The Bal des LICORNES: Nice Gets Ready for a Night of Glitter, Glamour and Queer Celebration

Nice is getting ready for a night unlike any other as the Bal des LICORNES returns for its second edition on September 5, 2026, promising an immersive celebration of creativity, freedom, identity and unapologetic self-expression.

Taking place at Stockfish, 5 avenue François Mitterrand, the Bal des LICORNES is designed to break away from conventional ideas of what a ball should be. Instead, it invites guests into a festive and artistic universe where imposed norms are left at the door and everyone is encouraged to celebrate exactly who they are.

Glitter, glamour, sex appeal and theatricality will take center stage as six artists and four unicorns transform the evening into a continuous spectacle of music, performance and visual entertainment. The event’s immersive production will unfold across four vibrant scenes inspired by balls from yesterday to today, creating a journey through different eras, generations and interpretations of celebration.

Rather than simply watching a show, guests will become part of the experience. As the evening progresses, the atmosphere is expected to become increasingly energetic, with the boundaries between audience, performer and party becoming deliberately blurred.

Music will provide the heartbeat of the night, moving between two distinct but complementary worlds. Pop and queer anthems will bring familiar favourites from artists including Mylène Farmer, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Dua Lipa, delivering the kind of songs that audiences know, sing together and associate with collective celebration. As the night develops, the musical focus will shift toward electro and club sounds designed to keep the dance floor moving well into the night.

The result is intended to be more than simply another party on the Nice events calendar. The Unicorn Ball positions itself as a celebration of individuality, inclusivity and the freedom to express oneself without having to fit neatly into anyone else’s expectations.

There is also a distinctly festive outdoor component to the evening, with Happy Hour before 8:30 p.m., alongside food and drinks in a celebratory setting. Guests can arrive early, settle into the atmosphere and watch the evening build toward its main performances and late-night party.

For Nice, a city already known for its colourful nightlife, artistic energy and diverse cultural scene, the return of the Unicorn Ball adds another distinctive event to the calendar. Its combination of performance art, music, fashion, theatrical production and queer culture gives the evening an identity of its own.

The message behind the event is perhaps its simplest—and most compelling: come as you are, celebrate who you are, and let the night take care of the rest.

The Bal des LICORNES took place on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Stockfish, 5 avenue François Mitterrand, 06300 Nice. With four immersive scenes, six artists, four unicorns, pop and queer anthems, electro beats and an atmosphere designed to become increasingly uninhibited as the evening unfolds, the Unicorn Ball is shaping up to be one of Nice’s most colourful nights of the season.

Get your tickets now!

La Dolce Nizza: Seeing Nice Through the Sensual Lens of Claudia Bevilacqua

 

There are countless ways to photograph Nice, but few capture the city’s atmosphere quite like black-and-white photography. Beneath the postcard images of turquoise water, colourful façades and brilliant Mediterranean sunshine lies another Nice — more intimate, more cinematic and considerably more seductive. That is the Nice explored in “La Dolce Nizza”, the exhibition by photographer Claudia Bevilacqua, currently on view at the Musée de la Photographie Charles Nègre in the heart of Vieux Nice.

The exhibition runs only until 6 September 2026, making it one of those Riviera cultural experiences that should be moved toward the top of the list before summer disappears and the autumn season begins.

Rather than presenting Nice simply as a beautiful destination, Bevilacqua’s photography offers a more personal interpretation of the city. Through black-and-white images, she strips away much of the visual noise associated with the Riviera and allows the architecture, streets, people and atmosphere to take centre stage. The absence of colour is particularly effective in a city that is otherwise famous for colour. Without the familiar blues, yellows and pinks, Nice becomes something altogether different.

There is a cinematic quality to the work, and that feels entirely appropriate for a city that has spent more than a century attracting artists, writers, photographers, filmmakers and people fascinated by the Mediterranean lifestyle. Nice has always had a talent for performing for the camera, but Bevilacqua’s photographs suggest that the city’s real character is often found away from the obvious tourist spectacle.

