The perfect Jazz Festival next to the sea in Juan-les-Pins

"You talk like Marlene Dietrich
And you dance like Zizi Jeanmaire
Your clothes are all made by Balmain
And there's diamonds and pearls in your hair, yes there are

You live in a fancy apartment
Off the Boulevard Saint-Michel
Where you keep your Rolling Stones records
And a friend of Sacha Distel, yes you do

But where do you go to my lovely
When you're alone in your bed
Tell me the thoughts that surround you
I want to look inside your head, yes I do

I've seen all your qualifications
You got from the Sorbonne
And the painting you stole from Picasso
Your loveliness goes on and on, yes it does

When you go on your summer vacation
You go to Juan-les-Pins
With your carefully designed topless swimsuit
You get an even suntan on your back and on your legs"

Where do you go to (my lovely)?
Peter Sarstedt -1969

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Jazz à Juan 2009

In much the same way that Lewis Hamilton needs Monaco, Pavarotti - Le Scala and Sinatra - Carnegie hall, anyone who is anyone in Jazz wants to play Juan-les-Pins. In recent years this wonderful festival held under the stars has attracted just about every jazz legend that has lived.

Any concert played in front of the Mediterranean as the sun sets behind the stage has got to be a winning ticket and from the minute you arrive at Pinède Gould and see those magnificent pine trees and listen to the humming Cicadas, things just get better and better.

Listening to jazz on a balmy evening, with the sweet smell of the sea filling the air has to be one of life's pleasures that you could never begin to get bored of which is why artists and fans alike return in their droves year after year.

If you are looking for something a bit different this summer, and mainstream pop and rock music is not your cup of tea, why not get yourself down there and sample the top quality jazz on offer from July 11th to 19th.

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Household names such as Joss Stone, Jeff Beck and Jamie Cullum mix with lesser-known artists including Céline Bonacina, Allen Toussaint and Tineke Postma, providing an eclectic nine days of great music for locals and tourists alike.

The festival began after Juan-les-Pins and sister city New Orleans joined together and decided to create an event that would showcase talent from both the cities. Since the first festival in 1960, jazz legends including Stéphane Grappelli, B.B. King, Ray Charles, Oscar Peterson and Little Richard have played in the wonderful little seaside town. The history of the festival can even be seen in the ceramic tiles in the pavement behind the seaside stage where music legends have gone out of their way to leave their handprints imprinted in some of the tiles.

Juan-les-Pins by Night Jazz à Juan

As well as enjoying the sounds of some of the greatest musicians in the world, on the 14th July there will also be an amazing fireworks display in the Juan-les-Pins bay to mark Bastille Day, one of the biggest annual party days in France commemorating the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 to mark the uprising of a modern nation.

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And jazz is not just confined to Pinède Gould and for those that have bought tickets. The whole of Juan-les-Pins joins in and gets the beat. Jazz Off is now a major part of Jazz à Juan and offers daily free or low-priced concerts throughout the town in various venues, including an outdoor stage in the Jardins de la Pinède, directly across from Le Meridian Garden Beach hotel. This hotel also often hosts a nightly jam session and many of the Jazz à Juan headliners show up to play a song or two, including Jamie Cullum (above) who rocked up one evening last year and performed "Bye Bye Blackbird" just an hour after finishing on the main stage next door.

Get tickets to this amazing event

Prices range from €15 to €55, depending on seat location and which performance you choose.

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