The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès (''Palace of Festivals and Conferences'') is a

convention centre A convention center (American and British English spelling differences, American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a Convention (meeting), convention, where individuals and groups ...

Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...

, France. It is the primary venue for the annual

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, MIPIM, and the NRJ Music Awards. The second building was unveiled in 1982.

History

The first ''Palais des Festivals et des Congrès'' was built in 1949 to host the Cannes Film Festival. The original building was located on the boulevard of Promenade de la Croisette, on the present site of the JW Marriott Cannes. That building previously hosted the 4th and 6th

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

s in 1959 and 1961, respectively. In response to the growing success of the Film Festival and the advent of the first business conventions (such as the MIPTV Media Market in 1965), the City of Cannes decided to build a new Palais in 1979. The new building, a six-story structure designed in the modernist style by the architects Sir Hubert Bennett and François Druet,, Emporis was constructed on the site of the municipal casino. It opened in December 1982, and was expanded in 1999 with the construction of the ''Espace Riviera'', a new space of 10,000 square metres. In January 1992, the Society of Mixed Economy for the Events of the City of Cannes (SEMEC) was created to oversee the Palais. SEMEC was formed from the merger of three non-profit organizations: Cannes Tourism, the OMACC and the association ''Cannes Palais des Festivals et des Congrès''.

Status

The ''Palais des Festivals'' is located at the top of Blvd. de la Croisette, east of the port. The venue has an overall area of 35,000 square metres, primarily for exhibitions, as well as numerous rooms plus 18 auditoriums (the largest of which has a capacity of 2,300). It is the venue for the annual Cannes Film Festival (''Festival de Cannes''), and possesses "modern and high-tech facilities" for housing conferences throughout the year.

References

Media

Institut National de l'Audiovisuel: Construction of the Palais des festivals (1947)
(commentary in French)

External links

* * Buildings and structures in Cannes Convention centers in France Cannes Film Festival Theatres completed in 1949 Tourist attractions in Alpes-Maritimes Theatres completed in 1982 1949 establishments in France 1982 establishments in France {{Europe-film-festival-stub