Women and the female presence within the city are an important part of the exhibition’s visual language. There is a sensuality to the photographs, but it is not necessarily the polished, luxury-oriented sensuality often associated with advertising images of the Côte d’Azur. Instead, the photographs can feel spontaneous and intimate, capturing moments and gestures that suggest lives being lived rather than a destination being marketed.

That distinction matters. Nice is, of course, one of the world’s most photographed Mediterranean cities, and visitors arrive with a mental catalogue of images already in their heads: the Promenade des Anglais, the Baie des Anges, the colourful buildings of the Old Town and the palm-lined waterfront. Bevilacqua’s approach encourages viewers to look again. Her Nice is not necessarily the Nice found on a tourism brochure. It is a city of shadows, expressions, movement, texture and fleeting encounters.

The choice of the Musée de la Photographie Charles Nègre is equally fitting. Located in Place Pierre Gautier in Vieux Nice, the museum is dedicated to photography and regularly presents exhibitions exploring both historic and contemporary photographic practices. Its location also places visitors directly in one of the city’s most atmospheric neighbourhoods, making a visit to the exhibition easy to combine with an afternoon wandering through the narrow streets of the Old Town.

And that may ultimately be the best way to experience La Dolce Nizza: not as an isolated museum visit, but as an invitation to reconsider the city outside the gallery.

After seeing Nice through Bevilacqua’s lens, step outside and walk. Wander through Vieux Nice. Look at the balconies, doorways and cafés. Watch people moving through the streets. Notice how the afternoon light changes the façades. Walk toward the sea and watch the city gradually open onto the Baie des Anges. Perhaps, for a moment, try to imagine what these same streets would look like without their Mediterranean colours.

That is one of the pleasures of photography. A good photograph doesn’t simply show you somewhere you already know; it can make you realise that you haven’t been looking closely enough.

For residents, La Dolce Nizza offers another perspective on a familiar city. For visitors, it provides an opportunity to move beyond the standard Riviera itinerary and see Nice through a more artistic and intimate lens. And for anyone fascinated by photography, fashion, beauty, urban life or the enduring mythology of the French Riviera, it is a particularly appealing exhibition.

But there is a deadline.

“La Dolce Nizza” remains at the Musée de la Photographie Charles Nègre only until 6 September 2026. With the final weeks of summer approaching, this is one exhibition worth putting on the calendar rather than leaving on the increasingly dangerous Riviera list of “things I’ll get around to.”

Nice has been photographed thousands upon thousands of times. The challenge is no longer finding another photograph of the city. The challenge is finding a photograph that makes you see it differently.

Claudia Bevilacqua may just have done that.

BLITZ XXL: Nice Gets Ready to Celebrate Club Culture in Spectacular Style

 

There are parties, and then there are events that feel like a declaration of what a city’s nightlife can be. On Saturday, September 5, the Théâtre de Verdure in Nice will be transformed for BLITZ XXL, an ambitious open-air celebration bringing together electronic music, New Wave, drag, performance, queer culture and more than four decades of club history.

As summer draws to a close, BLITZ XXL promises to turn one of Nice’s most iconic venues into a gigantic open-air club, creating a spectacular meeting point between the Mediterranean, European underground culture and the unmistakable energy of the dance floor.

But this is intended to be much more than another night out. At its heart, BLITZ XXL is about freedom, inclusivity and the communal spirit that has always made club culture so powerful: different generations, identities and cultures coming together, leaving the outside world behind and dancing under the same roof—or, in this case, beneath the Nice sky.

From New Wave to the Modern Dance Floor

BLITZ XXL takes its inspiration from more than 40 years of nightlife, travelling from the New Wave explosion of the 1980s through the legendary clubs of the 1990s and into contemporary electronic music.

