Major Events 2026 in Nice Côte d’Azur
October 1, 2025
In 2026, Nice Côte d’Azur will once again offer a rich program of international events, reflecting both its cultural and sporting vitality and the quality of its hosting infrastructure. Discover, in preview, the highlights that will animate the destination throughout the year.
From Carnivals to the Nice Jazz Festival, passing by the IRONMAN World Championships and Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB®, and not forgetting major professional gatherings such as the Rendez-Vous en France trade fair or Nice Boating Tomorrow, Nice Côte d’Azur reaffirms its capacity to host large-scale global events.
Backed by a diverse and high-quality hotel sector, a brand-new seafront Convention Center, iconic event venues and optimal international accessibility, Nice is more than ever positioning itself as a dynamic and unmissable MICE destination on the international stage.
These strengths boost the territory’s attractiveness and make it an ideal setting for organizing your congresses, seminars and incentive travel!
Nice Carnival 2026: “Long live to the Queen!” – February
- Dates: February 11 to March 1, 2026
- Theme: “Long live to the Queen” — for the first time, the 2026 edition pays tribute to femininity and great heroines, real or fictional
- Program:
- • Daytime and nighttime carnival parades — including illuminated evening processions on Place Masséna
- • Flower Battle parades with unparalleled charm
- • Musical performances, creative workshops, exhibition stands throughout the carnival village
- Organizer: City of Nice
- Stakes & originality: this new edition will mark a symbolic shift for the Nice Carnival, by placing a Queen at the heart of the festive narrative
- VIP offers are usually made available. Don’t miss the opportunity to host your clients or business contacts in privileged conditions! Enjoy the Nice Carnival as part of a VIP event experience.
Nice Boating Tomorrow 2026- March
- Dates: March 19 to 22, 2026
- Location: Port of Nice – Quai Amiral Infernet and the Port Convention Center
- Concept: the first international nautical show devoted to innovation and ecological transition in the marine sector
- Program: land exhibitions, boats on the water, sea trials, technical demonstrations, conferences and roundtables
- Objectives: promote sustainable boating (electric/hybrid engines, hydrogen, bio-sourced materials, energy autonomy, eco-responsible infrastructures)
- Organizers: Grand Pavois Organization, in collaboration with Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur and the Nice Côte d’Azur Tourist Office
- Target audience: industry professionals, boating enthusiasts, general public interested in maritime and environmental issues
Rendez-Vous en France Travel Market 2026 – March
- Dates: March 31 to April 1, 2026
- Venue: Palais des Expositions, Parvis de l’Europe, Nice
- Purpose: a professional tourism trade show, with around 1,000 tour operators and international journalists expected to discover the Côte d’Azur
- Objectives: highlight the destination on the international stage, promote sustainable tourism and increase the region’s appeal
- Organizers: Atout France and Nice Côte d’Azur Convention & Visitors Bureau
Ironman France Nice 2026 – June
- Date: June 28, 2026
- Format & distance: classic format — 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, and 42.2 km run
- Course features: alternating stretches along the Mediterranean coast and the alpine terrain of the Alpes-Maritimes; iconic finish on the Promenade des Anglais
- Significance: Nice confirms its status as a high performance site for triathletes and attracts an international sporting audience
Beach Sport Festival 2026 (Saint-Laurent-du-Var) – June/July
- Period: late June through late July (dates and programming to be confirmed)
- Location: Plage Cousteau, Saint-Laurent-du-Var
- Concept: festival combining beach sports, concerts and public entertainment in a festive and accessible spirit
- Sports disciplines: among others — beach volleyball, beach tennis, 3×3 basketball, footvolley, flag football, beach handball, mixed tournaments and exhibitions (inspired by previous editions)
- Concerts & key moments: evening concerts (some with a charitable dimension) by both popular and headlining artists
- Charitable & engaged dimension: concert proceeds donated to associations (in 2025: AFM-Téléthon, Ligue contre le cancer, Attrap’la Balle…)
Nuits du Sud 2026 (Vence) – July
- Dates: in July 2026, on weekends (programming forthcoming)
- Location: Place du Grand Jardin, Vence (Alpes-Maritimes)
- Musical genres: contemporary / eclectic music (pop, electro, hip-hop, world, etc.)
- Ambience & format: open-air evening concerts blending major acts and discoveries
- Particularities & values: festival committed to ecology, proximity, discovery, and shared celebration
Nice Jazz Fest – July
- Dates: July 23 to 26, 2026 (programming to come)
- Locations: Place Masséna, Théâtre de Verdure and Albert I Gardens
- Format: 28 concerts across two stages
- Ambition & reach: this festival, one of the oldest jazz festivals in the world, continues to reinvent itself to attract a broad audience, combining international artists and local stages
IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships – September
Nice continues its rich tradition as host of major sporting events by welcoming the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in 2026 and 2028, after successfully hosting the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in 2019 and the male and female IRONMAN World Championships in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
By 2028, Nice will have hosted the second-highest number of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships, behind Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, thus establishing itself as the most sought-after triathlon destination in Europe!
- Dates: September 12 and 13, 2026
- Location: Nice, with start and finish on the Promenade des Anglais
- Course: 1.9 km swim in the Mediterranean, 90 km bike through the Côte d’Azur hinterland, 21.1 km run along the seafront
- Expected participants: more than 6,000 athletes from around the world
- Stakes: strengthen Nice’s status as a European triathlon capital and generate strong economic and media impact
Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB® – September
- Dates: 5th edition, September 25 to 29, 2026
- Distances: multiple formats (100 M, 50 K, 20 K …) adapted to different levels
- Signature course: 100 M (159 km / 8,200 m elevation gain) from Auron, crossing the Mercantour to reach Nice
- Natural setting: alpine panoramas, mountain passes and a finish by the Mediterranean
- Objective: affirm the place of Nice Côte d’Azur within the global UTMB® circuit and attract a large community of runners and trail enthusiasts
Evo France Nice 2026 – October
- Dates: returning to Nice for a 2nd edition, in October 2026 (dates to be confirmed)
- Format: largest competitive fighting games tournament in the world, with official and amateur competitions
- Featured games: Street Fighter, Tekken, Mortal Kombat and other iconic titles of the e-sports scene
- Venue: Palais des Expositions of Nice (2025 edition)
- Objective: gather top international players, raise the visibility of e-sports in Europe and reinforce Nice’s appeal as a capital of gaming events
Other Highlights to Note
- Prom’Classic 2026: urban race on the Promenade des Anglais — January 4
- Paris–Nice — March
- Foire de Nice — March
- Nice Half Marathon 2026 — April
- Play Azur Festival 2026: Côte d’Azur geek convention — April 25 to 26
- Alpes-Maritimes Nice–Cannes Marathon — November
- National holidays, summer animations, open-air performances throughout the year