Entertainment In Antibes

Antibes and the neighbouring village of Juan les Pins have a thriving nightlife and entertainment scene. There’s a nice selection of venues which cater to every age and taste, but unfortunately, most places are rather expensive. If you can’t find enough to do in Antibes, you can always head across the bay to Nice, which has the most active nightlife scene on the Riviera. Pick up a free copy of Le Pitchoun, a French language guide to everything that’s happening in the area.

Nightlife

Somehow the small port town of Antibes has managed to maintain its historic character and local personality while accommodating hoards of tourists in search of fun after the sun goes down. Antibes is a bit quieter than Juan les Pins, but it still has a decent number of pubs, piano bars and even a couple of nightclubs. Piano bars seem to be the most popular type of hangout, followed by the Colonial Pub, a favorite of British expats and tourists alike. If you really want to party in Antibes, head to Casino La Siesta, where you can dance, eat, drink and gamble in the casino.

Juan les Pins

This is the hub of nightlife in the Antibes area. The most fashionable nightclubs are here and open late to cater to the partying crowd. A few piano bars and British pubs offer something milder for those looking for a quieter night out. The gaming tables and slot machines at L’Eden Casino will keep gamblers busy for hours on end, and during the summer months, there are a number of special outdoor events with music concerts and fireworks. 

Theatre and music

If you are looking for high-class cultural theatre, you won’t be disappointed. The Theatre Antibea, Theatre des Heures Bleues and Café Theatre La Scene sur Mer all offer a variety of performances from orchestra music to dramatic plays. During the summer, the schedule is busy, but once the off-season sets in, things quiet down a lot.

Music of all types, from live jazz to DJs spinning techno, can be found in the bars and nightclubs around Antibes. There are also a number of festivals and special outdoor concerts during the summer which attract some of the biggest names in music. Jazz is still the specialty around here, and the Juan les Pins Jazz Festival is one of the best in the world.

Festivals

Antibes and Juan les Pins host a number of interesting festivals, mainly during the summer months. There’s not much in the way of traditional cultural festivals in Antibes; most of the festivals focus on music and contemporary activities.

• Jazz in Juan remains one of the top jazz festivals in the world. Since its inception in 1960, it has attracted the greatest legends of jazz each year to play outdoors in this beautiful setting (July).
• The Antique Show of Antibes attracts thousands of treasure seekers for two weeks in April. It’s one of the largest shows of its kind in France (April).
• Pyromelodic Festival features three countries which compete against each other to create the most dazzling firework display (August).
• Voiles d’Antibes is one of the world’s biggest gatherings of beautiful old teak and brass sailing vessels. They converge on the port for one of the most regal regattas in the Mediterranean (June).
• The Festival of Saint Peter is the annual celebration of this patron saint of fishermen. A colourful procession through the town is followed by all the local fishermen adorning their boats and floating along the coast (June).
• The Festival of Sacred Music takes place in Antibes Cathedral, which has renowned acoustics. Sacred music is the theme of this popular festival, which attracts huge crowds each year (January).