Sundays, holidays, kitchens: when the Riviera closes

What shuts on Monday, Tuesday or Sunday afternoon, the holidays Monaco does differently, and the time a kitchen stops serving.

Upcoming public holidays in France

• 2026: Sunday 1 November, Wednesday 11 November, Friday 25 December.
• 2027: Friday 1 January, Easter Monday 29 March, Saturday 1 May, Ascension Thursday 6 May, Saturday 8 May, Whit Monday 17 May, Wednesday 14 July, Sunday 15 August, Monday 1 November, Thursday 11 November, Saturday 25 December.

Only 1 May is a compulsory day off. On the other holidays many shops and restaurants stay open; museums and public offices less often.

Monaco: a different calendar

8 May, 14 July and 11 November are not holidays in Monaco. The Principality closes for its own dates instead.

When 1 January, 1 May, 15 August, 1 November, 19 November or 25 December falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes a holiday in Monaco. Under that rule, Monday 2 November 2026 and Monday 16 August 2027 are holidays there.

Museums: the day that matters

• Musée Matisse, Nice: closed Tuesdays, 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December. 10am to 6pm until 31 October, 10am to 5pm from 1 November to 31 March. Closed from 29 September to 20 October 2026 inclusive to prepare “Henri Matisse - Alex Katz. The Silence of Painting”, on show from 28 October 2026 to 18 January 2027; the museum does not say what is on view from 21 to 27 October.
• Musée national Marc Chagall, Nice: closed Tuesdays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Lunch break 1pm to 2.30pm. Free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month.
• Musée Masséna, Nice: closed Tuesdays.
• MAMAC, Nice: closed for works until 2028.
• Musée Picasso, Antibes: closed Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, 1 November and 25 December. Lunch break 1pm to 2pm outside summer.
• Oceanographic Museum, Monaco: open daily except 25 December and Grand Prix weekend.
• Nouveau Musée National de Monaco: closed on 19 November, National Day, among other dates.

Sundays

Food shops may open on Sunday until 1pm at the latest, even inside international tourist zones. Nice, Cannes and Antibes each have one, where other shops may open every Sunday, though not all do. In Nice, the Cours Saleya flower market runs Tuesday to Sunday; on Monday it gives way to the antiques market, 7am to 6pm. On-street parking in Nice is free on Sundays.

Duty pharmacies

At night, on Sundays and on public holidays in France, call 3237 or use 3237.fr to find the nearest duty pharmacy. In Monaco, check MonacoSanté.

Kitchen hours

Not a rule, just how it works. Every restaurant and bakery has its own closing day: check it before crossing town. For what is worth booking, see What should you book?; to fit closures into a short trip, the three-day plan.