December on the Riviera

A month for the towns: Nice’s Christmas village, two ballets, exhibitions that run into January, and trains that change timetable halfway through.

27 November-3 January, Nice Christmas village

In the Jardin Albert-Ier and on Place Masséna, every day, free entry. The city’s announced hours, still provisional: 11am-10pm Sunday to Wednesday, 11am-11pm Thursday to Saturday. Mèfi: on 24 and 31 December it closes at 7pm. An ice rink is planned on the Promenade du Paillon, Espace Jacques-Médecin, from 25 November to 3 January; its operator had not been chosen by late October. From 17 to 27 December the Lou Presèpi nativity scene sets up on Place Rossetti in Old Nice, free.

Practical. Christmas village ↗︎ · Lou Presèpi ↗︎ · Google Maps ↗︎

16-31 December, The Sleeping Beauty at the Nice Opera

The year-end ballet, choreographed by Pontus Lidberg to Tchaikovsky. Performances until the 31st, including 24, 25 and 31 December at 6pm, €11-47. Before that, the Opera’s Christmas concert is on Sunday 6 December at 3pm in Sainte-Réparate cathedral, €5-20.

Practical. Nice Opera season ↗︎ · Google Maps ↗︎

Monaco: a ballet and a musical

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo dance Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Ma Bayadère at the Grimaldi Forum from 28 to 31 December and on 2 January, 7.30pm, from €45. Earlier in the month, Shrek The Musical plays there from 11 to 13 December, in English with French surtitles, from €45. The Port Hercule Christmas village is not yet announced for 2026; last year it opened in early December.

Practical. Ma Bayadère ↗︎ · Shrek ↗︎ · Google Maps ↗︎

Cannes and Grasse at Christmas

Cannes sets up its Christmas village on the Allées de la Liberté from 27 November to 3 January. The Cannes Côte d’Azur dance festival ends on 6 December, and ILTM fills the Palais until the 3rd: big hotels are expensive those days. In Grasse, “Noël à Grasse” lights up Cours Honoré-Cresp and the old town from 19 December to 3 January, 10am to 11pm, free. In Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a lantern-lit guided walk runs on 29 December at 5pm, €10, in French, booking required.

Practical. Noël à Grasse ↗︎ · Saint-Paul by lantern ↗︎

Exhibitions that last the month

At the Musée Matisse, Henri Matisse - Alex Katz. The silence of painting runs until 18 January; the museum closes on Tuesdays and on 25 December. At Palais Lascaris, Coun. Libera l’Art until 18 January. At the Musée des Beaux-Arts, De la scène à la toile until 9 May. In Monaco, Victor Brauner at Villa Paloma until 3 January. In Le Cannet, Bonnard, the collections all winter. MAMAC stays closed for renovation.

Practical. Musée Matisse ↗︎ · Palais Lascaris ↗︎ · Beaux-Arts ↗︎

What changes in December

Until 11 December, trains between Nice and Ventimiglia stop from 10pm to 6am on Sunday to Thursday nights, with replacement buses. On Sunday 13 December SNCF switches to its yearly timetable: check any train booked for after that date. French school holidays run from 19 December to 4 January. For New Year’s Eve, no official fireworks have been announced in Nice so far. Options in Train or bus →

Practical. TER Sud, Nice-Ventimiglia works ↗︎

Worth knowing for January

The Monte-Carlo Rally opens the world championship from 21 to 24 January. The Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival follows, from 22 to 31 January under the Fontvieille big top, €35-110. And Matisse-Katz closes on the 18th.

Practical. Circus Festival ↗︎

Our pick

The Christmas village on a weekday evening, The Sleeping Beauty for a dressed-up night, Matisse and Alex Katz on a rainy day, and Grasse for an afternoon calmer than Masséna.