URBAN GUIDE

All through summer, stages from Monaco to Cannes come alive with renowned stars and talented youngsters on the up. An overview of who's playing at the big July festivals.

Nuits du Sud, Vence
On Place du Grand Jardin, Les Nuits du Sud's friendly atmosphere and artistic-director mascot set just the right tone! For this 20th festival Téo Saavedra takes us on a world tour of music and cultures with Olivia Ruiz, Goran Bregovic, Noa, Alpha Blondy, Keziah Jones and Tryo, plus performances by rock enfant terrible Pete Doherty, electro-pop genius Julian Perretta and story-teller Slimane.

Du 6 au 29 juillet - www.nuitsdusud.com

Jazz à Juan

To launch this 57th festival with due joie de vivre, some 100 musicians take to the streets and squares of Antibes and Juan-les-Pins to share jazz in all its forms via a big fringe event. For the festival per se, Pinède Gould tunes into blues with Buddy Guy and Archie Shepp, extrovert jazz from Kurt Elling, soul by Gregory Porter and gospel from The Blind Boys of Alabama. But the most eagerly anticipated concerts are those of Tom Jones, Sting and Jamie Cullum.

Du 15 au 23 juillet - www.jazzajuan.com

Nice Jazz Festival & Nice Music Live
“Jazz is a universal language, a symbol of freedom,” maintains Herbie Hancock, patron of this year's festival that returns in grand style to Jardin Albert Ier with two strong focuses: the French scene and hip hop. No less than 31 concerts on the programme, including Ibrahim Maalouf, Mary J. Blige, IAM and M. Following it comes the third Nice Music Live season with rock from Les Insus, groove from Jain, vocalist Camille and sets by DJ The Avener.

Du 17 au 21 juillet - www.nicejazzfestival.fr

Nuits musicales du Suquet, Cannes
Classical fans take note: this 42nd festival presents four magical concert nights on the forecourt of Notre-Dame d’Espérance church. It starts with the Cannes Orchestra conducted by Benjamin Levy and Misha Katz, and draws to a fantastic close with a screening of Chagall paintings accompanied by virtuoso pianist Mikhaïl Rudy.

Du 19 au 23 juillet - www.cannes.com

Les Nuits Guitare, Beaulieu-sur-Mer

Back to the bucolic Jardin de l’Olivaie for three electrifying nights! Having drawn the biggest guitar players since its launch 17 years ago, the festival starts in top form this year with Israeli singer-songwriter Asaf Avidan and his band playing their only gig in the South-East. They're followed by the handsome Amir, winner of two NRJ Music Awards in 2016, and the petulant, jovial Calypso Rose.

Les 27, 28 et 29 juillet - www.lesnuitsguitares.com

Festival de musique de menton

“There exists nowhere else an event more escapist, unusual, suspended in space than Menton's music festival,” said Jean Cocteau. Opening this 68th season is pianist Fazil Say and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta orchestra conducted by Yip Wing-Sie. Here the walls of the Saint-Michel-Archange basilica resonate to music by torchlight, with a special night devoted to Renaud Capuçon accompanied by Edgar Moreau and David Kadouch.

Du 28 juillet au 13 août - www.festival-musique-menton.fr

Deep Klassified Music Festival, Monaco

Ethnic, captivating... Monaco's very first electronic music festival whisks cultural escapists off for 48 hours of chilling and partying in a full-on jungle setting at the Grimaldi Forum. Daytime is "chill & arty" then at nightfall the music takes over courtesy of Team Deep Klassified's live performers and world-renowned DJs. The star turn is Frank Wiedemann from the duo Âme.

Les 28 et 29 juillet - www.grimaldiforum.com

Monte-Carlo Sporting Summer Festival

This festival in the Salles des Étoiles and Opéra Garnier presents a constant stream of mega-stars in standing or seated concerts and intimate dinner shows. Performing this year are Véronique Sanson, George Benson, Pink Martini, Christine and The Queens, honey-voiced Joss Stone, white rappers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox's reworkings of modern hits in vintage genres.

Jusqu’au 20 août - https://fr.montecarlolive.com

By Tanja Stojanov