Cannes Christmas Market

The Cannes Christmas market turns the Allées de la Liberté and the Cours Félix-Faure into a village of fir trees a stone's throw from the Vieux-Port. Riviera glamour here does not come with biting cold: you wander between the chalets in a light jumper, the Mediterranean as a backdrop, with that southern light that makes the fairy lights sparkle differently. For the 2026 edition, the dates have not yet been made official (check the city's website); count on a late-November opening, as in 2025, when the village ran from 28 November to 4 January.

The Christmas village, between plane trees and the seafront

Sixty-four wooden chalets line the Allées, the shaded strip in the heart of town that usually hosts the flower market. Artisans and designers offer jewellery, toys, santons and decorative objects, with food stalls in between. The mood stays relaxed, less crowded than in the big northern cities, so you have time to chat with the stallholders without elbowing your way through.

What changes everything is the setting. The chalets have their backs to the yachts moored in the Vieux-Port, the Croisette is a few minutes' walk away, and the illuminations dress palm trees rather than spruces. A Provençal Christmas that fully embraces its seaside setting and Mediterranean way of life. If you are doing the coast's resorts one after another, the pages on Nice Christmas market and Marseille Christmas market round off the Riviera circuit nicely.

Ice rink, parade and family entertainment

A 350 m² real-ice rink is set up on the Allées for the whole run of the village. In the morning, children aged 4 to 10 skate for free with an instructor; in the afternoon, the rink opens to everyone for 45-minute sessions at €3 including equipment (allow €2 for the compulsory pair of gloves, on sale on site). On the Esplanade de la Pantiero, a funfair completes the programme with rides, a ghost train and a pirate ship for the little ones.

As for highlights, the “White Christmas” light parade winds through the streets on 23 December, ending at the bandstand, with fairies on stilts and Santa leading the procession. Santa's chalet offers workshops, storytelling and photos, and a Provençal nativity scene filled with santons keeps the local tradition alive. Musical Thursdays also punctuate the December evenings.

Provençal and Niçois flavours to graze on

The Cannes Christmas market puts local produce centre stage. Between two chalets you come across golden socca made with chickpea flour, fougasse, the famous calissons and, as Christmas Eve approaches, the thirteen desserts that close the Provençal festive meal. Roasted chestnuts, crêpes and hot chocolate keep your fingers warm, and spiced mulled wine goes from stall to stall. Fancy making it at home? A good mulled wine recipe makes all the difference once you are back.

To carry on exploring the markets of the South, take a look at the page on Aix-en-Provence Christmas market, known for its santons and its old-town atmosphere.

Getting there and planning your visit

The village is right in the centre, which makes everything easier. Cannes station is less than ten minutes' walk from the Allées, a real plus if you arrive by train from Nice, Marseille or further afield. By car, the Gare SNCF car park and the other town-centre car parks leave you close by; a free City Palm shuttle links several car parks to the heart of town on presentation of your ticket. The Allées are flat and accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. Allow one to two hours to see everything at an easy pace, ice rink and a food break included. In 2025, opening hours were around 11am to 9pm on weekdays and until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, to be confirmed for the 2026 edition.