Jam session in Nice
A jam session is never quite a concert. A stage opens up, musicians answer one another, the audience is close by, and a song sometimes changes direction halfway through. This guide gathers the jam calendar for Nice, with links to the venues and organizers, to check before you head out.
On certain nights, the U.NICE.ON collective turns the vaulted cellar at Les Folies d'Edmonde into a jazz, soul, funk and contemporary music club. The next confirmed date is on our Events page and on the collective's Instagram.
The stage is open to all levels, professional, amateur or self-taught. People come to jam, try out an improvisation, meet other instrumentalists and feel the room respond. Basic equipment is provided: cajon, guitars, basses, amps and vocal mics. For any other instrument (saxophone, trombone, harmonica…), bring your own.
Beneath the vault, the acoustics bring everyone closer: the audience watches the songs take shape a few steps away. Reinvented covers, solos passing from one instrument to another, original compositions, and the bar close at hand.
In the cellar, the jam is a Riviera Jam Session run by the U.NICE.ON collective: covers in every style, original songs and improvisation. First time on stage or years of experience, there's a place for you; to listen, no sign-up needed.
The evening runs in three parts, with ten places at most in each.
Signing up in advance is required to go on stage. Send a private message to U.NICE.ON on Instagram or Facebook, stating:
the date of the jam session you want;
the artist or band, and the title of the song you want to sing or play;
your key, if you know it: the original one, higher or lower.
Come early: the evening draws a crowd.
For less experienced artists, taking their first steps on stage or still learning.
For artists with a good level whose art is not their main occupation.
For very experienced artists, performing-arts workers (intermittents du spectacle) and other professionals from the arts.
In Nice, you can find an open stage from Monday to Sunday. The days below are there as guides, but programs change: always check the venue's or organizer's link before heading out.
These venues announce musical evenings or jams more occasionally, so it is best to check the link before heading over.
Not necessarily jams, but places to hear jazz, rock or intimate concerts, and to follow the local program. Several links lead to calendars or official pages.
On jam nights, the whole menu is served: house creations, great classics, mocktails and alcohol-free versions. Among our creations is the André (Chestnut whisky, Bourbon, Fresh orange juice, Angostura, Lemon, Magic velvet). No kitchen on site, but the neighboring restaurants OKA Nice, Fish Bar 2.0 and Etna Rosso deliver to the cellar every day.
For the jam at Les Folies d'Edmonde, in Nice Old Town, U.NICE.ON provides the basic equipment: cajon, guitars, basses, amps and vocal mics. If you play another instrument (saxophone, trombone, harmonica, violin…), bring your own.
No. Entry to the jam sessions in this guide is free. The venues live on what people order: it's customary to order something to support those who keep live music alive in Nice.
Yes, to sing or play: signing up in advance is required. Send a private message to U.NICE.ON on Instagram or Facebook with the date of the jam, the artist or band and the song title, and your key if you know it. The evening runs in three parts (discoveries, intermediate, experienced), ten places each. To listen, no sign-up; come early, the evening draws a crowd.
Yes. We have no kitchen, but the neighboring restaurants OKA Nice, Fish Bar 2.0 and Etna Rosso deliver to the cellar every day: you order, eat on site and pay the restaurant for the meal. On a private hire, you can also bring your own food at no charge.
The jam at Les Folies d'Edmonde, in Nice Old Town, is open to jazz, funk, soul, blues and contemporary music. U.NICE.ON sessions encourage moving from one genre to another, and each evening takes on the character of the musicians who show up.
The program is refreshed every two weeks. Karaoke, live music, jam sessions, drag and other themed nights return regularly to the cellar, with a DJ set about once a month. Each event lists its exact date and time.
Les Folies d'Edmonde brings several kinds of music together beneath the vault of the same 17th-century cellar, at 16 rue Benoît Bunico in Nice Old Town. People come for karaoke led by a host, a U.NICE.ON jam session, an occasional concert, a music trivia night or a DJ set; the stage, the bar and the audience are only a few steps apart.
For 1–20 guests, book a table for drinks, a birthday, or a night out in Nice Old Town.
Hen or stag party in Nice: reserved table for up to 20 in a 17th-century cellar, karaoke, house creations; up to 50 on private hire.
Celebrate your 30th, 40th or 50th in a vaulted cellar in Old Nice: a table for up to 20 or the private cellar up to 50, karaoke some nights, cake welcome.
Team building in Nice, 17th-century cellar: cocktail workshop, music quiz, karaoke, drag show on quote. Private hire on a minimum spend, VAT invoice.
Team afterwork in Nice, 17th-century cellar: reserved table for up to 20, or private hire on a minimum spend. House creations, live music.
Private-hire Les Folies in Old Nice: vaulted cellar or the whole venue, on a minimum spend, up to 50 guests. We reply within 24 hours.
Venue for workshops, talks, theater, acoustic concerts, exhibitions and ticketed events in Nice. Comfortable seated cellar capacity up to 35 guests.
Cocktail class at 3:45 or 5 pm in a vaulted cellar, Old Nice: mix 2 cocktails, then a house creation. €50 each, 3 to 10, daily, confirmed on payment.
Alone in Nice tonight? Come from 6 pm to play cards with locals at Les Folies d'Edmonde, then stay for the night's program. Vaulted cellar, no cover.
Valentine's Day in Nice, in a 17th-century cellar: a table for two beneath the vault, low light and quiet music. Free bookings open in January.
Halloween in Nice Old Town: drag, horror cabaret and themed DJ sets every year around 31 October, in a 17th-century cellar. Dates and booking online.
New Year's Eve in Nice in a 17th-century cellar: DJ, midnight countdown and house creations. Table for up to 20, or private hire.
Nice Old Town after 6 pm: the alleys, the local bars, where to eat, then a cocktail bar with karaoke and live music until 12:30 am. Not a nightclub.
Cocktails on the French Riviera: a 17th-century cellar in Nice Old Town, 20 min from Monaco and Cannes. House creations, karaoke, live music, open nightly.
Five bars in Nice, from the Old Town to the Port, by what you're after: cocktails, wine, beer, live music or a lively night. A guide by a local bar.
Music trivia in Nice in an Old Town cellar: name the song or artist a DJ plays. Three rounds, prizes to win, weekly: the date is on the events page.
Stand-up Nights at Les Folies d'Edmonde: a comedy night once a month in a Nice Old Town cellar, five to six local comedians, in French. Tickets online.
Rainy day in Nice? Find indoor activities, an Old Town itinerary, then cocktails, mocktails and events in a vaulted cellar from 6pm.
Karaoke on stage in a 17th-century cellar, Nice Old Town. Several nights a week from 8:30 pm, with a host, no fixed night. Dates and booking online.
Drag show in Nice at Les Folies d'Edmonde: two nights a month with drag bingo, singing, lip-sync, real dance shows and an LGBT-friendly cellar.
Cocktail bar in Nice Old Town: vaulted cellar, house creations, classics, French and Riviera spirits, themed nights and private hire.
Hire a 17th-century cellar for your intimate wedding in Nice: up to 50 guests, minimum spend, no room fee, late closing available. Reply within 24 hours.
Dirty Martini in Old Town Nice, France: gin or French vodka, olive brine, 3 Lucques olives, extra dirty on request. €14–19. Open daily, 6pm–12:30am.
One hour behind the bar with Marco Stella, formerly of the Mandarin Bar in London: make 2 of his creations. €120 per person, 2 to 10 guests.
16 rue Benoît Bunico, 06300 Nice, France
Every day: 6:00 pm – 12:30 am
Cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro), contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay, cash