Check Your Condoms: France Recalls Hundreds of Thousands Over Safety Concerns

 

Consumers in France are being urged to check their condom supplies after safety defects were discovered in two brands, prompting recalls affecting approximately 260,000 condoms.

The products involved are Friday Bae SAFE and My Lubie Ultra-fins, both of which were found to present potential safety concerns during inspections. Testing identified a risk of rupture, while one of the products was also found to contain holes — defects that could undermine the basic protective purpose of the contraceptive.

The recalls come as French authorities take a broader look at the safety and compliance of condoms being sold to consumers, particularly through online marketplaces.

The Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) has identified around 30 products being sold without the required CE marking on major online retail platforms. Together, those products represent more than 40,000 condoms that had already been sold.

The CE marking is important because it indicates that a medical device has met applicable European Union requirements for safety, health and environmental protection. Its absence does not automatically mean that a product is defective, but it does mean consumers cannot assume that it has gone through the required European conformity process.

How to check your condoms

Consumers should take a few seconds to inspect their condoms before using them.

Check that the packaging carries the CE marking, that the package is intact and undamaged, and that the expiry date has not passed. Condoms should also be stored appropriately and handled carefully to avoid damaging the packaging or the condom itself.

For products potentially affected by the recalls, consumers can check the product reference and lot number against the recall information published through France’s official RappelConso system.

If a condom appears to be part of a recall, it should not be used. Consumers should follow the recall instructions regarding returning or disposing of the product.

What if you have already used one?

Anyone who has used a condom from an affected batch should not automatically panic, but the potential failure of a condom means there may have been exposure to sexually transmitted infections or, where relevant, a risk of pregnancy.

Health professionals can advise on appropriate testing and follow-up. HIV and other STI testing may be recommended depending on the circumstances, with the timing of tests taking into account the relevant window periods. Anyone who develops symptoms should seek medical advice rather than waiting for them to disappear.

The recalls are also a useful reminder that even a product people routinely take for granted deserves a quick check before use. A few seconds spent looking at the packaging, expiry date and product information could make an important difference when it comes to something designed to provide protection in the first place.

Ancient Greek Lyre Returns to Villa Kérylos for an Evening Spanning 2,000 Years of Music

 

Perched above the Baie des Fourmis in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Villa Kérylos is one of the Côte d’Azur’s most extraordinary architectural curiosities. Built between 1902 and 1908 for the French archaeologist and scholar Théodore Reinach, the villa was conceived not simply as a home, but as an imaginative recreation of an ancient Greek residence. 

Its marble, mosaics, frescoes, furniture and decorative details were all inspired by the world of classical Greece, creating a remarkable bridge between antiquity and the Riviera of the early 20th century.

More than a century later, that connection with the ancient world will become distinctly musical. On Friday, 28 August, the villa will provide the setting for a special concert by Les Lyristes, bringing the sound of the ancient Greek lyre into a space deliberately created to evoke the civilization that gave birth to the instrument.

Led by renowned lyre player Nikos Xanthoulis, the ensemble will feature Evangelia Kopsalidou performing on the ancient Greek lyre and barbitos, alongside soprano Myrsini Margariti. Their programme promises to move freely between antiquity, traditional Greek music and modern composition, presenting ancient instruments and repertoire not as archaeological relics, but as part of a living musical tradition.

 

The journey begins with a prelude by Johann Sebastian Bach before travelling deep into the musical world of ancient Greece. The programme includes the first chorus from Euripides’ Orestes, written in 408 BC, the Delphic Paean dating from around 128 BC, and the celebrated Epitaph of Seikilos, generally regarded as the oldest surviving complete musical composition.

 

From these extraordinarily distant echoes of antiquity, the concert moves into Greece’s more recent musical heritage. Traditional music will feature alongside contemporary interpretations of Sappho’s poetry, with works by two of Greece’s best-known modern composers, Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis, adding another layer to the evening’s exploration of Greek musical identity.

 

The programme is deliberately not confined to ancient Greece, either. Les Lyristes will bring their distinctive arrangements to familiar 20th-century pieces, including The Beatles’ Yesterday and Luiz Bonfá’s Manhã de Carnaval. The evening will ultimately return to the ancient world with Ô Bacchos, inspired by Sophocles’ Antigone.

 

Few venues on the Riviera could provide a more evocative setting for such a performance. Villa Kérylos was created from a fascination with a civilization more than two millennia removed from its architect’s own era, and the concert effectively reverses that journey: rather than visitors simply looking at antiquity preserved in stone, marble and mosaic, the villa will once again become a place where the sounds associated with ancient Greece can be heard.

 

For one evening, the Baie des Fourmis will provide the backdrop to a remarkable musical passage through time—from the theatres and temples of classical Greece to modern Athens, Paris, Liverpool and beyond. At Villa Kérylos, history will not simply be on display; it will be heard.

