While Cannes see many of its tourists during the summer months, more than half of the stays on the French Riviera takes place outside of the summer months. What’s more, 1 out of 5 visitors coming to the French Riviera is traveling “on business or for a conference”. Many of these individuals arrive in order to attend one (or several) of the many Cannes events that take place throughout the year.
It seems like there’s always Cannes events that are taking place, and the fact of the matter is that Cannes’s schedule for events is packed all year round, not going a single month without being the hosting city for an event of some sort.
The Cannes events vary significantly in type, in size, and in recognition, from the world-famous Cannes film festival to the MIPIM real estate event. But one thing is for sure, due to the large number of Cannes events, there are events for everyone’s preferences and tastes, thus attracting all sorts of people for all sorts of reasons.
In this post, we’re listing all the Cannes events that are taking place throughout the year and go more in detail of what type of evens they are.
Film Festival de Cannes – Cannes International film festival
The indisputably most popular of all Cannes events is Cannes film festival.
It is a world-famous event in Cannes which attracts many of the most famous movie stars and celebrities, and it has had a huge impact on the reputation that Cannes has in the world today.
The Cannes film festival takes place at the iconic Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in the historic district of the Suquet.
This festival takes place during the second half of May and attracts close to 5,000 journalists.
The purpose of the film festival is to shed a spotlight on the works of filmmakers who would otherwise remain unknown
The festival is held annually and previews films from all types of genres, as well as documentaries. The festival was founded in 1946 and is an invitation-only festival.
Cannes events: Cannes Fashion & Global Short Film Awards Gala
19-20 May 2018
The Cannes Fashion & Global Short Film Awards Gala takes place in May at the Intercontinental Carlton hotel in Cannes, France. The event takes place during the international film festival of Cannes and is one of many Cannes events which includes a red carpet. The event hosts fashion shows, presents live performances, and include lots of champagne.
Expect gourmet dinners and fancy dresses. There are no children under the age 10 years old allowed, and guests under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Tables for 10 are available at a discounted price. For order details, email info@globalshortfilmawards.com.
International Games Festival
If you’re a gamer, you’ll find this one of the most interesting Cannes events.
The international games festival is a festival in Cannes dedicated to all types of games, not just video games.
It’s a festival that’s dedicated to traditional games, board games, video games, and many other types of games. The Cannes event attracts casual players as well as real enthusiasts and ”nerds”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPTz9YCkFEk
The event also attracts some of the most famous players from the gaming world, and if you follow who they are and what you do, you might be able to get an autograph or a photo from the celebrity gamer you look up to the most.
Note that it is the largest francophone event in France, which means it is the largest French-speaking gaming event. The event takes place at the iconic Cannes Palais des Festivals et des Congrès!
At this event, there is something for all tastes when it comes to games. The access is free, an the show showcases the whole world of gaming.
You can participate in a large number of classes and demonstrations of different games to learn more about them, get an introduction to some of the most famous and best games
At this Cannes event, the d’Or-Jeux de l’Année, the best game of the year award is handed out, and given to new French game on the market that combines ”creativity, diversity, faultless mechanisms and rules”.
On their website, they say: ”Whether you come alone, with friends or with your family…whether you play with champion “hard gamers” or are an occasional player…embark on an inter-generational voyage and prepare to share some exciting moments, discovering the richness and diversity of gaming today. Le Festival International des Jeux in Cannes has a host of surprises for you.”
Pyrotechnic Fireworks Festival
The pyrotechnic festival in Cannes, also known as the fireworks show/festival has been arranged since 1967 and is one of the most extraordinary of the Cannes events.
This fireworks festival takes place on several dates between July and August, the time when most tourists are in Cannes.
The fireworks are showcased in the bay of Cannes, between the L’erins islands (Iles de Lérins) and the Pointe de l’Estérel, and combines music and fireworks to put on a spectacular fireworks show, also known as a pyromusical display.
Each time, there’s a specific team that represents a specific country that is competing with their pyromusical show. Some of the best pyrotechnicians will come here to create a perfectly planned fireworks show in front of about 200,000 people who line up along the Croisette, on boats, and anywhere you can stand to see the beautiful fireworks show.
In the end, when all contesting countries have done their performance, the Vestale-d’Ors awards (the fireworks equivalent of an Oscar) will be handed out to the winners.
The shows start at 10 pm each evening when the firework show is on, and you can find the exact dates on their website: www.festival-pyrotechnique-cannes.com
International Dance Festival
The international dance festival takes place for 10 days in late November in Cannes, with the purpose of discovering the contemporary creations of large international dance companies.
The event started in 1984, and since then, the Cannes event has become one of the world’s most prestigious and recognized festivals.
The festival is arranged biannually in Cannes and is centered around contemporary dance, presenting new talents and innovative works of many international Dance Companies.
You can learn more about the event on www.festivaldedanse-cannes.com.
If you’re interested in dancing, this festival is definitely worth visiting. Firstly, it brings awareness to the public about the world of dancing, and all the schools, associations, and other groups.
