subject: Top 10 French Riviera Annual Events [print this page] The French Riviera, on the Mediterranean coast, is unparalleled in its allure and wealth. The Riviera is renowned for its annual events in Cannes, Nice and Monaco.
The Aix-En-Provence Festival is a six-week gala of music and opera in June and July. Music lovers will enjoy a celebration of opera, chamber music and orchestral concerts, as well as performances of vocalists and solo instrumental music. The festival, which began in 1948, continues to hold concerts in venues throughout the town.
Monte Carlos International Circus Festival is held in the later part of January or early February. During the events, participants are awarded the Clown dOr or Golden Clown and recognized for other circus skills. The Chapiteau de Fontvielle, is a permanent venue constructed just for this event.
The Monaco Grand Prix is a Formula-One motor race held at the Circuit de Monaco in May. Since its beginning in 1929, this race is one of the key automobile races together with the 24-Hour Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500. The cars careen around the race course on the narrow roads of Monaco.
The Nice Carnival will next take place in the middle of February, 2013. The celebration has colorful floats, massive pageant figures and bands performing in the streets. The Carnival is comparable to those in Venice and Brazil. The street party has a long history as it began in 1924. The Carnival de Nice concludes on Fat Tuesday, at the end of Mardis Gras, with the battle over the flowers.
The small town of Menton awakens with the arrival of the Lemon Festival in the middle of February into March. The town grows into a huge party of citrus with floats and replicas of anything lemon. Every imaginable figure appears on citrus floats in the Sunday Promenade du Soleil and the Thursday Moonlight Parade. Statues made from lemons and oranges grace the Gardens of Light.
The Cannes Boat show is the September gathering for the rich to take in the most recent lavish yachts and boats. Visitors can view the luxury ships from international shipbuilders on exhibit along the docks.
The Cannes International Film Festival, first held in 1946, take places in May. It is a celebrated for its famous participants who are invited to view and honor new, international films. The festival is a favorite for movie fans who arrive to get a glimpse of their favorite stars.
The Jazz Festival, in the center of Juans les Pins, hosts the worlds most celebrated blues and jazz artists who perform in July near the beach. Terra-cotta tiles with the hand prints of many jazz artists who have participated in the festival pave the street near the performance stage. Since its beginning in 1960, the festival promotes diverse jazz from traditional to modern.
The Mimosa Festival commemorates the striking blossoms of the yellow mimosa during February. The festivities start with parades through the streets of Mandelieu-La Napoule and continue with treks throughout the fields of mimosa in the hills. Mimosa was brought to France from Australia and became a key crop. After a frost killed the crop in the 1920s, the festival celebrated the restored crop beginning in 1931.
The Antibes Cte dAzur Motor Rally revs up in October for a three-day race. The rally, which began in 1972, includes contenders from the Citron Racing Trophy. Racing occurs over three days and in three different stages daily while driving two times each on Saturday and Sunday. Over 200,000, onlookers witness the 250 km race.
The French Riviera offers visitors a variety of events from auto racing, to circus, circus and movie festivals. The Mediterranean coast provides comfortable weather for those who could spend the entire year participating in its any celebrations.
