Fun Facts about the French Riviera
The South of France region is the driest region of France, rainfall is rare but when it comes you can experience spectacular downpours. You can expect around 300 days of sunshine a year in the South of France, You can expect around 300 days of sunshine a year in the South of France, making it the perfect backdrop for outdoor events.
Nice airport is the busiest in France outside Paris with over 13m passengers most years. The convenient connections make it a popular location for destination events and means we can easily bring in world-class talent from Europe’s major cities and beyond.
The French Riviera is the home of the world’s most expensive villa and penthouse. The Villa Leopolda in Villefranche is valued at $750m, and the top floor suite in the new Odeon Tower in Monaco is estimated at $400m. The region is also the home of many of the world’s biggest stars. Our personal favourite is the incredible mansion owned by Elton John next to a castle in Nice with stunning panoramic views on both sides.
The world’s most famous stars descend on the French Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix. We recall the excitement when Madonna took to the dance floor during one of our events at the Cannes Festival, then how empty it looked when she left with all her entourage.
Monaco has its own English language radio station that broadcasts all over the French Riviera as far as St Tropez. Our founder, Peter Mackley, presented several hundred shows over a 15-year period and was host of the flagship breakfast show for over 18 months.
The Monte Carlo Rolex Tennis Masters offers the biggest prize on the whole ATP tour, with the winner earning over $1m. The tournament has been won a record 11 times by Rafael Nadal, who has taken part in a private cabaret show that we organise every year starring the players themselves. Novak Djokovich, Roger Federer and Andy Murray have also starred off the court as well.
Prince Albert has been the sovereign in Monaco since 2005. His mother, Grace Kelly, formed the Monaco USA association, which is the cornerstone of an excellent on-going relationship between the two countries. Every year, Monaco USA hosts a now legendary quiz which is attended by the prince himself, and he has been the quiz champion on multiple occasions.
The French Riviera produces over 75% of the world’s luxury perfume from flowers cultivated and harvested around Grasse. It’s also the chosen location for parties for fashion giants like Christian Dior, Chanel, Estee Lauder and Bulgari.
During the summer season, the Mediterranean is the home of the world’s largest mega yachts. The yachting community descends on Monaco every September for the world’s biggest yacht show, with over 30000 participants, and over 100 super yachts.
The principality comes alive with music and extravagant events, planned by the world’s most prominent yacht brokers, charterers, managers, constructors and summer suppliers.
The biggest trade fair of the year is the Cannes Lions with over 40000 delegates in 2017. It is now even bigger and busier than the Cannes Film Festival. All the world’s biggest tech companies are trying to outdo each other by organising the most memorable events, including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Facebook.
There is an urban legend that the first ever lemon tree grew in Menton. They say that when Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden that Eve took a lemon with her. She held onto it until she had found the perfect spot to plant it. She eventually found a place that was so beautiful it reminded her of paradise and planted the first pip in the Bay of Garavan!
Perhaps the most stunning venue on the French Riviera is the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, host to dozens of magnificent events every year bringing in clients from every continent. It has the most beautiful gardens with the sea on both sides and an animated fountain show in the middle. As an official partner, we have created some of the most spectacular wedding celebrations and some of the most memorable event experiences here.
Sophia Antipolis is Europe’s largest technopole, home to hundreds of Europe’s most innovative businesses. It is also the home of Riviera Organisation and twice we have been recognised by the British Chamber of Commerce and the Riviera Business Club, as runner up in the prestigious Business of the Year awards.
The Nice Carnival is considered one of the world's major festivities. It dates back to 1294, making it the oldest and perhaps the original carnival celebration. These days, the two-week event attracts over a million visitors to Nice every year.
