Welcome back to another action packed weekly round-up, bringing you a choice of great things to do on the beautiful French Riviera! Yes indeed, Christmas is definitely in the air and it's time to start making that list. But in the meantime, here are some of the other activities you can indulge in over the following seven days.

Lovers of dance will want to get themselves along to the Principality over the coming week for a great line-up of contemporary dance spectacles. It all starts in the Grimaldi Forum this weekend with the Vienna National Opera Ballet and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and their Homage to Jerome Robbins: Glass Pieces, In the Night, The Concert and continues throughout the week.

If you can't wait until tomorrow for your fill of dance, then why not check out Le Grand Ballet de Cuba - Havana Tropical who perform tonight (Friday) at the Acropolis in Nice. Salsa, mambo, merengue - they have it all!

Other musical events this weekend and beyond include Orchestre Popolare Italiana with Carmen Consoli performing "Taranta d’Amore" under the direction of Ambrogio Sparagna at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes (Saturday), Vivaldi's 'Prima Donna' with the Opéra de Monte-Carlo at the Salle Garnier, also on Saturday, and Bellini's Opéra Norma performed by the Opéra de Nice on Saturday 10th and Thursday 15th December.

We don't need to tell you that Christmas is only a matter of weeks away and the excitement is mounting. Christmas markets are in evidence all along the coast with some spectacular lighting displays on offer. The Foire aux santons continues in Mouans-Sartoux, an amazing exhibition dedicated to the traditional provencal art of making Christmas crib figures in the Alpes Maritimes. Running until the 24th of December, thousands of "santons de Provence", of all shapes, sizes and colours are on display.

The Hôtel Métropole in Monte-Carto continues its tribute to Lewis Carroll with a "Christmas in Wonderland" theme, in all public areas of the hotel, including the buzzing bar and the Restaurant Joël Robuchon Monte-Carlo, and Yoshi, Joël Robuchon's first Japanese restaurant are set to be transformed. The decorations will include a huge Christmas tree decorated in powder pinks and lime greens and adorned with golden touches, rock candies, giant biscuits and pocket watches!

For lovers of all things Cocteau, you may want to check out the new Jean Cocteau Museum in Menton which is hosting a temporary exhibition dedicated to Jean Sabrier, a Bordeaux based artist, who gives new perspectives to paintings through art history. It will also give you the opportunity to admire more than 2,000 works from the multi-talented Cocteau.

Galerie Oscar in Nice continues to host an exhibition of non-figurative works by accomplished artist Sibilla Bjarnason.The gallery will also be the setting for a Christmas Spotlight Charity Cocktail Evening, run in conjunction with the International Club of the Riviera on Thursday 15th December.

On the sporting front, OGC Nice play away to AJ Auxerre on Sunday evening, while Ligue 2 neighbours AS Monaco travel to Havre AC for a 2:30pm kickoff on Saturday.

So, that's it for this week. Have a great weekend and week ahead and remember to keep checking our Facebook page for all the lowdown on what's happening on the French Riviera!

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