Cannes Entertainment

As a well-known playground for the rich and famous, Cannes is not short on entertainment and you will find that entertainment is in fact the main focus of this glamorous southern paradise. With everything from top-notch restaurants to bars, casinos and nightclubs, be prepared to party here, while more cultural activities including cinema and theatre are also on offer.

Nightlife

Cannes has night venues of every description and the city is a veritable hotbed of activity after the sun’s gone down. Casinos are a highly popular aspect of the city’s evening entertainment scene and are full seven days a week with addicts, hopefuls and those doing a little controlled dabbling in the gambling scene. The most famous casinos in the city include Casino Croisette at the Palais des Festivals; Palm Beach Casino at Pointe de la Croisette; and Casino des Princes on boulevard de la Croisette. If a more traditional night out is your thing then you’ll find plenty of good bars across the city with boulevard de la Croisette being a good place to head if you want to be guaranteed of finding a busy venue. Nightclubs appealing to all tastes can be found in the city centre and the gay season is especially happening and popular. Most bars stay open until early morning, while nightclubs can still be busy well into dawn.

Theatre and Music

Despite its associations with cultural and film-based events, Cannes is not renowned for its traditional theatre venues and visitors expecting to catch a little Shakespeare or Andrew Lloyd Weber may be disappointed. There are a number of small venues however, which besides staging regular productions, play host to short sketches during the annual International Actors’ Performance Festival. Popular theatres include the Espace Miramar and the Alexandre III. For live music, the city has a varied scene, with everything from classical to rock and pop venues.

Festivals

There are a number of annual summer festivals that are unique to the city, with highlights including:

• Carnival on the Riveria is an annual affair that sees a parade through the city’s streets and various festivities to mark the 21-day period prior to Shrove Tuesday. Spectacular torchlight processions and masked balls are among the highlights of the event (February/March).
• The International Festival of Games is an event that sees visitors converge and indulge their interests in bridge, belote, backgammon, chess, draughts and tarot-reading (February).
• Cannes International Film Festival is the highlight of the city’s event calendar and is a two-week long event that sees the city descended upon by major Hollywood actors and directors as well as a large number of independent film makers. Movies are screened throughout the period (May).
• Festival de la Plaisance is an event for boating enthusiasts. Held in the Vieux Port, it sees all manner of recreational showboats showcased by various manufacturers (September).
• The International Actors’ Performance Festival sees various small venues around the city hosting comedic sketches and performances by fringe artists.