The influence of artists and movements associated with Depeche Mode, New Order and David Bowie sits alongside the spirit of London, Berlin and the great European club scenes. Rather than simply attempting to recreate the past, BLITZ XXL promises to reinterpret that history through a distinctly 2026 lens.

It is a celebration of where club culture came from, while looking firmly toward where it is going.

An International DJ Lineup

The musical backbone of the evening will come from Francesco Pagano, Chris Bekker and John Dixon, three DJs whose complementary styles will build what organizers describe as a genuine musical crescendo throughout the Théâtre de Verdure.

There will also be a particularly nostalgic moment for anyone familiar with Nice’s nightlife history.

Four legendary residents from the DOLLY Street nights—Ben Crafter, Anna Crouse, Jissé and Fred Sky—will come together for an exceptional four-turntable battle.

The gathering also marks the beginning of the celebrations leading up to DOLLY’s 30th anniversary in 2027, with several important figures from the club’s history expected to be present.

For those who remember Nice’s earlier generations of nightlife, it promises to be a particularly meaningful reunion. For those discovering the city’s club culture for the first time, it offers a chance to experience a piece of its history firsthand.

Paloma Brings Drag Royalty to Nice

Adding another major name to the evening will be Paloma, winner of the first season of Drag Race France, who will serve as the honorary patron of BLITZ XXL.

A director, actress, performer and one of France’s most recognizable contemporary drag artists, Paloma represents the evolution of drag from underground nightlife into mainstream French culture without losing its creative and provocative roots.

Her involvement feels particularly appropriate for BLITZ XXL, an event built around spectacle, freedom, performance and the idea that nightlife can be both entertaining and culturally significant.

Nice’s Drag Scene Takes Centre Stage

While international artists will undoubtedly attract attention, BLITZ XXL is also determined to put Nice’s own queer creative community firmly in the spotlight.

Eleven drag queens from the city will perform throughout the evening, with performances inspired by the aesthetics and music of the 1980s, 1990s and New Wave era.

Among the announced performers are Khalysté, Itezza, La Dame Oclès, Fada, Mariah Stratton, Libra Couture, Nikaïa, Darcy, Morgane and Stella Star, alongside additional surprises.

It is an important reminder that queer nightlife and drag culture are not confined to Paris, London or Berlin. Nice has its own artists, performers, history and community—and BLITZ XXL is putting that local talent centre stage.

European Performers Bring the Theatre to the Dance Floor

The international dimension continues with performers travelling to Nice from across Europe.

Carl Justin & David will represent Sweden, Denixx & Karl will arrive from the United Kingdom, while Phil & Nelson will bring the German contingent.

The evening will combine music with dance, go-go performances, stage productions, platforms, cages, special effects and unexpected happenings.

The intention is to blur the traditional distinction between audience and performer. Rather than simply watching a show from the sidelines, guests will find themselves immersed in the action.

In other words, the dance floor isn’t just where the party happens. The dance floor is the show.

The Théâtre de Verdure Gets the XXL Treatment

For one evening, the Théâtre de Verdure will become almost unrecognizable.

Immersive scenography, visual effects, performances, rave-inspired energy and decadent glamour will transform the outdoor venue into a spectacular club environment, drawing inspiration from the underground scenes of Berlin and London, the hedonism of Ibiza, and the unmistakable setting of Nice.

Few places could provide a more striking backdrop. With the Mediterranean just metres away, BLITZ XXL will combine the intensity of European club culture with the extraordinary setting of the French Riviera.

It is an unlikely combination—and that’s precisely what makes it interesting.

Queer at Its Heart, Open to Everyone

BLITZ XXL is unapologetically rooted in queer culture, but it isn’t designed as an exclusive space.

The organizers describe the event as an inclusive, intergenerational celebration open to anyone who loves electronic music, drag, performance, club culture or simply the idea of experiencing something a little different.

LGBTQIA+ guests, longtime clubbers, younger generations, visitors to Nice and locals are all invited onto the same dance floor.

And perhaps that is the most compelling idea behind the event.

