Coda · Places · 06
Château de la NapouleEntertainment, curated for an artists' château.
- Château de la Napoule
- Mandelieu-la-Napoule, on the Bay of Cannes
- Remade from 1918 by Henry and Marie Clews; home of La Napoule Art Foundation since 1951
A medieval fortress on the Bay of Cannes, remade from 1918 by the sculptor Henry Clews and his wife Marie, and home to an art foundation since 1951. A château made by and for artists deserves a programme curated like an exhibition.
The programme
Each moment, hung like a work.
At La Napoule we curate the entertainment the way a gallery curates a hang: each moment chosen for its room, its light and its place in the sequence, from the ceremony in Marie Clews's garden to the last song. The château's own AV team provides the sound and light; we choose, brief and schedule the performers.
Music for a garden drawn by an architect's hand.
No. 01 · The formal garden
Ceremony
Down the central alley, to the sea
Marie Clews laid out the formal garden on a single axis, so a ceremony here has a natural procession built in. We choose musicians who carry outdoors without overpowering it, and time each piece to the walk down the alley.
- Programme
- String quartet · Harp · Solo voice with strings
- With the venue
- Cues and amplification agreed with the château's AV team
- Where
- The formal garden, its central alley lined with hedges and basins, the sea beyond.
No. 02 · The sea terraces
Cocktails
Cypress, rosemary and the Bay of Cannes
Music that moves between the hedges.
The sea terraces are a sequence of smaller spaces rather than one stage. We favour musicians who move between them, or a small acoustic set that holds one corner, so the music follows the guests rather than gathering them.
- Programme
- Strolling musicians · Jazz trio · Acoustic duo
- With the venue
- Set-up positions planned with the château
- Where
- The sea terraces, between cypress and rosemary hedges, overlooking the Bay of Cannes.
A performance among the sculptor's creatures.
No. 03 · The Cour d'Honneur
Dinner
Or the Gothic Dining Room
Henry Clews carved the château's capitals and columns with mythical creatures, so dinner already has an audience of sorts. We pace the music to the courses, from a pianist or a singer at the start to a short performance before dessert.
- Programme
- Pianist or singer between courses · A performance before dessert · Live first dance
- With the venue
- Sound for speeches and performers through the château's AV team
- Where
- The Cour d'Honneur, or indoors in the Gothic Dining Room.
No. 04 · After dark
After-party
Where the château agrees
Then the château becomes a party.
For the party we pair a DJ with live musicians, so the dance floor has both a set and a performance. Their technical needs and the dance-floor sound and lighting are agreed with the château's AV team, so the party looks and sounds as it should.
- Programme
- DJ with live saxophone or percussion · Show band · A Club Coda after-party
- With the venue
- Dance-floor sound and lighting with the château's AV team
- Where
- A space agreed with the château for your date.
Working with the château
The château has its own preferred AV supplier. We curate the entertainment.
Sound, lighting and AV at Château de la Napoule are provided by the château's preferred in-house supplier, and we work with them rather than in their place. Our part is the entertainment: choosing and briefing the musicians, DJs and performers, shaping the programme across the day, and agreeing every technical need with the château's AV team.
- 01Entertainment curated, briefed and scheduled by us
- 02Technical needs agreed with the château's preferred AV supplier
- 03Set-up and timings coordinated with the château
- 04One running order shared with your planner
The setting
What the château offers, and how we approach it.
From Château de la Napoule
- Where
- Mandelieu-la-Napoule, on the Bay of Cannes
- History
- Settled by the Romans; a fortress of the Villeneuve family; remade from 1918 by Henry and Marie Clews
- The Clews
- Henry, a sculptor, carved its capitals and columns with mythical creatures; Marie designed its gardens
- Gardens
- Over four acres: a central alley with basins, the La Mancha garden, sea terraces and a secret garden
- Spaces
- Formal and Lovers' gardens, Cour d'Honneur, sea terraces, Gothic Dining Room, Salon Marie, Galerie Spencer
- Capacity
- From 20 guests to more than 400
- Today
- Home of La Napoule Art Foundation, founded by Marie Clews in 1951
As published by La Napoule Art Foundation. Confirm the details for your date with the château.
From us
A programme, not a playlist
Each space at La Napoule has its own character, from the formal garden to the Gothic Dining Room. We choose different performers for each, so the day unfolds like rooms in an exhibition.
With the château's AV team
The château's preferred supplier provides the sound and light. We send every performer's technical needs ahead and agree them with that team, so nothing is left to the day.
Artists for an artists' house
A château built by a sculptor deserves performers chosen with care. We curate for the setting, not from a list.
Coda · Places · 06
Discuss your event at Château de la Napoule.
Coda is independent, not affiliated with Château de la Napoule or La Napoule Art Foundation. AV at the château is provided by its preferred supplier. Venue details are as the foundation publishes them.