On October 6, at the Sardinian Kings’ palace, the new concept of the Festival C’est Pas Classique, championed by the Alpes-Maritimes department, was unveiled. It will take place from November 3 to 19, 2023, in 13 municipalities.
The Festival C’est Pas Classique returns for its 18th edition with an entirely new format. The classical music festival is usually held exclusively in Nice, but this year, that’s no longer possible, so the Alpes-Maritimes department has chosen to offer it under a new concept. “With the demolition of the Acropolis Palace in Nice, the event lost its usual venue, but the festival’s soul remains!”, the department shares in a press release.
The festival, which always aims to make classical music accessible to everyone, becomes itinerant and is now hosted in thirteen municipalities in the Alpes-Maritimes: Cap d’Ail, Carros, Cannes, Grasse, Lucéram, Mougins, Mandelieu-La Napoule,
Nice, Puget-Théniers, Saint-Martin-Vésubie, Tourrette-Levens, Vence, and Villars-sur-Var.
“This event proves each year through an eclectic program that this music is nothing obsolete, sad, or static,” shares the department.
33 Free Performances
The program promises to appeal to a wide audience by blending classical and contemporary repertoire, tradition, and modernity through 33 free performances over 17 days, featuring 230 artists. Children are not forgotten, with a program dedicated to them on the weekend of November 11 and 12, and on Saturday, November 18.
“Our territory is a land of culture where many artists have contributed to the myth of the French Riviera. We must maintain this myth and elevate it even further!” responds Éric Ciotti, deputy of the 1st constituency of the Alpes-Maritimes.
The festival opens at the Nikaïa palace on Friday, November 3, at 8 p.m., with a concert by Cerrone Electro Symphonic Orchestra. The artist, celebrating a 50-year career, will revisit his greatest hits such as “Supernature,” “Give Me Love,” and “A Part of You.” The promise: to transform Nice’s iconic venue into “a symphonic electro disco temple” for a few hours of show.
Candlelight, Roman Leleu, André Manoukian, and Many Others
Among the other highlights of the festival, one should note the Candlelight concert experience in tribute to Coldplay, held at the Sardinian Kings’ palace, on November 11 at 3 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Le Quatuor Anches Hantées, which has toured French and international concert halls for 20 years, will perform in Mougins on November 8, 2023, at 8:30 p.m. In Grasse, the Romain Leleu Sextet performance is scheduled for November 11 at 8 p.m.
The Nice Opera notably hosts two exceptional evenings with The Opera Locos on November 15 at 8:30 p.m. and Eastwood Symphonic on November 17 at 8:30 p.m. The Palais de la Méditerranée welcomes André Manoukian and his team of musicians, guided by the Balkanes who have combined their Bulgarian voices with the atmospheric jazz of his trio on November 18 at 8:30 p.m.
To close the festival, the 2021 finalists of the show “France’s Got Talent”, the “Drum Brothers” will offer a family show. Percussions and other surprises will resonate in this luxurious hotel complex on the Promenade des Angais.
Since its launch in 2005, this cultural event has brought together 500,000 spectators around 1,000 concerts. Reservations for this 18th edition open on Friday, October 13. For more information, visit the event’s dedicated page.