Before nightlife became dominated by algorithms, categories, curated playlists and endless labels, there was simply the dance floor—a place where strangers could meet, music could take over and, for a few hours, everybody belonged to the same world.

Nice Is Ready for Its XXL Night

With an international DJ lineup, European performers, local drag artists, a celebration of Nice nightlife history and an ambitious transformation of the Théâtre de Verdure, BLITZ XXL looks set to close out the summer with considerably more than a standard club night.

It is part rave, part drag spectacular, part nostalgia trip and part celebration of the city’s queer and club culture.

Most importantly, it is a reminder that Nice has its own nightlife story to tell.

On September 5, that story gets an XXL stage.

BLITZ XXL — Practical Information

Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026
Venue: Théâtre de Verdure, Nice
Format: Open Air
Time: 5:00 PM–11:30 PM
Tickets

DJs: Francesco Pagano • Chris Bekker • John Dixon

DOLLY Battle: Ben Crafter • Anna Crouse • Jissé • Fred Sky

Honorary Patron: Paloma — Drag Race France, Season 1

Featuring: 11 drag queens from Nice • 6 international performers • Shows • Performances • Special Effects • Set Design • Happenings

Organized by: Association Radio Gaga

BLITZ XXL — September 5, 2026. Nice doesn’t just close out summer. It dances it out.

Is the French Riviera Really Gay-Friendly — Or Are We Simply Being Tolerated?

 

There is a question I am asked surprisingly often: Is the French Riviera actually gay-friendly, or is it simply gay-tolerant because LGBTQ+ visitors are good for tourism?

It is a legitimate question, because for LGBTQ+ travelers, safety is often much more than simply asking whether a destination has gay bars, Pride events or rainbow flags.

We have learned, sometimes the hard way, that there can be an enormous difference between a destination that welcomes gay people because they spend money and a society in which LGBTQ+ people genuinely feel like they belong.

After more than three decades of visiting the Côte d’Azur — and more than a decade of living here — my personal answer is that the French Riviera is, by and large, genuinely welcoming to LGBTQ+ people. That does not mean it is perfect, however, and perhaps that distinction is important.

 

I first started coming to the French Riviera in 1990. Like many gay visitors of that era, I was interested in discovering the nightlife, meeting people and finding out whether I could actually be myself without constantly looking over my shoulder. I travelled here alone most of the time and spent plenty of nights exploring the clubs and bars, and what struck me was how comfortable I felt.

That feeling has stayed with me throughout the years. More than 25 years ago, the Explore Nice Côte d’Azur tourism authorities began developing a more formal LGBTQ+ tourism strategy alongside local gay-owned and gay-friendly establishments, helping establish the city and surrounding region as a welcoming destination for LGBTQ+ visitors.

Today, that approach has evolved considerably, with local tourism initiatives working alongside LGBTQ+ organizations and businesses to promote a destination that is not simply commercially interested in attracting the so-called “pink euro,” but one that has developed an actual LGBTQ+ community and infrastructure.

 

Of course, gay-friendly tourism isn’t automatically the same thing as genuine equality. A destination can be extremely profitable for LGBTQ+ tourism while remaining socially uncomfortable for LGBTQ+ residents.

A hotel can happily welcome two men sharing a room while those same two men might receive strange looks walking down the street. A bar can put a rainbow flag outside during Pride while its management does little if an LGBTQ+ customer is harassed.

A tourism board can advertise itself as a gay-friendly destination because LGBTQ+ travelers represent an attractive and relatively affluent market, while LGBTQ+ residents might still encounter discrimination in employment, housing or their everyday lives. 

 

The real test, therefore, isn’t whether the Riviera can sell itself to gay people; it is whether LGBTQ+ people can simply live here.

 

That is where my personal experience has been overwhelmingly positive. In my professional life on the Riviera, I have never felt that being gay has prevented me from doing business or building relationships. Quite the opposite: I have generally felt accepted, respected and able to be myself.

