What's on in Cannes, France through the year

Busy — Christmas holidays in France, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Busy — Winter (February) holidays in France, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in February.

Peak crowds — MIPIM property fair, Winter (February) holidays in France

• Festival

  MIPIM property fair

  15–19 Mar · usuallyCrowdedBook early

  The property industry takes the Palais and every hotel room on the Croisette for a week in the middle of March. Rooms triple and the restaurants run on corporate bookings only. Source ↗

Busy — Spring holidays in France, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in April.

Peak crowds — Cannes Film Festival, Spring holidays in France

• Festival

  Cannes Film Festival

  11–22 May · usuallyCrowdedBook early

  Twelve days in the second half of May when the Croisette is fenced, badges rule everything and rates go to their annual peak. The free beach screenings are the part with no accreditation. Source ↗

Busy — Cannes Lions, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Sea warm enough to swim

  10 Jun – 5 Oct · usually

  The bay is swimmable from the middle of June to the start of October. The public stretches between the beach clubs are free and are where the town itself swims, early and late in the day.

• Festival

  Cannes Lions

  15–26 Jun · usuallyMajor festivalCrowded

  The advertising week in the third week of June: beach takeovers along the Croisette, a full Palais, and hotel rates that behave like May's. Source ↗

Peak crowds — Festival d'Art Pyrotechnique, Summer holidays in France

• Festival

  Festival d'Art Pyrotechnique

  4 Jul – 24 Aug · usuallyMajor festivalCrowded

  Six firework shows fired from a barge in the bay across July and August, one country a night, judged as a competition. The Croisette closes to traffic and fills two hours before. Source ↗

Still on: Sea warm enough to swim (10 Jun – 5 Oct (usually))

Peak crowds — Festival d'Art Pyrotechnique, Summer holidays in France

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Sea warm enough to swim (10 Jun – 5 Oct (usually)), Festival d'Art Pyrotechnique (4 Jul – 24 Aug (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Sea warm enough to swim (10 Jun – 5 Oct (usually))

Peak crowds — MIPCOM television market, All Saints (autumn) holidays in France

• Festival

  MIPCOM television market

  12–16 Oct · usuallyCrowded

  The television business fills the Palais for four days in the middle of October, which is why the shoulder season here is not as cheap as the calendar suggests. Source ↗

Still on: Sea warm enough to swim (10 Jun – 5 Oct (usually))

Busy — All Saints (autumn) holidays in France

Nothing new starts in November.

Busy — Christmas holidays in France, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in December.