Why Nice?
Because here, the sea is more than just a distant horizon. It tells stories, inspires artists, and shapes the very air we breathe. This port city, at the crossroads of paths and cultures, plays a unique role: a bridge between territories, knowledge, and generations. Nice doesn’t just look at the sea, it lives it, feels it. The United Nations Ocean Conference isn’t about imposing decisions, but about creating a space for exchange between scientists, institutions, NGOs, businesses, and citizens. It’s a place to build connections around a shared global resource. And that’s exactly what Nice has managed to do in its own way: welcome and bring people together around this cause.
A Blue Metamorphosis
For a few days, the ocean was everywhere, in the streets, schools, theaters, and museums. The entire city embraced the idea of a collective immersion. Building façades displayed artworks inspired by the deep sea, public squares hosted performances and interactive installations, and parks became spaces for debate and scientific discovery. The ocean was brought to life for children through games and workshops in their schools. Young people took part in mock international negotiations and created collaborative artworks. Open-air screenings offered families the chance to travel the seas from the pebbles of the Promenade. During those few days, moving through Nice felt different. The city seemed to pulse with a new energy, one of water, motion, and the stories it carries. It was no longer just a city by the sea, but a city living for it.
A Commitment That Spans the Seasons
This June week was not just an isolated highlight. It is part of a broader movement driven by the city over several months, as part of the year of the sea launched in early 2025. As early as February, the Nice Carnival, themed “King of the Sea” set the tone with its spectacular floats shaped like marine creatures and its aquatic marching bands. The message was already clear: this year, Nice chose to turn towards the ocean in all its forms. The city’s museums followed suit, such as the MAMAC with exhibitions blending art and marine biodiversity, or the Louis Nucéra Library, which offered children’s readings about the world’s oceans. In schools, educational projects brought to life coral reef models, imaginary logbook writing workshops, and meetings with local divers and researchers. The Jardin Albert I hosted live performances centered on Mediterranean wildlife, while the port’s quays featured interactive booths about sailing, species preservation, and the water cycle. Through this extended program, Nice is making the ocean not a temporary theme, but a long-term focus, a common thread linking culture, education, and civic commitment.
The Aerial Ballet
On the evening of the official opening, a silent, luminous ballet took over the skies of Nice. More than 2,000 illuminated drones synchronized to tell the story of the ocean, first sketching out a giant pointu (a traditional Mediterranean fishing boat), then a dolphin emerging in the night, followed by a Niçois eagle, the word “Nice”, and even a cyclist, a subtle tribute to the Tour de France. This precisely choreographed spectacle took eight months of preparation, including rehearsals in Bordeaux and several days of secretive testing in Nice. Every battery, every flight path was meticulously calibrated to ensure a perfectly timed display. Spectators gathered along the Promenade and the port experienced a suspended moment in time: a silent firework show made of dancing lights, echoed only by the distant sound of the waves. This performance became the largest drone show ever organized by a city in Europe.
A Shared Emotion
For a moment, Nice became a meeting point for all those who live by, think about, or dream of the ocean. What remains after the delegations have left is the shared atmosphere. The echo of a symphonic choir dedicated to the ocean inside the Opera House. The awe of a sky lit by dancing drones. The wonder in a child’s eyes discovering a coral reef model. Here, the sea was not treated as a problem, but as a source of beauty, connection, and creativity. It is this emotion that roots the memories, that sparks future commitments. And perhaps that is the greatest success of this edition: bringing the ocean to life in people’s hearts.
