The French Riviera boasts a cultural calendar that is renowned the world over for its alluring glamour, broad variety and the incomparable fun that it offers. The population of the Côte d’Azur swells as tourists and socialites descend on the region, each as eager as the next to revel in the merriment offered by a spectacular sporting event, a dazzling cultural celebration or a glitzy sample of high-living.
St Tropez House invites you to eight of the most enthralling events on the French Riviera in 2016:
1. Monte-Carlo Rolex Cup, Monte-Carlo Country Club – April 9th to 17th
A momentous annual event in the world of tennis, the Monte-Carlo Rolex Open takes place each April on the hallowed courts of the Monte-Carlo Country Club. The spectacular setting makes this already renowned competition that little bit more special: sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea provide a breathtaking backdrop to the elite tennis guaranteed by the competition. The ATP tournament draws the finest players in the world, including Roger Federer, Novac Djokovic, and Andy Murray.
2. Top Marques Monaco – April 14th to 17th
Top Marques, a four-day automotive exhibition, also attracts huge crowds to the Principality of Monaco each April. Not only does it display the latest vehicles, many of which can be taken for a test drive on a cordoned area of Monaco’s Grand Prix circuit, but in recent years the exhibition has grown to include luxury watches, jewellery and yachts. It is held at the iconic Grimaldi Forum on Monaco’s esplanade.
3. Cannes Film Festival – May 11th to 22nd
The Cannes Film Festival is the prominent film event in the world and attracts the most familiar names in the industry from all over the world. In its 69th year, the event has grown in prestige, popularity and grandeur to become one of the largest events on the French Riviera. The world’s press lines the red carpet of Cannes’Palais des Festivals, hoping to catch a glimpse of the stars as they attend premieres.
4. Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix – May 26th to 29th
Possibly the most exclusive event on the Côte d’Azur, the Monaco F1 Grand Prix attracts thousands of visitors each year, who flock to the Principality to enjoy the festivities that mark the occasion. As formula one cars carve through the streets of Monte Carlo, spectators watch on from balconies of apartments and specially constructed stands on Monaco’s main port.
5. Bastille Day – July 14th
Bastille Day, or La Fete Nationale, is a veritable occasion throughout the whole of France, but the French Riviera is the best place to soak up the exhilarating atmosphere, which is palpable each July 14th. Parades fill the streets, hordes of spectators wave the tricolore and the evening sky is illuminated with firework spectaculars. The best places to admire the displays are holiday villas overlooking Pampelonne beach.
6. Cannes Yachting Festival – September 6th to 11th
More than 500 yachts are displayed at Cannes Yachting Festival, Europe’s leading in-water exhibition. Over 40,000 visitors attend each year – both experienced seafarers and curious amateurs. It is also the primary yacht show after the Mediterranean charter season and occurs in the Vieux Port and the Port Pierre Canto in Cannes.
7. Monaco Yacht Show – September 28th to October 1st
The Monaco Yacht Show is a spectacular event and regularly brings Monaco to a halt, as visitors swarm to enjoy the 100 superyachts that are displayed, as well as the additional array of exhibitions. The Principality celebrates the event by night as much as in the daytime; restaurants, bars and clubs host exclusive parties for the select crowds that gain access. The Monaco Yacht Show is one of the highlights of the French Riviera’s cultural calendar.
8. Les Voiles de St Tropez – September 24th to October 2nd
The popular destination of Saint Tropez plays host to the final event of our selection, Les Voiles de St Tropez. It is one of the most revered sailing events in the world and brings yachting enthusiasts to the Bay of St Tropez from all over the world. This selection of villas for rent in St Tropez provides the perfect setting from which to enjoy the event.