That has actually been one of the more interesting contrasts with some of my experiences in Canada. I have sometimes felt that Canadian society can place people into very specific expectations of what a gay man is supposed to look like, sound like or behave like, and if you don’t fit the stereotype there can be an assumption that something about you is unusual. Not always but it certainly would happen on more than one occasion.

Here, I have often found the opposite. Being gay doesn’t necessarily need to become your defining characteristic. You are gay, but you are also a businessperson, a neighbour, a friend, a customer, a landlord, a tourist, a waiter, a real-estate agent or simply the guy walking down the street. It is one part of who you are rather than the explanation for everything you do.

 

That is perhaps one of the things I appreciate most about life here.

There is a strange irony in modern LGBTQ+ marketing because, while visibility has been enormously important and has helped countless people find community and understand that they are not alone, sometimes everything now seems to require a label. Gay hotel, gay restaurant, gay beach, gay event, gay neighbourhood, rainbow everything. There is absolutely nothing wrong with LGBTQ+ spaces, and they remain incredibly important, particularly for people who are isolated or searching for community.

But one of the things I personally appreciate about the Côte d’Azur is that homosexuality can often exist without needing to be announced every five minutes. A gay couple having lunch isn’t necessarily an “LGBTQ+ experience”; they are simply having lunch. Two men walking hand-in-hand aren’t necessarily making a political statement; they are simply walking down the street. That ordinariness can be incredibly liberating.

 

That does not mean nobody cares or that prejudice has disappeared. France has strong legal protections for LGBTQ+ people and same-sex marriage has been legal since 2013, but legislation does not magically eliminate prejudice from society. There are still people who don’t approve, there are still families where coming out can be difficult, and there are still people who will make comments, stare, insult or occasionally behave aggressively.

The Côte d’Azur is not some LGBTQ+ utopia floating beneath the Mediterranean sun, and anyone visiting should exercise the same basic common sense they would use anywhere else, particularly late at night, in isolated areas or around groups of people where alcohol and aggression may become factors. What I have found reassuring, however, is that LGBTQ+ organizations and activists in the region are willing to speak publicly when incidents occur rather than pretending they don’t happen.

 

That community infrastructure is one of the strongest indicators to me that Nice has something more substantial than a tourism marketing strategy. The Centre LGBTQIA+ Côte d’Azur provides support, community activities, resources and assistance to people experiencing discrimination, rejection or other difficulties, while also connecting numerous LGBTQ+ associations in the region.

This matters considerably more to me than seeing a rainbow flag hanging outside a hotel. A rainbow flag tells you that a business wants you to feel welcome; an organization that provides support when someone is experiencing discrimination tells you that there is a community prepared to stand behind people when things go wrong.

 

I have also noticed over the years that the local LGBTQ+ business community tends to support itself. Of course there is gossip — this is the Côte d’Azur, after all, and there is gossip everywhere — but there also seems to be an understanding that maintaining a viable LGBTQ+ ecosystem benefits everyone.

If a gay bar disappears, you haven’t simply lost another business; you have potentially lost a place where people meet, socialize and create relationships. If an LGBTQ+-friendly business closes, another visible piece of the community disappears with it.

There is therefore an incentive to support one another, and I have often found that businesses here are inclusive because they genuinely want to be inclusive rather than simply because someone in a marketing department has calculated how much money LGBTQ+ travelers might spend.

 

One of the simplest tests of social acceptance is what happens when LGBTQ+ people are visible in ordinary public spaces. I have friends who will walk through Nice holding hands with their partners, sometimes during the day and sometimes at night, without giving it much thought. They aren’t trying to make a political statement; they are simply walking down the street with the person they love. Occasionally someone may look, and of course that happens. There are older generations who grew up with very different social attitudes, there are religious people, there are conservatives and, inevitably, there are people who simply don’t like homosexuality.

But a look is not necessarily harassment, and that distinction matters. You don’t need everyone to approve of you. You need to be able to live your life without being intimidated.

