Cannes: Hermès to open a new location at former Le Festival site

By

Jean-Paul Leroy

Published
Nov 21, 2014

There is no doubt that Cannes locals and regular visitors will miss it, especially those visiting at the time of the film festival. It was at the end of February that Le Festival restaurant closed its curtains on the Croisette. Opened in 1952 on the initiative of Jean Mineur, the pioneer of publicity in movie theatres, the next chapter for this famed location revolves around a Hermès store. The luxury brand has already set up a barrier with its colours around the site. It was a direct transaction.

If it hadn't been Hermès though, some other brand would have undoubtedly snatched up the location. The restaurant had been having financial problems for a long time.
 
In Cannes, questions are now floating around the future of the two existing Hermès stores on the Croisette, closer to the Palais des Festivals, notably at the entrance to the Gray d’Albion shopping centre. The centre itself is actually currently under renovation, with architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte at the helm. Work on the southern section, on the Croisette side, should start in the spring, according to newspaper Nice-Matin. It's true that this shopping centre was in need of an uplift with, to boot, a number of empty units.
 
That being said, according to our information, Hermès is not planning on abandoning the two spaces and might even hold onto one to set up one of the group's other brands.
 
As for the former Le Festival restaurant, there is obviously a lot of work to be done. It is not likely that the new Hermès store will open before next summer, especially given the site's more than 5,000 square feet of space. And according to a rumour floating around, the future Hermès store may have its own café. This would be a first for the luxury brand.