Cannes inaugurates a Brigitte Bardot beach during the Festival

A few months after Brigitte Bardot's death, the city of Cannes chose to pay tribute to her by renaming Macé beach after her. This inauguration, organized during the Cannes Film Festival, highlights both the former actress's career and her long-standing commitment to animal rights.

A symbolic tribute on the Croisette

Located in the immediate vicinity of the Palais des Festivals, between several private establishments on the seafront, this public beach has now become the “Brigitte Bardot” beach. The inauguration ceremony took place on Monday morning in the presence of Mayor David Lisnard, Festival President Iris Knobloch, General Delegate Thierry Frémaux, and Bernard d'Ormale, widower of the former film star.

During his speech, David Lisnard praised a figure who, in his words, “embodied freedom,” referring to both her career and her personal independence. The mayor recalled that the actress had been discovered at a very young age on the Croisette, where she left a lasting mark on the Festival's history. The municipality also wanted to acknowledge her advocacy for animals by now allowing dogs on the beach at certain times of the year, outside the summer season.

A figure in cinema as well as a committed personality

Brigitte Bardot, who died in December 2025 at the age of 91, remains associated with several decades of French cinema, as well as her highly publicized stances. After retiring from the big screen in the 1970s, she devoted most of her public life to animal protection through her foundation.