EVENTFUL VISITS
Jet-set travellers seeking the hottest clubs and trendiest shops may not have Hyères on their Riviera itineraries, but for shutterbugs and those who appreciate fine photography, this quiet little town becomes a Mecca every spring.
Influential buyers, distributors, and museum professionals swarm the three-day Festival International de Mode et de Photographie, a twin competition for young photographers and fashion designers. The Hyères festival has exhibited more than 80 international photographers and 300-plus fashion designers vying for jury prizes and an audience award voted on by the public. Grand Prizes at last year’s festival went to the Swedish “avant knitter” Sandra Backlund in the Fashion category and co-winners Jessica Roberts (United States) and Popel Coumou (Netherlands) in Photography. Access to the exhibitions, which run from April through early June, is free of charge. The festival venue itself—the eye-popping Villa Noailles, created by Robert Mallet-Stevens in the 1920s as a monument to cubism—may alone be worth the trip.
If your visit to the Côte d'Azur doesn’t coincide with the festival in Hyères, the Riviera offers a whole menu of special events at other times of the year. Don’t miss the Festival International du Cirque de Monte Carlo, for example, where the world’s elite circus performers square off in competition for the Clown d’Or prize. This 11-day event, which was founded by Prince Rainier in 1974, runs from mid- to late January.
The following month offers an opportunity to experience the tradition of Carnival in a region where its roots go back as far back as the 13th century. Of special note is Le Carnaval de Nice, which is the time for two weeks of raucous music, dance, and colourful, flower-filled floats in February.
Springtime, of course, brings the famous Monaco Grand Prix in May. If you prefer competition of a more traditional sort, spring also brings the three-day Monaco Horse Show in late June. Le Jumping International de Monte-Carlo, which became an outdoor event in 2007, offers VIP tents and a new arena for optimal viewing over what is also the Formula 1 racecar paddock. Contact Centurion Concierge for ticket inquiries.
Visitors in high season may enjoy the Côte d’Azur by night at Les Nuits du Château, a cultural festival that has been attracting attention since its founding in 1997. An eclectic, international menu of modern and classical music and dance provides the main attraction at the festival, which runs from late July to mid-August. The venue for the festival is the charmingly spooky Château de La Napoule, known for the quixotic art collection of American artist and former owner Henry Clews. Contact Centurion Concierge for ticket inquiries.
And if you’re a yachting enthusiast, then you probably already know that autumn is regatta season on the Riviera, a topic you may wish to read more about in our feature Yachting par Excellence.
Festival International de Mode et de Photographie
Villa Noailles, Hyeres
+ 33 (0)4 98 08 01 98
Festival International du Cirque de Monte Carlo
5, Avenue des Ligures, Monte Carlo
+ 377 (0)4 92 05 2345
Le Carnaval de Nice
Place Massena, Nice
+33 (0)4 92 14 46 46
Le Jumping International de Monte-Carlo
Fédération Equestre de la Principauté de Monaco
3, avenue Saint-Michel, Monaco
+ 377 93 50 80 54
Les Nuits du Château
Place Château of La Napoule
Mandelieu-La Napoule
+ 33 (0)4 93 49 95 31
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