What to Do in September in and around Nice – 2024
Nice Ironman Women’s World Championship Sunday, September 22, 2024 – Free to watch! An ultra-endurance race of insane proportions… but we mere mortals can still watch! The 6:25am start is a 2.4 miles (3.8 km) open-water swim, then they bike over mountains for 112 miles (180 km), and if that wasn’t enough, then they run – I’m not kidding – a full marathon of 26.2 miles (42 km) on the Prom.
Prom Closure: On Ironman day, the Promenade des Anglais is closed to traffic all day, so even couch potatoes can take advantage of the unusually silent Prom for a relaxing drink at one of the bars facing the sea, with only the sounds of the waves and seabirds.
The Crossover Music Festival is THE festival for electro, rap, DJ, and cutting edge bands. Happening September 4-7, 2024, at Nice’s seaside Theatre de Verdure. Tickets 35-40€ night, or 2-day for 65€, 3-day for 90€. Tram stop Massena
…and for the first time, the Crossover Music Festival has a FREE night, September 8, 2024, but at the Espace 109, the cavernous industrial space now edgy art hub. No tickets needed, just come as you are.
History Weekend Fete du Patrimoine – FREE (plus all museums are free) – third weekend in September, 21 & 22 September 2024
Grande Braderie de Vieux Nice – September 20,21,22 – all the old town shops put their wares on the street to tempt you with their bargain prices!
Fete de Sainte Fleur in Old Nice – FREE – Last weekend of September… The patron saint of florists (of course) is honored with a wandering floral fashion show made with over 6500 blooms, and wandering musicians.
Sunday Orchestra Concerts in the Park – FREE – Every Sunday at 3:30pm the Nice Orchestra d’Harmonie gives a free concert in the gazebo in the Albert 1st gardens. To find it, just walk to the end of the Promenade du Paillon, where the gardens meet the seaside, and it is in the far right corner. Click here for this week’s concert program.
Catch one of the rare Candlight Concerts at the Nice Observatory. A one of a kind concert venue in a historic (but still operating) observatory lit only by a thousand candles… and at the end the cupola opens up to the stars. Tickets start at 47€ and the Observatory is a bit complicated to get to, but worth it for a unique concert in a truly magical ambiance.
The Nice Opera has all kinds of events going on every week: Here is this month’s schedule
- Insider Tip: The Nice Opera ticket office has a last-minute ticket line, where one hour before the performance, unsold tickets drop to half-price …and for students and under-30s tickets are just 5€!
Catch one of the eclectic Candlelight Concerts at the Nice Observatory. A one-of-a-kind concert venue in a historic (but still operating) observatory lit only by a thousand candles… and at the end the cupola opens up to the stars! Tickets start at 47€ and the Observatory is a bit complicated to get to, but worth it for a unique concert in a truly magical ambiance.
Monaco Classic Week classic wooden yacht show – It happens every other year, so skipping 2024, but back for September 20-23, 2025 – Free
Other September Yacht Shows (but not free!) Cannes Yachting Festival September 10-15, and Monaco Super-Yacht Show September 25-28, 2024… it’s 600€ a pop for a day pass, so obviously I’ve never been, but here is a really interesting article on what it’s like behind that velvet rope…
Nice Music Live presents jazz and world music concerts at local venues. Particularly interesting are the concerts at the open-air Theatre de Verdure, and also those at the Black Box, or Stockfish, both of which have easy tramway access.
Flea Markets: September is prime Flea Market season… keep your eyes peeled for banners and posters touting Vide Grenier, which translates to “empty your attic!” In Nice there is usually a big one in the Nice Port once a month or so.
Free Parc Phoenix Weekend for local residents – Free – The first full weekend of each month Parc Phoenix nature park/arboretum is free to local residents (but you need to bring proof: a recent phone or electric bill, or tax notice). Right after lunch is the busiest time with a line to get in so mornings or late afternoons are best. Tram stop Parc Phoenix
Annual Autumn French Wine Sales (Foire aux Vins), when the large French supermarket chains crank out over 25% of their yearly wine business in a few short weeks with deep discounts, bulk buying and margin slashing. The biggest sellers for restocking cellars are bottles in the 5-8€ range, but the deals are deep on all price ranges. Cheers!
Free Port Ferry Boat – If you’ve never been on Lou Passagin, the free little boat that ferries 6 people at a time from one side of the Nice port to the other, now’s the time because its last day of the season is September 22, 2024.
See Related Pages:
- Weekly Open-Air Food and Antique Markets – don’t miss the famous Monday Antique Market at Cours Saleya
- What to do on Sundays in Nice – free afternoon orchestra concerts, free museum days, special family-friendly concert matinees at the Opera House, and of course numerous Catholic masses to choose from…
- Nice by Nite – concerts, jazz clubs, salsa and tango venues, pub quiz nights, English-language theater and movie venues…
Photo credit: Rugby World Cup fans by Best of Nice, Nice Ironman photo by Patrice Lapoirie courtesy of the Nice-Matin