Initially excluded from the Fête des Mai, the Nissa Pantai association has finally secured a stand at the Cimiez arenas. They thank the many supporters who made this return possible.
The Nissa Pantai association will indeed be present at the Cimiez Gardens on Sundays 4, 11, 18, as well as the last weekend of May 24 and 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The announcement was made after several days of uncertainty. On Monday, April 28, the association learned of its exclusion from the event, despite its continuous participation since 2007.
The decision was notified by letter just a few days before the start of the festival. A response deemed late and unfair by the Nissa Pantai team. “We are stunned,” declared Ciril Joanin, president of the association. The shock was all the more significant as the association had already incurred expenses in logistics, equipment, and communication.
The municipality cited a “too large number of stands” to justify this decision. The argument did not convince the members of Nissa Pantai, who saw this refusal as targeted exclusion. “There is always space at the arenas. That’s not the real reason,” asserted Ciril Joanin.
According to him, absence from the event would have resulted in a loss of nearly 2,500 euros, almost 40% of the association’s annual budget. An administrative appeal was filed shortly thereafter.
A turnaround after a strong mobilization
In response to this exclusion, a wave of solidarity quickly formed. Numerous supporters came forward, both online and on the ground. The association wishes to publicly thank “all the people who supported us over the past few days.”
This mobilization allowed Nissa Pantai to secure a stand for all the dates of the festival. “Thanks to you and the energy you passed on to us, Nissa Pantai will continue its mission, started in 1971, to bring the Occitan language and culture, particularly Nissart, to life,” the team emphasized.
The stand will be located in the lower part of the Cimiez Gardens. The program remains unchanged, and the association invites the public to join them in sharing the colors and language of Nice.
