The Magic of the Solstice: the Saint-Jean Festival Lights Up Nice’s Summer

The Saint-Jean Festival Lights Up the Summer in Nice: Fire, Music, and Folk Tradition

On June 24th, the Port of Carras comes to life to celebrate the arrival of summer with the historic Fête de la Saint-Jean, an event steeped in folklore, ancient rituals, and a warm community spirit that draws residents and visitors alike each year.

A Solar Ritual Between Memory and Magic

Originally a pagan celebration of the summer solstice, the festival featured large bonfires lit in honor of the sun and fertility. The flames, symbols of purification and rebirth, became the beating heart of the night, around which people danced to ensure good harvests and, according to legend, to summon love: it was said that girls who danced around nine fires would marry within the year.

Today, the symbolic final bonfire still carries the charm of ancient times. The Saint-Jean fire will be lit at 10:15 p.m., illuminating the bay and closing the evening with a moment of strong collective emotion and symbolic power.

Music, Dances, and Games: The Evening’s Program

The festivities will begin at 7 p.m., hosted by Gilles Roche and Aurélie Basso. Opening the evening, the choir La Branche d’Or Nice Côte d’Azur will warm the atmosphere with their harmonies, while wooden traditional games by Baron Jeux Vol. will entertain children and adults with the charm of old-fashioned play.

At 7:30 p.m., the Fifres et Tambours du Pays Niçois will bring traditional rhythms, followed at 8 p.m. by folk dances performed by the groups Nice La Belle and Lou Caireu Niçart.

The evening’s highlight will be the balèti at 8:30 p.m., a lively folk dance party led by the band Coco Beach Balèti, turning the square into an open-air dance floor under the stars.

A Celebration That Brings the City Together

Organized by the City of Nice, the Fête de la Saint-Jean is more than just a summer event: it is a moment of shared identity, where the community comes together to reconnect with its cultural roots and pass down traditions to younger generations.

A special night where past and present meet through song, dance, and the crackling of a fire that, year after year, rekindles the bond between Nice and its history.