This year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest is coming to us live from beautiful coastal Nice in France! As well as having a fresh batch of songs to enjoy, we all know one of the best things about attending the pint-sized version of Europe’s favourite music competition (or indeed, the adult version!) is the chance to take in the sights of somewhere new and explore more of Europe!

Within hours of arriving, we all agreed that Nice is, well, nice! Very nice! With its seafront promenades, cosy streets lined with fine architecture and relaxed and refined atmosphere, it’s impossible to not be beguiled by Nice! And for those of you looking for a Eurovision connection, you’re in luck! While this might be the first hosting for Nice, this isn’t the first time a Eurovision event has come to the Riviera and a surprising amount has happened in along this part of the Mediterranean coast – just means you need to know where to look and be prepared to venture a little further than the city itself to wander through Eurovision history!

Coming to Nice for JESC and looking for some inspiration? Eurovision Ireland’s resident Day Tripper James Scanlan talks you through some days out along the Côte d’Azur that offer a Eurovision twist! You’ll be surprised just how much there is within easy reach of the city!

CANNES, FRANCE

EUROVISION CONNECTION – Although famous for its film festival, Cannes has also hosted the Eurovision Song Contest twice, both in 1959 and 1961, becoming the first city to host twice. Originally built in 1949, the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès was rebuilt in 1982 to accommodate the expanding Cannes Festival meaning that the actual Eurovision venue itself no longer standing – it was up the street a little from the current Palais des Festivals, right next door to the Hotel Carlton. Be sure too to check out the Walk of Fame-style hand prints near the new Palais, take a stroll around the charming Old Town or just breath in the effortlessly classy and chic atmosphere!

GETTING THERE – Trains from Nice Ville to Cannes run about every 30 minutes throughout the day and take a little under 40 minutes along the stunning Mediterranean coastline. Driving is also an option, allowing for traffic around both cities it should take between 45 minutes to an hour.

FUN FACT – The UK came 2nd in Cannes with “Sing Little Birdie” by Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson. As well as being a suitably chirpy little number, it was the first of the UK’s record 16 second place finishes at the contest – most recently extended in 2022 with Sam Ryder’s “Space Man”!

MONACO, MONACO

EUROVISION CONNECTION – Despite not having been on stage at Eurovision since 2006, Monaco remains the smallest country to have ever competed at the contest being less than 1/30th the size of San Marino! The principality is also the only country in Eurovision history to have won the contest, but never hosted it themselves. While this means there aren’t any Eurovision-related sights in the country itself, Monaco still manages to pack a lot into a small space – the casino, the palace, the Grand Prix circuit, a gorgeous old town… and of course, plenty of shopping opportunities! Who knows, you might even find yourself a bench, a tree and a street to enjoy!

GETTING THERE – While Monaco does have its own heliport, meaning you can take a helicopter directly from Nice airport, the price tag is likely to make your eyes water… it’s 700 euros one way!! For more cost-conscious visitors, trains from Nice Ville into Monaco-Monte-Carlo station take a little over 20 minutes and run roughly every half an hour. Given Monaco’s small size and the fact its only neighbour is France, they are no border formalities as such, but you’ll need your passport to enter the casino as locals aren’t allowed in!

FUN FACT – None of Monaco’s 24 Eurovision acts were from the principality. Their only winner, French singer Séverine made a bit of a faux pas to press stating she’d never even set foot in the country… apparently quite forgetting that the music video was filmed there! And here’s your proof! It’s a little blurry, but it’s definitely her and definitely the Monte Carlo Casino!

SANREMO, ITALY

EUROVISION CONNECTION – In 1951, Italy held the first edition of the Festival di Sanremo at the Italian Riviera town’s casino. In the decades that followed, this celebration of Italian song become a cultural phenomena in Italy and not only often doubles as the Italian selection for Eurovision, but its format was the inspiration for the Eurovision Song Contest! Festival di Sanremo moved to the Teatro Ariston in 1977 and is a must for all fans of the contest to visit – for a small, functional theatre, the amount of Eurovision greats that have performed here is off the scale! And best of all, the theatre offers backstage tours throughout the week!

GETTING THERE – Although it’s about 2 hours by public transport to Sanremo, the journey is quite straightforward. Take the train along the coast from Nice Ville, through Monaco to Ventimiglia, just over the Italian border where you’ll need to swap over to an Italian train to continue the rest of the way to Sanremo. Driving shaves off a significant amount of time, taking about 70 minutes and gives you some stunning views of 3 countries – not many journeys can boast that!!

FUN FACT – During your tour of the Teatro Ariston, you’ll get to take your seat in the venue and be treated to a montage of all of Sanremo’s winners since 1951. While not all of them went to Eurovision (sometimes the singer went with a different song, sometimes the song went but the singer didn’t – sometimes neither!), it’s still a wonderful retrospect of Italian music and all the more special for thinking *THIS* is where they performed… but particularly this one, the Eurovision winner we didn’t get but knew we would have <3

Author: James Scanlan
Source: Eurovision Ireland