy days are common. You can still visit many of the beautiful markets, antique fair and really enjoy the French Riviera. It is also a great time of year to go property hunting as selling agemts have more time to spend with cleints and its not uncomfortable warm. October is far and away the wettest month, followed by November and September. That said, if you do have a sunny couple of days, it's almost warm enough to swim, especially since the Mediterranean water temperature—having heated up all summer long—is in the warm 70s.

The summer crowds typically clear out by the first or second week of September, meaning cheaper rates on hotel rooms (and less need to make restaurant reservations). Still, special events like the Régates Royales sailing regatta, which takes place in September, bring an influx of visitors to the region. The cooler months mean you can expolre Antibes, Cannes and St Tropez in a better temperature and less crowds.

The Jazz festival in Antibes and Juan les Pins offers a rich programme of traditional jazz as well as pop, rock and world music at the Pinède Gould, a park near the sea.

Many famous names have graced the stage including Ray Charles, Carlos Santana, as well as international artists who bring all sorts of improvised music from many different cultures.

 MONDAY, July 18

HERBIE HANCOCK

When Miles Davis arrived in Europe (and in Juan!) in 1963 he had, in his new quintet, standing shoulder to shoulder with Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, a twenty-three-year-old pianist, Herbie Hancock, whose obvious talent accompanied a project as promising as it was well-reasoned regarding the future of jazz: "It’s not about starting a competition with classical music, but building an art form which is every bit as good." There are indeed few artists who have explored such a vast range of musical genres as has this living jazz legend, incorporating free style in his jazz-rock, sparkles in his funk, electronic in his swing.

After the 2020 Cannes Film Festival was canceled by the pandemic and the 2021 edition was scaled back — even kisses were forbade on the red carpet — the lavish French Riviera cinema soiree is set to return with a festival that promises to be something like normal.

Or at least Cannes’ very particular brand of normal, where for 12 days formal wear and film mingle in sun-dappled splendor, stopwatch-timed standing ovations stretch for minutes on end and director names like “Kore-eda” and “Denis” are spoken with hushed reverence.

What passes for the usual at Cannes has never been especially ordinary, but it has proven remarkably resilient to the fluctuations of time. Since its first festival, in 1946 on the heels of World War II, Cannes has endured as a maximalist spectacle that puts world cinema and Cote d’Azur glamour in the spotlight. This year marks Cannes’ 75 anniversary.

Reassuring news for the French Riviera

Alpes Maritimes reports lowest covid incidence rate in France - Latest local figures for covid have shown that the Alpes Maritimes has the lowest incidence rate in France. Figures from Public Health France on Monday May 31st saw the incidence rate continue to fall dropping to just under 30 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Member of scientific council predicts “calm summer” - Meanwhile a senior member of the Institute Pasteur has said that France is on track for a “calm summer” and will avoid a fourth wave of covid if the health situation continues to improve over the next ten days. In an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche Professor Arnaud Fontanet, member of government’s scientific council, said he was optimistic about the months ahead and the lead up to June 9th which marks the next stage in the progressive end to lockdown.

Pfizer vaccine approved for 12 to 15-year olds - The Pfizer vaccine has been authorised by the European Medicines Agency for children aged 12 to 15, making it the first vaccine for this age group in the EU. In France, only 16 and 17-year olds with serious health conditions are eligible to be vaccinated against covid with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

France eases its lockdown next week

Visitors to France will be happy to see the easing of lockdown starting next week with restaurants and bars opening their terraces and some normality from the strck curfew.

May 19: The nighttime curfew is pushed back by two hours to 9 pm; non-essential shops can reopen; outdoor drinking and dining permitted with a maximum of six people at the same table; cultural venues including museums, cinemas, and theatres can reopen with a maximum capacity of 800 indoor and 1,000 outdoor; outdoor sporting venues can reopen with capacity capped at 1,000.

These are conditional on the epidemiological situation with areas where the incidence rate is over 400 cases per 100,000 population not allowed to proceed.

June 9: The curfew is pushed back by another two hours to 11 pm; bars and restaurants are allowed to welcome customers indoors with a maximum of six people per table; capacity at cultural and sporting venues is increased to 5,000 people with health passes; gyms can reopen with physical activity, including team sports, allowed both indoors and outdoors; large exhibitions and fairs can be held and welcome up to 5,000 people with health passes; foreign tourists with health passes can enter the country.

the curfew is lifted as is the 1,000 capacity rule for large events but attendees will be required to show their health passes; nightclubs remain closed.

Brussels wants EU vaccine passports ready by the start of summer

France launches COVID health pass for travel to its overseas territories

Vaccination is gathering pace. More than 14.6 million people have received their first dose with 6.1 million now fully vaccinated. The country of 67 million aims to have administered 20 million first doses by mid-May and 30 million by mid-June.

Its COVID-19 tracking application has also since last week allowed users to store vaccination certificates and test results to allow for travel with its overseas territories. The government said that this functionality will be converted to match the European Green Certificate when it launches in late May/early June.

Start planning a visit to the South of France 2021!

In terms of the best time to visit the South of France, avoid late November through to January because although you still have glorious blue skies, during the evenings the temperature can drop. It is certainly not as you imagine and if the wind picks up it can feel quite cold. You do still get the odd warm day, where temperatures can hit 20°C/70°F, but the average day time temperature is around 14-15°C/60°F.

My favourite time is April and May and then September and October. Basically from May through to September you can usually guarantee good weather. June is usually very pleasant up in the late 70F's/mid 20C's. In July and August you can expect to get many days around 90F/30C. A peculiar thing happens in mid-August. You sometimes get some summer showers that last a few days - it is something to do with the warm air from the South and the Sea.

Anyway, here is a list of some great places to visit in the South of France during 2021. This should provide you with a decent idea of where to go in South France:

The French coastal city of Cannes is always associated with its celebrated film festival which has been running continuously for 70 years. The 2021 Cannes film festival will be held from 11-22 May 2021. You might think that once the swarm of Actors, Producers and Paparazzi have left town, that Cannes will return to normal. But there is no real 'normal' time for Cannes.

There is actually more going on in Cannes than just the the red carpet. The city holds 12 important events and conferences throughout the year including the International TV and media festival MIPTV, an international property show called MIDEM, various fashion and shopping events, as well as a number of major sport festivals and regattas. In fact there is not a month goes by when the City is not preparing for the next big event.

Although Cannes does not have it's own airport (Nice Cote d'Azur airport is only 30 kms away), it is definitely a destination I would head to in South France. Cannes has a beautiful central boulevard (Le Croisette) which bends around the Bay, it is a great centre for shopping and it has a number of good beaches.

Also on the coastline surrounding Cannes you will find some delightful places to stay, such as Antibes, Theoule-sur-Mer and Mandelieu La Napoule (see Cannes rentals for selection of accommodation).

But for me, the beauty of Cannes is to just mooch about the Old Town, waling along the beach front and just gazing out at the horizon over the wonderful bay area.

Enjoy!