Come enjoy the world’s first jazz festival in Nice.
The very first edition of the Nice Jazz Festival dates back to 1948 and was organized by Jacques Hebey, under the artistic direction of Hugues Panassié. At the inaugural festival, Louis Armstrong and his All Stars headlined.
For nearly half a century this was a parade of musicians, but it became a full-fledged festival in 1994.
The jazz event became increasingly open to musical contaminations. This characteristic made it one of the “not to be missed” events among music events not only at the European level but also worldwide.
Every year since then, in July, dozens of musicians have taken to the stages set up inside the Arenas of Cimiez; every evening there are at least six concerts featuring internationally renowned artists who entertain the many fans who attend the event.
The Arenas are located in Cimiez, in the hills behind Nice, surrounded by a Mediterranean garden and an archaeological park.
Over the years, the Nice Jazz Festival has hosted Dizzy Gillespie, Stéphane Grappelli, Lionel Hampton, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Earl Hines, Django Reinhardt, Miles Davis, George Benson, Oscar Peterson, Shirley Bunnie Foy, Herbie Hancock, Cannonball Adderley, Esperanza Spalding, Charles Mingus, John Lewis, Pharoah Sanders, Bone Walker, and many others