The LGBTQIA+ Centre of the Côte d’Azur Kicks Off a New Season in Nice

 

The LGBTQIA+ Centre of the Côte d’Azur is getting ready to launch its new season—and this year, it is taking the celebration to a new location.

On Sunday, September 13, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., the Centre will host a large, free and open-to-everyone kickoff event at Place Pellegrini in Nice, bringing together local LGBTQIA+ organizations, community partners, businesses and supporters for a full day of activities, conversation and celebration.

For the first time, the Centre is taking over Place Pellegrini for an event designed to feel as much like a neighborhood gathering as a community open house. Working alongside the merchants on the square, member organizations and partners, organizers are promising a welcoming and inclusive day that reflects the spirit of the Centre itself: friendly, supportive, accessible and open to everyone.

Visitors can expect nonprofit information booths, activities, games and prizes, as well as food and drinks throughout the day. More importantly, the event will provide an opportunity to meet the people and organizations behind the Centre and learn more about the work taking place across the Côte d’Azur LGBTQIA+ community.

A Look At What Comes Next

One of the key moments of the day will take place at 5 p.m., when the Centre will present its new projects and initiatives for the coming season.

 

The presentation will also introduce new partners and funders who have chosen to support the Centre and its work, helping make it possible to expand its activities and develop new projects.

 

The timing is particularly significant.

 

As solidarity and inclusion face increasing challenges and reactionary rhetoric continues to gain visibility, the Centre says it has chosen not to retreat—but instead to continue building, expanding and strengthening its work.

 

The message for the new season is clear: the work is continuing, new projects are coming, and the Centre intends to keep moving forward.

 

The September 13 event offers the community a chance to see exactly what that future looks like while celebrating the people and organizations helping to make it happen.

 

Whether you are already involved with the LGBTQIA+ community, are curious about the Centre’s work, want to discover local organizations or simply want to spend a Sunday afternoon meeting people and enjoying the atmosphere, everyone is invited.

 

Come explore the nonprofit booths, take part in the games and activities, grab something to eat or drink, meet the Centre’s partners and supporters—and be part of the conversation about what comes next for the LGBTQIA+ community on the Côte d’Azur.

 

The LGBTQIA+ Centre of the Côte d’Azur’s new season begins Sunday, September 13, at Place Pellegrini in Nice.

 

Sunday, September 13, 2026
11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Place Pellegrini, Nice
Free and open to everyone
Presentation of new projects and initiatives: 5 p.m.

The Grand Drag Parade: Nice Turns Rue Bonaparte Into a Glittering LGBTQ+ Street Party

 

Summer on the French Riviera is far from over — and on Tuesday, August 25, Nice is getting ready to turn up the glamour.

From 7 p.m., Rue Bonaparte will be transformed into a riot of colour, glitter, music and outrageous drag as La Grande Drag Parade brings together some of Nice’s most fabulous drag queens for a very special evening in the heart of the city’s LGBTQ+ scene.

Forget the idea that summer entertainment on the Riviera winds down in August. On this night, the party is only getting started.

The event promises an evening of spectacular performances, flamboyant costumes and plenty of personality, with drag queens bringing their own unique brand of glamour and entertainment to one of Nice’s most lively streets. It is exactly the sort of wonderfully over-the-top celebration that feels right at home in this city.

And there is more to the evening than simply watching the performances. Rue Bonaparte — affectionately known by many as Nice’s “petite Marais” — is the perfect setting for a night built around community, cocktails, food and fun. The street’s restaurants, bars and venues will be welcoming visitors throughout the evening, making it easy to move from one spot to another, grab a drink, enjoy something to eat and soak up the atmosphere.

For Nice’s LGBTQ+ community, it is also a chance to come together and celebrate in a part of the city that has become increasingly associated with LGBTQ+ nightlife, culture and community. But you certainly don’t need to identify as LGBTQ+ to enjoy the party. Friends, visitors, locals and anyone looking for a lively Riviera evening are invited to join in.

Expect glitter, heels, feathers, fabulous costumes, cocktails, music and plenty of attitude — essentially, all the ingredients for a proper Nice night out.

There is something particularly appealing about an event like this taking over an ordinary city street. Rather than being tucked away inside a nightclub or theatre, La Grande Drag Parade brings the celebration directly into the neighbourhood, creating an open-air atmosphere where the boundaries between performers, venues and spectators almost disappear.

So if you are in Nice on Tuesday, August 25, consider this your invitation to put on something fabulous, head down to Rue Bonaparte and join the party.

La Grande Drag Parade begins at 7 p.m. — and summer on the Riviera clearly isn’t finished yet.

Come for the drag. Stay for the cocktails. Wander the street, discover the bars and restaurants, meet friends and enjoy one of those wonderfully spontaneous evenings that make Nice so much fun in August.

After all, there is always room for a little more glitter on the Côte d’Azur.