An overview of jazz festivals on the Côte d'Azur
The first jazz festival was held here in Nice. In 1948, just after the end of the Second World War, Nice decided to round off the carnival festivities by organising a series of jazz concerts at the Opéra de Nice. The success of this first edition was guaranteed by the presence of Django Reinhardt and Louis Armstrong. No less!
But the love affair between jazz and the Côte d’Azur had begun long before. In the 1920s, Afro-American music spread to Paris in the form of dance music with new rhythms that appealed to a population battered by the First World War. This new music arrived with great fanfare in the coastal towns of the Alpes Maritimes, particularly Nice. The boom in tourism and the musical effervescence attracted both an enthusiastic public and great musicians from the United States and other regions of France. Following a performance by a young Louis Armstrong at the Casino Municipal de Nice in 1935, the Hot Club de France was founded, bringing together the champions of « real jazz », and whose branches in Nice and Cannes have democratised jazz on the Côte d’Azur. Here’s a round-up of jazz festivals on the Côte d’Azur in the summer of 2025.
Nice Jazz Fest
After the first international jazz festival in 1948, there was a long hiatus of 23 years. Jazz returned to Nice in 1971 at the Théâtre de Verdure and in the Jardin Albert 1er showcasing great artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Pharoah Sanders. It was back again in 1974, under the name Grande Parade du Jazz. At the time, the jazz festival took place in the rural setting of the gardens of the Arènes de Cimiez. Under the impetus of producer George Wein, every summer more than 200 musicians took to the various stages amidst olive trees and Roman ruins. It wa a huge popular open-air festival. The festival also opened up to other genres such as rock’n’roll with Chuck Berry and blues rock with Carlos Santana. In 1994, the Grande Parade became the Nice Jazz Festival. And in 2011, the Festival moved from the Arènes de Cimiez to the very heart of the city, in the Jardin Albert 1er, where the people of Nice could listen to Ella Fitzgerald in 1971. And it’s now called Nice Jazz Fest. The city’s ambition is clear: to revitalise and modernise the oldest jazz festival in the world!
Jazz à Juan
In 1949, Sidney Bechet, the « most French of American jazzmen », decided to settle in France. He split his time between Paris and the Côte d’Azur. It was in Antibes that he married Élisabeth Ziegler in 1951, in a ceremony with great media pomp that the people of Antibes have long remembered . The entire Côte d’Azur jet set was present, and Mistinguett, a diva adored by the French, was his witness. This attachment is further proof of the close links between jazz and the Côte d’Azur. A tentative festival was held in Nice in 1948, but since then nothing else. In Europe, jazz was confined to listening to records and being presented in a few clubs. So Jacques Souplet and Jacques Hebey took up the challenge of presenting on stage the already legendary players in the jazz saga. The Antibes Jazz Festival was born on 7 July 1960.
The 1st edition of the Festival was held simultaneously at the Fort Carré stadium in Antibes and at the Pinède Gould in Juan-les-Pins, which from the concert on 10 July 1960, given in tribute to Sidney Bechet, became the favourite venue for musicians and organisers alike. From the 2nd edition onwards, the festival was to be held only in Juan-les-Pins, in the most beautiful setting that you can imagine, under century-old pine trees, with the Mediterranean as a backdrop…
But the Jazz à Juan Festival is also about the ‘offs’, with the Summer Marching Bands, with nearly 200 musicians strolling the streets of Antibes and Juan-les-Pins, exhibitions, the ‘Before’ with aperitif-pétanque in the purest Côte d’Azur spirit, and the Jazz Club.
Cap sous les étoiles
Jazz but not just jazz in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. In the magnificent setting of Cap-Martin Park, surrounded by ancient olive trees, you can enjoy a festival combining music and humour. A unique concept offering a unique experience in a magical setting.
Designed to bring together all generations, Cap sous les étoiles festival offers a varied programme, combining live concerts by artists from the contemporary music scene with the unmissable standards of French variety. Fans of modern rhythms will be delighted by the performances of leading artists, while those nostalgic for the great hits of French chanson will be delighted to rediscover iconic figures. The setting, between the sea and the pines, enhances each performance and offers a unique experience, with your feet in the grass and your head under the stars.
Jazz à Ramatuelle
It was the village postman who brought jazz to Ramatuelle. In 1985, Denis Antoine, then a postman at the Ramatuelle Post Office, organised a jazzy night in the olive groves close to the site of the new amphitheatre. But the meeting between the postman – now known as « the swing postman » – and Guy Lafitte, the great French saxophonist, gave birth to a real jazz festival. The natural, soothing atmosphere of the Jardins du Théâtre provides a truly serene setting for artists from the French and international jazz scene, giving rise to the most captivating melodic and vocal performances. In addition, there are three ‘off’ events: The Apéro Jazz, with a team of volunteers inviting visitors to discover jazz accompanied by the best wines from local winemakers; the Jazz in the Village exhibition; and Jazz and Wine, which showcases the generous terroir of Ramatuelle and the Gulf of Saint-Tropez.
Peillon Jazz Festival
Far from the crowds on the coast, Peillon is a charming village perched at an altitude of 376 metres, promising a little coolness in the hot Côte d’Azur summer. But be warned: the Peillon Jazz Festival stage is hot! A super line-up featuring artists from all horizons, such as virtuoso trumpeter Éric Le Lann, who will be presenting « Notes de Liberté », a vibrant tribute to the jazz scene of the 60s. Or the Franco-Cameroonian singer Sandra Nkaké, who will captivate audiences with ‘Dreamer’, a sunny, committed performance combining soul and organic jazz.
Good to know: Each day of the festival kicks off with a free concert at 3pm on the Place de Sainte-Thècle (at the entrance to the village), before taking off for the historic heart of the village on the free shuttle buses from 5pm.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence Festival
The aim of this festival, created in 2011, is to offer the public a unique encounter between a magical place and exceptional artists. From 19 to 27 July, one of the most beautiful villages on the Côte d’Azur welcomes classical music fans to its enchanting setting. Baroque, jazz, piano recitals and quartets of geniuses enchant the Place de la Courtine and the Fondation Maeght around artists as varied as they are complementary. All the more reason to visit this magnificent village, with its charming little streets and shops, and, why not, enjoy an apéro-pétanque on the Général De Gaule beach.
Apéro Jazz in Peymeinade
Peymeinade is a small village 20 minutes from Grasse that deserves to be better known. The Apéro Jazz de Peymeinade gives you the chance to discover this village in the Pays de Grasse, nestled in hilly forests and a haven of biodiversity.
The Apéro Jazz returns for a fourth edition with the group Intensément Jazz and their vibrant tribute to Claude Nougaro. A real immersion in a deliciously French musical world, lulled by the notes of the greatest jazz classics by this great French musician and poet. All in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Foodtrucks and refreshment stands are on hand to tantalise your taste buds.
Do you want more festivals?
Take a look at the link below: over 80 music events on the Côte d’Azur this summer!
PS: the link is only in French, but music is the international language par excellence!
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