Moreover, it offers master classes for those individuals who are already experienced dancers but want to sharpen their skills through workshops and with advice, tips, and educating from professionals.
You can visit seminars, industry experts, and take part of what the world of dancing has to offer.
Musical Nights of the Suquet
In the beautiful old town and district of Cannes known by the name of Le Suquet, musical nights are arranged in July, which showcases everything from prestigious orchestras, artists and young prodigies on the square belonging to the church Our Lady of Hope (Notre Dame de l’Espérance).
The musical nights of Suquet ”event” was created in 1975 by the pianist Gabriel Tacchino, and since 2011, under the management of Bernard Oheix, the Musical Nights du Suquet music evenings in the old town of Cannes has been arranged and showcases wonderful classical music
At the square, plenty of musicians and music interested people, such as orchestras, musicians, soloists, and not yet known musicians meet up, and offer lovely concerts out in the open air. If you visit, you’ll hear everything from Mozart to Chopin played by typical classical instruments such as violins, pianos, and more.
Cannes Yachting Festival
The Cannes yachting festival is one of the largest and most famous Cannes events. The event takes place in early September at the Old Port and Port Canto, and is, as the name reveals, dedicated to the world of yachts and yachting.
This event contributes to building Cannes’s luxurious reputation, as boats for hundreds of millions are on display here.
The Cannes yachting festival takes place at the beginning of September and is sure to make you drop your jaw.
If you don’t have a few million laying around, you can come here to take a look, and appreciate the beautiful yachts.
The Cannes yachting festival is one of the world’s most recognized yacht festivals in the world and attracts plenty of people every year.
Royal Regattas
Following the Cannes yachting festival, and the theme of boats and yachts comes the Royal Regattas event in Cannes.
It is a prestigious nautical event in and around the waters of Cannes.
French Riviera Marathon Nice-Cannes
The French Riviera Marathon was founded in 2008, and since then, the Cannes event has only grown and grown, since the interest in exercising has grown, the traffic has been reduced, and the paths for walking and running has improved.
Each year, roughly 14,000 competitors have signed up to take part in the event which means running all the way from Nice, along the French Riviera coastline to Cannes and the Boulevard de la Croisette in Cannes.
95% of the race takes place along the coast, which takes its contestants through all of the cities along the way, such as Juan-Les- Pins, Vallauris and Golfe-Juan.
No matter if you actually run, or just attend, the event is a real party, and in Cannes where the finish line is, the Croisette is completely shut down for cars and made into a pedestrian (and runner) area.
Festival de l’Art Russe
The relationship between France and Russia stretches far back, and this is something that has left its mark on the French Riviera, with various Russian churches and buildings having been built just to name one example.
The Festival de l’Art Russe is one of many Cannes events that reinforce Franco-Russian relations.
The event has been hosted for 14 years, every summer, and is focused on culture. The event features things related to cultures such as Music, dance, folklore, painting, circus arts, food, and much more.
If you attend, you’ll be able to explore the long-existing link between the two countries and learn what they have in common, etc.
1950s Festival
The name of the festival is quite revealing, and tells us that it is focused on the 1950s, but focused on what about the 1950s?
Music of course!
Here, you’ll experience music from musicians from that time such as Elvis and Frank Sinatra, and all of the things that were iconic when it comes to music in the 1950s.
The 1950s festival takes place on the terrace of the Palais-des- Festivals in July and August.
Mapic
Mapic is one of several Cannes events dedicated to real estate.
Mapic is described as ”The international market for retail real estate” and is a 3-day event that takes place in November, of course at the iconic Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. It is the leading real estate events that are arranged to showcase and help people discover the absolute best of the international retail property market.
If you want to learn more about real estate, this event is perfect for you.
MarediModa
Another of the many Cannes events is MarediModa, which is the “International Apparel & Clothing industry trade fair”, and takes place in November.
It is a 3-day clothing event at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres de Cannes in Cannes, which showcases lots of different products from the clothing industry and from countless of different brands.
More than 100 of the leading European clothing and apparel producers and manufacturers from the Apparel & Clothing industry attend this event, representing 800 manufacturers, among which some of the most qualified and famous companies in the world, together with thousands of visitors.
These represent some of the world’s most famous clothing brands, such as Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and more.
MIPIM
The MIPIM is one of the most famous events that take place in Cannes throughout the year.
It is the largest International Real Estate Market, which takes place in March.
The event was established in 1990 and gathers the real estate industry’s most influential international players, which operate within the office, residential, retail, healthcare, sport, logistics and industrial sectors.
The event consists of 4 days of networking and learning.
MIPCOM
Every autumn in Cannes, the MIPCOM Cannes event takes place, hosted at the Palais des Festivals. The event attracts leading television starts, as well as stars of the small screen.
These individuals meet for a large mass-media event that takes place over the course of four days in October, which includes meetings, screenings, and conferences.
It is defined as ”The world’s entertainment content market”.
