Palais des Festivals et des Congrès

Cannes


Posing for a selfie on the 22 steps leading up to the main entrance of this concrete bunker – unlikely host to the world’s most glamorous film festival – at the western end of La Croisette is an essential Cannes experience. Afterwards, wander along the Allée des Étoiles du Cinéma, a footpath of 46 celebrity hand imprints in the pavement; it begins with the hands of Meryl Streep in front of the tourist office.

The only way to enter the festival building and walk into the auditorium, tread the stage and learn about cinema’s most glamorous event is with a Palais des Festivals guided tour organised by the Cannes tourist office. Check dates and get booking instructions on the tourist office website.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cannes attractions

1. Vieux Port

0.16 MILES

The celebrity yachts that line the port are here to remind you of Cannes' celebrity status, lest you forget it.

2. Hôtel de Ville

0.26 MILES

Dating to 1876, Cannes' imposing four-storey town hall is one of the city's most prominent landmarks. Look for it along the waterfront between the Palais…

3. La Croisette

0.3 MILES

The multi-starred hotels and couture shops lining the iconic bd de la Croisette (aka La Croisette) may be the preserve of the rich and famous, but anyone…

4. La Malmaison

0.35 MILES

On La Croisette, La Malmaison is a seaside pavilion in the former games and tea room of Cannes' grandest hotel of the 1860s, the Grand Hôtel (opened in…

5. Le Suquet

0.36 MILES

Follow rue St-Antoine and snake your way up through the narrow streets of Le Suquet, Cannes' oldest district. Up top you'll find the site of Cannes'…

7. Plage du Midi

0.53 MILES

This urban beach just west of Vieux Port enjoys gorgeous sunset views across to the red rock formations of the Corniche de l'Esterel.

8. Plage de la Bocca

0.65 MILES

Cannes' westernmost beach is this narrow strip of sand about 5km outside the city centre.