At the pre-opening of the Scènes d’Automne festival, held at the Artistique in Nice, the program for the 2025 edition was unveiled. From October 1 to 18, the public is invited throughout the Nice metropolis for 16 shows and nearly 60 events around theater. Nice actress Eva Rami, awarded the Molière for Best One-Person Show in 2024, will be the patron of this must-attend event.
The festival will open in an atmosphere of diversity and encounters, featuring theater, comedy, dance, circus, and even short film screenings selected by the patron, Eva Rami. Inviting the public to attend as a family and to share these moments of live performance.
This year, 12 of the 16 performances are in competition. A jury composed of seven cultural personalities, including five women, will present three awards: the Grand Jury Prize, the Special Prize, and the Creation Prize. The awardees will have the opportunity to perform at the Théâtre Francis-Gag next season. According to Patrick Mottard, municipal councilor and delegate for live performance, the aim of this competition is clear: “to break a system where theater companies and venues were siloed, isolated from each other.”
Jennifer Moreau, director of the Théâtre Francis-Gag and the Nice Theater and Performing Arts Hub, emphasizes the importance of opening these awarded shows to new audiences. Half the seats for the performances will be reserved for associations to allow uninitiated spectators to discover theater. “The goal is to achieve mixed and inclusive audiences, so everyone can come together at the theater,” she explains. She believes this diversity of audience creates unique moments where reactions mingle and resonate in the room.
An Engaged Patron for Culture
The patron, Eva Rami, also represents the voice of artists and the concerns facing the theater world: “Many of us, across all cultural sectors, are concerned about the future of culture.” She speaks of budget cuts, canceled grants, and even difficult touring conditions. “Culture is what keeps a city healthy. A city without culture is a sick civilization,” she declares. Her role is to remind people of the importance of theater as a space for social connection and emotional sharing.
For her, the festival should be an opportunity to remind people that theater is essential to society. “Since COVID, I feel like people have become accustomed to staying home. The best way to support culture, is to go to the theater,” she emphasizes, urging the public to fill the venues with family or friends and to feel that unique energy found only in these spaces.
An Overflowing Program Throughout the Metropolis
Beyond the official competition, the festival will offer 19 additional events centered around theater. Street theater, circus, screenings, and many other genres will mark these three weeks. In total, there are 58 events set to animate the region, involving 16 indoor venues and 23 locations in total, including outdoor ones. In addition to those already known in Nice, some in the metropolis will be involved, such as Les Arts d’Azur in Le Broc, Salle Charlie Chaplin in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, and the Auditorium France Clidat at the Conservatoire of Saint-Laurent-du-Var, to name a few.
A Taste of What’s to Come with Eva Rami on Stage in Nice
Leading up to the festival opening, the public can see Eva Rami at Théâtre Francis-Gag on September 25 and 26 for her solo show “VA AIMER!” A way to take part in the festival and to emphasize the essential role of theater in a society searching for bearings. “I hope the public takes away from this festival just how indispensable theater is and that we are not just ‘non-essentials’”, she insists, referencing the debates during the confinement period. The aim is to reignite the public’s desire to connect with others, share emotions, and leave with “a little dose of hope and dreams.”
In a context where attracting audiences to performance venues remains a challenge, the 2025 Scènes d’Automne festival aims to demonstrate that theater still has the power to bring people together and move them, reminding us that it remains an essential art for society.
