Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cannes music kiosk was designed by architect Louis Hourlier and built in 1880 on the Aisles de la Liberté, between the rue Félix-Faure and the promenade de la Pantiero. It replaced several ephemeral kiosks that had been installed since the 1870s, including square Brougham and Croisette. Its inauguration, on 14 July 1880, marked the culmination of a municipal project aimed at providing a central venue for concerts by local musical societies, which were very active at the time.

The kiosk's architecture combines a cast iron structure, manufactured by Blaison and Mathieu de Charleville, and a stone-cut podium. Its conical roof, supported by externally inclined pillars, was designed to optimize natural acoustics, essential before the invention of electrical amplification. The cast iron cover, originally planned for 1880, was installed late, forcing the use of a temporary canvas during the inauguration.

As soon as it was built, the kiosk became a major cultural place in Cannes. It regularly hosts concerts by cannois musical societies, such as the Philharmonic, the Studentina or the Municipal Music, whose programmes are published in the local press. In 1925, he served as a stage for an international music competition involving 80 companies and 2,000 performers. Today, there remains a symbol of the Cannoese seaside heritage, used at events such as the Music Festival or the Christmas market.

The kiosk has been listed as a historical monument since April 3, 1990, recognizing its architectural and cultural importance. It is part of a heritage complex including the City Hall, the monument to the dead of 1914-1918, and the monument to Lord Brougham, founder of the fame of Cannes. Its protection is part of a broader study of the town's seaside heritage, carried out in 1983 by the general inventory of cultural heritage.

Louis Hourlier, municipal architect and adviser, plays a key role in his design. His initial project even included a kiosk on Sainte-Marguerite Island, abandoned against the local opposition. The current booth, less eccentric than its predecessors, met a growing need for places dedicated to musical animations, reflecting the cultural boom of Cannes in the late 19th century.

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