La Malmaison

La Malmaison is a Belle Époque villa on the famous Croisette in Cannes, now the city's contemporary art gallery right on the Mediterranean seafront.

What was originally built on this spot?

A modest villa with a tearoom opening onto the seafront promenade first appeared here in 1868. By 1901, the owners at the time, the Dubosc family, had replaced it with a far grander four-storey residence, complete with a reception room, a boudoir, a billiard room, a reading room, and eighteen guest bedrooms. Within a few years the building housed an exclusive golf club founded by Grand Duke Michael of Russia, and by the 1930s the Villa Dubosc had taken on the name it still carries: La Malmaison.

Why does this building matter to film history?

British businessman Sir John Edward Crawford bought the property in 1935. Eleven years later, on 20 September 1946, its rooms hosted the opening of the very first Cannes Film Festival. That single evening cemented the building's place in the city's cultural memory long before it ever became a public institution.

How did the villa turn into an art centre?

The city of Cannes took over the building in 1969, first using it for its culture and communications departments. A year later, the ground floor facing the Croisette opened as an exhibition space, giving birth to the Centre d'Art La Malmaison. Since 2018 the venue has been devoted entirely to contemporary art, and after a two-year renovation it reopened in January 2025 as a considerably larger international art centre — exhibition space nearly tripled, growing from roughly 207 to 600 square metres.

What can visitors see there today?

The centre stages three major temporary exhibitions each year, typically built around artists closely tied to the French Riviera, from Matisse and Picasso to Miró and César. Because the programme relies heavily on loans from museums and private collections, the displays rotate regularly and rarely repeat. The building itself keeps its Belle Époque character intact — tall windows, a symmetrical facade, and the same view that impressed guests a century ago: the Lérins Islands and the Estérel massif in the distance.

Where exactly is La Malmaison located?

The building sits directly on the Croisette promenade, in the heart of Cannes, surrounded by palm trees, hotels, and the seafront that gave the city its postcard image. It's an easy walk from most central hotels, and the Festival Palace is only a few minutes away on foot, so a visit slots naturally into a stroll along the bay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is La Malmaison the same as Napoleon's château near Paris? No. That is an entirely different site — the Château de Malmaison near Rueil-Malmaison, once home to Napoleon and Joséphine. The Cannes La Malmaison is a Belle Époque villa on the Croisette, now a contemporary art venue.

Do I need a separate ticket from other Cannes museums? Yes, La Malmaison is an independent municipal institution with its own entry fee, not bundled with other city museums.

How long does a visit typically take? Even after the expansion, the space is compact enough that most visitors spend between 45 minutes and an hour and a half inside, depending on the current exhibition.

Is it worth visiting outside festival season? Yes — the exhibition programme runs year-round and isn't tied to the Film Festival dates, so it's often a calmer, less crowded visit outside May.