C’est pas Classique 2026 in Nice: Classical Music Meets Salsa, Hip-Hop and Jazz

Classical music is breaking free from convention in Nice, where the 21st edition of C’est pas Classique will take place from 7 to 22 November 2026. Organised by the Alpes-Maritimes Department, the festival features more than 25 free concerts across 14 towns, bringing together international performers, orchestras, ensembles and dance companies to explore the connections between different musical genres.

Salsa, hip-hop, baroque music, jazz and French chanson take centre stage in a programme designed to reach a broad audience and challenge traditional boundaries between classical repertoire and contemporary sounds.

Nice will host some of the festival’s main events at three of the city’s cultural venues: the Palais Nikaïa, the Opéra de Nice and the Palais de la Méditerranée.

Yuri Buenaventura Opens the Festival with the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra

The festival opens on Saturday, 7 November, at 8.30 pm at the Palais Nikaïa, with a performance by Colombian singer Yuri Buenaventura, one of the best-known international figures in salsa music.

He will be accompanied by the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Victor Jacob, in a concert that reimagines some of his most celebrated songs through symphonic arrangements. The encounter between orchestral music and Latin rhythms promises to highlight both the richness of the arrangements and the distinctive energy of salsa.

The programme will also include “Ne me quitte pas”, Jacques Brel’s celebrated song, which Buenaventura has interpreted in a version that helped introduce his musical sensibility to international audiences.

The opening concert captures the spirit of the festival: bringing different traditions into dialogue and demonstrating how music can cross genres and cultures without losing its identity.

“Locura”: Baroque Music Meets Hip-Hop at the Opéra de Nice

On Wednesday, 18 November, at 8.30 pm, the Opéra de Nice will host “Locura”, a production combining baroque music with hip-hop dance to create a dialogue between historical repertoire and contemporary choreography.

The project brings together the Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu ensemble and the Käfig dance company, known for its choreographic exploration of urban dance and its interaction with other artistic forms. Musical direction is by Franck-Emmanuel Comte, while the choreography is by Mourad Merzouki.

In “Locura”, live music and movement become instruments of exchange between different eras. The result goes beyond the traditional concert format, creating a stage experience in which rhythm, gesture and musical composition interact.

The performance embodies one of C’est pas Classique’s central ambitions: attracting diverse audiences through artistic projects that challenge established categories.

Joachim Horsley and Charlie Siem Present “Superfusion”

The programme continues on Saturday, 21 November, at 8.30 pm, again at the Opéra de Nice, with “Superfusion”, a project conceived by American pianist and composer Joachim Horsley.

The performance explores the connections between classical repertoire and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, reinterpreting traditional melodies and structures through rhythmic influences from other cultures.

Horsley will be joined by violinist Charlie Siem in a quartet formation designed to highlight the dialogue between piano, violin and contemporary sounds.

“Superfusion” continues the festival’s exploration of musical crossover, showing how the classical tradition can provide a starting point for fresh interpretations and experimentation.

Élodie Frégé Closes the Programme with “Oiseau de nuit”

One of the final events announced in Nice will take place on Sunday, 22 November, at 6 pm at the Palais de la Méditerranée. Élodie Frégé will perform “Oiseau de nuit”, a show exploring jazz, cinema, cabaret and the French chanson tradition.

Inspired by Hollywood’s golden age and the great Broadway musicals, the performance evokes a retro atmosphere through a repertoire combining vocal elegance, cinematic influences and theatrical flair.

With this concert, C’est pas Classique broadens its musical horizons even further, embracing a form of performance in which music, visual imagery and interpretation combine to create a distinctive experience.

C’est pas Classique 2026: Dates, Venues and Reservations

The 21st edition of the festival runs from 7 to 22 November 2026, featuring more than 25 free concerts across 14 towns in the Alpes-Maritimes department. In Nice, the main venues will be the Palais Nikaïa, the Opéra de Nice and the Palais de la Méditerranée.

Online reservations for the performances requiring advance booking open on Monday, 19 October, at 12.30 pm. Admission is free, but reservations are compulsory for the events specified by the organisers, and capacity is limited. Each person may reserve up to two tickets per concert.

Reservations for performances aimed at children will open on Monday, 2 November, at 12.30 pm. A maximum of four places may be reserved, and children must be accompanied by an adult.

The complete programme, practical information and booking arrangements are available through the festival’s official channels and the Alpes-Maritimes Department’s website.

A Festival Redefining the Relationship Between Classical Music and Its Audience

With C’est pas Classique, Nice reinforces its commitment to cultural initiatives that engage diverse audiences and offer fresh perspectives on musical heritage.

From Yuri Buenaventura’s orchestral salsa to the fusion of baroque music and hip-hop in “Locura”, the experimentation of “Superfusion” and Élodie Frégé’s cinematic musical world, the festival offers a journey through different artistic languages and sensibilities.

Free admission and events spread across several towns in the Alpes-Maritimes help make the programme accessible to a wider public. The aim is to introduce new listeners to live music and demonstrate how the classical tradition can engage with contemporary artistic expression.

For two weeks, the festival will turn music into a meeting place for generations, cultures and creative disciplines, celebrating experimentation and shared experiences.