 

The annual Pink Parade in Nice provides another fascinating window into how the region has changed. The event is highly visible, colorful and energetic, but what I particularly enjoy seeing is the younger generation. They don’t seem particularly interested in asking permission. They show up, dress how they want, bring their friends, celebrate, dance, wave flags and demonstrate a level of confidence that many older LGBTQ+ people simply did not have when they were young. That isn’t because homophobia has disappeared; it clearly hasn’t. It is because younger people are growing up with decades of activism and legal progress behind them. They have inherited a much larger space in which to be themselves, even if they still have battles of their own to fight.

 

There is also an important generational dimension to this. Many LGBTQ+ people from older generations grew up knowing exactly what could happen if they were too visible.

 

Some experienced rejection from their families, discrimination at work, violence, bullying or simply a lifetime of being told that there was something wrong with them.

 

The younger generation has inherited many of the freedoms created by those earlier battles. When I watch young people celebrating openly at Pride in Nice, I sometimes think about how dramatically the world has changed since I first arrived here in 1990. They may not always realize how much courage previous generations needed simply to be visible.

 

Then there is Monaco, which is another story entirely. People often ask me about the difference between Nice and Monaco, and the reality is that although they are geographically close, they can feel like remarkably different worlds.

Monaco has historically placed an enormous value on discretion, privacy and reputation, and those characteristics influence the way LGBTQ+ life is expressed there as well. Monaco has nevertheless made progress in recognizing same-sex couples through its Contrat de Vie Commune, introduced in 2019, which provides legal recognition and certain protections for couples, including same-sex couples. It is important not to confuse this with marriage equality, because Monaco’s legal framework is different from France’s, but it does represent a gradual evolution that to this day continues to develop in the Principality’s approach to same-sex relationships.

 

Personally, I have noticed Monaco becoming more comfortable with LGBTQ+ visibility in recent years. It may be considerably less flamboyant than Nice, but that does not necessarily mean it is less accepting.

Monaco has always had an appreciation for discretion, and discretion is deeply embedded in the culture of the Principality. For some LGBTQ+ people, particularly those who value privacy, that can actually be an advantage. Monaco isn’t necessarily going to shout about everything, but sometimes not shouting is precisely the point.

 

So, is the French Riviera actually gay-friendly? After all these years, I would say yes, but with an important qualification: it is not an LGBTQ+ utopia, and anyone claiming otherwise is probably selling something. Homophobia and transphobia exist here, just as they exist elsewhere, and LGBTQ+ people should not arrive believing that a glamorous Mediterranean destination somehow makes prejudice disappear.

What I do believe, however, is that there is a meaningful difference between a place where LGBTQ+ people are merely tolerated and one where they have become part of the everyday fabric of society.

 

For me, the real measure isn’t how many rainbow flags appear during Pride month. It is whether a gay couple can walk down the street holding hands in October when nobody is watching, whether someone can mention their husband or wife to a colleague without wondering what the reaction will be, whether a gay business owner can operate openly without hiding who they are, and whether LGBTQ+ teenagers can see adults living openly and understand that there is nothing inherently wrong with the life they are imagining for themselves. It is also whether someone arriving alone on the Riviera can go out at night, meet people and feel that they belong.

 

Perhaps most importantly, genuine acceptance eventually means that being LGBTQ+ becomes so ordinary that people stop treating it as something requiring an explanation. That, to me, is the difference between being tolerated and actually belonging. After coming to the Côte d’Azur since 1990 and living here for more than a decade, I don’t feel as though I am being permitted to exist here because I am gay. I feel like I simply exist here, and honestly, that is exactly how it should be.

 

The French Riviera will continue to sell glamour, sunshine, yachts, villas, champagne and beautiful beaches, but when it comes to LGBTQ+ life, its greatest achievement may actually be something much less glamorous: making being gay feel increasingly ordinary.

After everything our community has been through to get here, ordinary can be pretty extraordinary.