What’s on in Cannes this February

19 January 2017

Attend Two Leading Festivals During a Winter Stay at Amarante Cannes

Cannes can offer the best of both worlds; a contemporary city filled with renowned events venues and a luxurious port, surrounded by rolling Provencal countryside to explore. It’s this sought-after pairing that ensures an unmissable calendar of events all year round… and February’s line-up is no exception. From France’s largest festival dedicated to games, to an annual celebration of the sweet-scented Mimosa flower, there’ll be the perfect day out for all ages and interests during a four-star stay at Amarante Cannes this February.

Festival International des Jeux

24th - 26th February 2017

Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes

Over 100,000 gamers of all ages will be descending on the Palais des Festivals this February for the Festival International des Jeux. The three day event will offer the chance to preview new releases, take part in tournaments and meet industry leaders – all for free! The annual festival has been inspiring generations of players since 1987, and now boasts 30,000m2 dedicated entirely to computer games, board games and toys.

There’ll be the opportunity to compete in the likes of the Cannes Winter Clash – the biggest e-sport competition of fighting games in Europe – with highlights including Street Fighter V. Try out the new sport of fencing with lightsabers with the Fédération Française de Sabre Laser, discover the follow-up to the best-selling card game, Codenames, and learn more about family strategy game Avln Bitka.

Industry insiders and those keen to develop their career in this sector can meet with renowned companies including global leader in electronic educational games VTech, premiere game development company Blam! and French board game publishers Gigamic. Meanwhile, the ‘ProtoLab’ programme will be aimed at informing authors how to get their game off the ground, offering roundtables about how to approach publishers, and conferences about copyrighting work.

There’ll also be the opportunity to chat to some of the industry’s leading names including award-winning games creator Michael Kiesling, creator of the Klask, Mikkel Bertelsen, alongside illustrators including David GJ and Anne Heidsieck. While serious gamers can look forward to ‘Les Nuits du Off’, which will offer the chance to try out prototypes from 10pm until dawn. Whether you’re a keen competitor or simply curious, this festival will provide the perfect day for the whole family this February.

Fête du Mimosa

15th – 22nd February 2017

Mandelieu-la-Napoule

Keen gardeners and those wishing to gain insight into local culture can look forward to the annual Fête du Mimosa this February. The South of France fills with the sunshine yellow and sweet scent of blossoming Mimosa between mid-January and early March every year, and annual festivals are held in its honour. One of which is held just 20 minutes from the centre of Cannes in a scenic town called Mandelieu-la-Napoule, where thousands will gather for eight days of exciting events.

Mimosa was introduced to the Côte d'Azur from Australia in the 19th century by wealthy British families wishing to fill their gardens with beautiful flowers, and is now one of region’s most popular types of flora. In celebration, Mandelieu-la-Napoule will be offering an array of activities and events, starting with a concert on the 15th at the Notre Dame des Mimosas, where music fans can look forward to live performances of works by the likes of Bach and Vivaldi.

There’ll be two hour hiking tours of the Massif du Tanneron to see Mimosa in full bloom and coach excursions offering the chance to find out how flowers are used in the perfume industry; from talks with ‘un mimosiste’ who sells to wholesalers, to a demonstration of perfume-making. In the evenings, there’ll be a dinner show called 'La Nuit du Mimosa’ and a firework display, however key attractions will be the parades.

Head over to the town centre on Saturday the 18th for the night parade, which will see huge floats and entertainers stroll through the streets accompanied by live music. While visitors on Sunday can look forward to the ‘Grand Corso Fleuri’ - the ‘Grand Flower Parade’ that will consist of eight floats dressed in flowers and dancers wearing brightly coloured costumes. With some events open to the public for free and a family-friendly atmosphere, this eight day spectacle will offer an ideal day or evening out during a four-star stay in Cannes.

Whether you opt to discover the latest computer games or follow your nose to celebrate all things Mimosa, Cannes can offer an unforgettable day or evening out suited to all ages this February.