Page 226 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Provence & The Côte d'Azur

224  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

ENTERTAINMENT IN PROVENCE

Provence offers a wealth of cultural fashionable coastal resorts, like Juan-les-Pins
options to visitors. Barely a month goes by and St-Tropez, where clubs and bars often
without some major festival (see pp36–9 & stay open all night. In winter, things are
pp228–9). Events take place all year round, quieter, but the small bars and cafés of
with first-class dance, opera and jazz in Nice Marseille, Nîmes and Nice remain open
and Marseille, rock concerts in Toulon, theatre and full of life. Provence’s most common
in Avignon and blockbuster art shows in entertainment is free – locals spend much of
Nice, Antibes, Monaco and Aix-en-Provence. their time enjoying the fresh air, walking and
Nightlife tends to be restricted to the playing pétanque, or Provençal bowls.

Practical Information
concerts, particularly during jazz festivals are held throughout
Information about what’s on the summer months, it is best the summer in major cities.
in Provence is fairly localized, to reserve in advance. Tickets Every year on 21 June, the
with tourist offices providing can be purchased at branches Fête de la Musique is held
listings of various events. Most of the FNAC and Carrefour throughout France. Amateur
large towns publish a weekly chains in major towns. and professional musicians alike
paper that outlines the best Theatre box offices are open set up their stages in villages
of each week’s events. Local from approximately 11am until and towns and perform. Take
papers can also provide details 7pm seven days a week and in as many different “concerts”
of important festivals and will usually accept credit card as you can to enjoy an
sporting events. Le Provençal bookings over the telephone. impressive range of genres.
serves western Provence, while As a last resort, if you
Nice Matin and its derivatives haven’t booked in advance, Rock and Jazz
cover the east of the region. tickets to popular concerts
You can purchase regional can be bought from touts These days Provence is
newspapers and magazines at the venue doors on the a major venue on most
at newsagents and tabacs. night. However, they will world tours, with big
The large English-speaking be much more expensive stadium performances at
community in Provence has and possibly counterfeit. Toulon’s Zenith-Omèga
its own radio station, Riviera or Marseille’s soccer
Radio, which broadcasts Opera and stadium, Le Nouveau
from Monte-Carlo in English Stade-Vélodrome. The
on 106.3 FM and 106.5 FM. Classical Music Nice Festival du Jazz in
English-language publications Music is everywhere in Classical cello the Cimiez arena (see
such as The Riviera Times and Provence, from small p88) is one of the
The Riviera Reporter include Riviera Reporter include Riviera Reporter village churches to the world’s best. It was here that
event listings and websites. belle époqueépoqueé opera houses Miles Davis gave one of his
of Marseille, Toulon and Nice. last performances among the
The Opéra de Nice is one of Roman walls and olive groves.
Buying Tickets the best in France, and the Also popular is the Jazz à Juan
Depending on the event, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic festival in Juan-les-Pins, which
most tickets can be bought on Orchestra features many illus- has included Ray Charles and
the door, but for blockbuster trious conductors. Classical and the jazz debut of classical
violinist Nigel Kennedy.

Theatre
Going to the theatre in
Provence can be as formal
or as relaxed as you choose. A
trip to a big theatre can involve
dressing up, special souper
(late dinner) reservations at a
nearby restaurant and pricey
champagne during the interval.
On the other hand, a visit to a
smaller theatre can be cheap
and casual, with a real feeling
Leonard Cohen performing at the Nice Festival du Jazz of intimacy and immediacy.