Early Modern · Architecture

Palais des Festivals et des Congrès

Cannes

The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes is a building designed to host the Festival de Cannes. Inaugurated at the end of 1982, it replaced the Palais Croisette and has hosted Festival de Cannes editions since 1983. It also serves as a venue for international events throughout the year, including MIDEM, MIPCOM, and the NRJ Music Awards.

The current building was constructed starting in 1977 after an international competition. It was built on the site of the former Casino municipal de Cannes, with additional landfill added on the sea for the project. Its design includes a massive, angular form and a basement extending under the esplanade and surrounding gardens. The site also includes the square Reynaldo Hahn garden and a semicircular regular garden on the embankment.

The complex contains several event spaces, including the grand théâtre Lumière with 2,300 seats, the salle Debussy with 1,000 seats, and the salle Agnès Varda, formerly the salle du Soixantième until 2022. It also includes the salles Buñuel and Bazin, a press conference room, a film market space, and a 24-step escalier used for the red carpet entrance at the Festival de Cannes.

Map showing the location of Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes
Location of Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes

Nearby Objects

A Venue for Major Cultural Events

The Palais des Festivals et des Congres is a building designed to host the Festival de Cannes. It also serves as a venue for other major events, including MIDEM, MIPCOM, and the NRJ Music Awards. The building was inaugurated at the end of 1982.

Festival Sites and the Early History

The first edition of the Festival de Cannes in 1939 was cancelled. The first effective Festival de Cannes was held in 1946 and was organized at the Casino municipal de Cannes, which was used pending the demolition of the Cercle nautique at 49-50 boulevard de la Croisette. A Palais des Festivals called Palais Croisette was then planned on the site of the Cercle nautique demolition. The editions of the Festival de Cannes from 1947 to 1982 took place at the Palais Croisette.

Construction and Main Festival Spaces

Construction of the Palais des Festivals et des Congres de Cannes began in 1977 after an international competition. It was built on the site of the former Casino municipal de Cannes and replaced the Palais Croisette. The project also required additional landfill on the sea. The resulting structure was described as a massive and angular building known by a nickname.

The design included a basement extending under the esplanade and the surrounding gardens, as well as the square Reynaldo Hahn garden and the semicircular regular garden on the embankment within the site. The building was fitted with several specialized spaces for the Festival de Cannes and related events. These included the grand theatre Lumiere, with 2,300 seats for competition screenings and ceremonies, the salle Debussy, with 1,000 seats for Un certain regard, and the salle Agnes Varda, formerly called salle du Soixantieme until 2022, used as a temporary structure for selection catch-up. The salles Bunuel and Bazin were provided for Cannes Classics, Cinefondation, and masterclass events. The Palais also includes a press conference room and a film market space.

For the red carpet entrance, an escalier with 24 steps was installed at the Festival de Cannes.

Major Events and Public Use

The Palais des festivals has hosted editions of the Festival de Cannes since 1983 and continues to serve as a venue for international events throughout the year. Its regular program includes the Marche du film de Cannes, the Marche international de l'edition musicale, the Marche international des programmes de television, the NRJ Music Awards, the Festival international des jeux with the remise des as d'or, the Mobile World Congress, and the Interactive and Digital Entertainment Festival. The building has also been used for major one-off events, including the Miss France 2006 ceremony and the G20 Summit of 2011.

The Palais is also part of local sporting and public activity. The Cannes Urban Trail, an annual pedestrian race organized in and around Cannes, ends by climbing the steps and crossing the Palais des festivals. Around 3,000 participants complete the race. Within the complex, the theatre Debussy is one of the concert halls of the Orchestre national de Cannes.

Facilities and Uses

The Palais des Festivals et des Congres includes a large underground parking area, exhibition rooms, meeting rooms, and performance rooms, including a large capacity festival hall. It also serves as the headquarters of Casino Barriere le Croisette in Cannes. Within this group, it is associated with one of two casinos in Cannes, while the second is Les Princes at JW Marriott Cannes. These features show the building's role as a multi-purpose infrastructure combining event spaces, performance facilities, and administrative functions.