Les Plages Electroniques Festival in Cannes

As the lyrics from Madonna’s song Music states, “Music, makes the people, come together!”  Those words could not be truer when it comes to the music festivals in the French Riviera.

It wouldn’t be considered summer in the region unless there was an abundance of music festivals to choose from and it all seems to start off with the Fete de la Musique in late June followed by the fabulous Dolly Parties, and the current Nice Jazz Festival!

Now Cannes isn’t taken out of the equation either and shouldn’t be mistaken for just having the world famous Cannes Film Festival, the city has more to offer than that, and among the many things is Les Plages Electroniques!

Appropriately situated on the beach next to the Palais des Festivals, you can dance to your heart’s content on the sand (or even in the sea) as the electronic dance masters from around the world attract music lovers to their shows throughout the months of July and August.

You would think that with an electronic dance music festival it would be predominately about a certain age demographic but that’s not the case here.

One thing that makes the French Riviera so wonderful is how everyone seems to have a true appreciate for all kinds of music but what I think makes it even more special is how the festivals bring everyone of any age, gender and sexuality together.

Les Plages Electroniques runs for three dates in July and two in August, and tend to start in the early evenings with anywhere from two to five artists per event, with this year's lineup including such artists as: Madeon, Mr Oizo, dOP Live and Laurent Garnier to name a few. For less than 20 euros per event, that's a great deal!

It’s a good idea to buy your tickets online through the Les Plages Electroniques website or get down to the outdoor venue early to purchase tickets as even though the events take place on a beach, there still is capacity limits.

When you feel the beats of the music start pumping in your chest, you know you are at the right place for the fun to begin, and what better than under the stars on the beach in Cannes! 

Bastion Museum / Musée du Bastion Menton

Standing guard at the foot of Vieux Menton along the harbor wall of the city is the Bastion Museum, a seventeenth century fort built into the jetty a stone’s throw away from the newer Jean Cocteau Museum.

Long past being a defensive structure, the artist himself discovered the fort was abandoned and with the permission of the city authorities he decided to slowly turn it into a gallery museum where his work could be showcased from the inside out.

One can see the love and passion he poured into the museum, although notably a durable building, once Jean Cocteau got a hold of it, a more delicate feel came upon the exterior of the place.

Having opened to the public in 1966, three years after Cocteau’s death, this is a place he wanted to transform as a setting for his some of his own “Mediterranean” creations from the period of 1950 to 1963.

Approaching the museum as it sits perched on the edge of the sea, you instantly want to explore it and one can immediately see the welcoming touches in Cocteau’s natural pebble mosaics not only on the outside of the building but the flow is carried through on the ground floor work as well.

Inside will bring on a team of emotions. You can feel the strength of the rough, thick walls almost as though you are captured, yet there is an intimacy of the space brought through in Jean Cocteau’s use of color and mediums of work on display including everything from ceramics to paintings with new exhibitions of his art installed every year.

 

The Bastion Museum is well worth a visit. The small admission fee from either the Bastion or Jean Cocteau Museum allows you entry to both places, so why not make it a good part of your day to discover the world of Jean Cocteau.