The key reasons to attend the MIPCOM is to:
- Connect with the ecosystem of entertainment
- Promote new programs
- Launch new programs
- Network and find partners for co-production to help finance your projects
- Network with the creative production industry and develop new projects
- Build contacts with people operating in the media industry
- Find new international channels
- Acquire new content
These are the 2017 MIPCOM key figures:
MIPTV
Another of the Cannes events that have existed for quite some time is the MIPTV event.
The event was created in 1964 and is the International Market for Television Programs and audiovisual professionals. The event gathers these professionals in April each year. with plenty of stars attending.
It is described as ”The Global TV and Digital Content Market” and attracts the most successful distributors and buyers in the whole world in order to ”strike distribution and co-production deals, attend conferences, network with leading players in the global entertainment industry.
MIPTV is the perfect event to attend for producers, disruptors, and paradigm-shifters to interact with other people from the industry, and launch top content.
MIPJunior
The MIPJunior event takes place in October in Cannes and is “The Media, Advertising, News & Tender Notification Services Industry trade fair.”
It is a two-day event that is hosted in the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez in Cannes, France.
The event showcases productions such as Television, Content Production/Distribution, Video & DVD, Cinema, New Media, Mobile, Advertising, Licensing & Merchandising, and much more.
All-in-all, it is an event focused on the Media & Advertising industry and described as ”THE WORLD’S SHOWCASE FOR KIDS PROGRAMMING” which is the largest international digital library of kids’ content. The event gathers the most influential buyers and commissioners, sellers, and producers in the whole world.
International Conference on Nonwovens for High-Performance Applications
This is a two-day event which takes place in October and is dedicated to information about the ”latest technical developments and opportunities offered by technical nonwovens for high-performance applications.”
This event takes place in different places, but in 2018, it is part of the many Cannes events.
MIDEM
This is the ”leading international marketplace for the global music community” and has been so since 1966.
The event is created to bring together people from the music ecosystem, including everything from Artists, Labels, Managers, Publishers, Distributors, Streaming services, Collecting societies, Booking agencies, Promoters, and more.
The event is striving to connect these and make for a place where all of these people operating in the music industry can network and work closer together, though this 4-day Cannes event.
The event has been held annually at the end of January but is now hosted early June between two other events, the Cannes Film Festival and the Cannes Lions. I
Apart from just allowing the opportunity for people within the music industry to network, it also offers live concerts that are accessible to the general public.
Cannes International Emigration & Luxury Property Expo
This event takes place in late October and is dedicated to, as the name suggests, immigration, luxury real estate, and related services, including tax, financial consulting and other private banking services.
The Cannes International Emigration & Luxury Property Expo Expo attracts exhibitors from 30 countries and teaches you everything you need to know about international emigration and buying real estate to emigrate.
As the name also reveals, this event is, just like many other Cannes events, focused on individuals with a high net worth, with assets of at least EUR 500,000.
Visitors come from all over the world to attend this event.
Cannes Lions
This is one of the most acknowledge and famous Cannes events. The Cannes Lions event, whose full name is the Cannes Lions or the International Festival of creativity is an event which takes place annually in Cannes in June.
The event has been ”championing creativity since 1954”, and today, it is the world’s largest awards and festival dedicated to creative and marketing communications, entertainment, design, and tech industries.
The event attracts some of the largest tech, advertising companies, such as Pinterest, Snapchat, and many other up and coming, and already established companies.
Business Insider calls this event the ”The industry’s equivalent of the Oscars”.
The top marketing communicators, the most creative agencies, and innovative media owners and platforms come to attend Cannes Lions to join in on the debate of how you can succeed with your communications as a business.
Tax-Free World Exhibition
Abbreviated into TFWA is an annual event in Cannes which is held to gather the professionals of Duty-Free.
The event attracts more than 3,000 prestigious trademarks every year, which is held in October, and it attracts over 12,000 professionals.
The event combines a global shop window for premium brands to network with key influencers.
It is described as ”The largest showcase of traveler-oriented, premium brands in the industry calendar.”.
International Luxury Travel Market
The International Luxury Travel Market is an event which, as the name suggests, showcases a lot of luxury.
For over 14 consecutive years, Cannes hosts this event, which is focused on international tourism and luxury travel.
Accordingly, it attracts some of the top quality travel professionals.
The event in numbers:
The event takes place in the iconic Palais des Festivals et des Congrès.
Plages Electroniques
This is Mainland Europe’s biggest beach party and takes place at the beautiful sandy beach of Cannes to the terrace of the Palais des Festivals. The event is driven by the electro beats from lots of DJs and performers and turns that part of Cannes into a real party town.
For over a decade, the event has been attracting thousands of partygoers.
NRJ Music Awards
NRJ Music Awards is yet another of the Cannes events which is dedicated to music. The event is held by the radio station NRJ and is held in December.
The event is held ”to honor the best in the French and worldwide music industry. At the awards, they give out awards to popular musicians in different categories within the music industry.
