How to mix with the celebrities at the Cannes Film Festival

You don’t need star status to enjoy the golden coastline and azure seas of this French Riviera resort, but with Bollywood and Hollywood celebs set to hit the red carpet when the 66th film festival opens on May 15, there’s never been a better time to visit Cannes. This year’s festival celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema, and not only are superstarlets Sonam Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan rumoured to be attending, but Bollywood’s hottest property right now, Vidya Balan, will be sitting on the film festival jury.

They’ll join the legions of Hollywood movie icons, from Brad Pitt to Brigitte Bardot, who flock yearly to this exclusive invitation-only event, which is set on the Croisette seafront promenade and harbour, packed with luxurious yachts and incredible shopping. Founded in 1946, France’s most prestigious film event previews movies from all genres from all over the world, but these days the festival attracts the global glitterati who come as much for the after parties as for the film premieres.

You might not be able to gatecrash one of those exclusive yacht parties, but if you know where to go, there are still plenty of ways to see the stars in Cannes. So why not follow our insider guide to off-the-beaten-track hot spots and find out where celebrities like Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie escape the madding crowds during this world-famous film festival?

Hippest celebrity nightspots

If you can get past the muscled doorman, you’re guaranteed to mingle with Hollywood stars and film mogul millionaires at one of the most famous clubs in Cannes, Le Bâoli, but if you want a hipper version of the celebrity party scene then head for La Villa des inRocks. Held in an opulent 19th-century villa, built for the Rothschild family, this must-not-miss rendezvous spot for Cannes’ coolest cats is an art haven where you can rub shoulders with the stars as they listen to the latest hip bands and new DJs while wandering in the beautifully landscaped gardens or people-watch from the stage-view roof terrace.

Hottest star swim spots

Celebrated Nikki Beach and Z Plage near the Martinez hotel are two seaside venues where you’re guaranteed to spot stars simpering in the sand in their stylish briefs or bikinis. If you want to hit the inside track and discover where they go to escape the beachside hustle and bustle, charter a yacht with El Marine (www.elmarine.com/yacht-charter.html) and follow them to Saint-Honorat – the largest of the Lérins Islands. Popular with tourists during the day, when night falls the island is deserted, apart from the monks of Lérins Abbey. But when night falls over Cannes, stars in the know sail out to Lérins Bay to bathe by moonlight.

Tres chic places for glitterati spotting

The stylish restaurants at the Art Deco Intercontinental Carlton is the seaside city’s number one address if you want to watch the stars swan past. But if you’re seeking a less flashy and far less crowded spot to watch the sparkle, head for 3.14 The Beach – a restaurant and private beach. Here chef Mario D’Oro has served up his laid-back, market-fresh menu to stars ranging from Cameron Diaz to Johnny Depp.
For more sophisticated dining head for French actress Catherine Deneuve’s favourite spot, Le Moulin de Mougins, a charming restaurant housed in a renovated 16th-century watermill, where you’ll enjoy courgette flowers in black truffle sauce, Charolais beef filet and other delicious dishes offering a contemporary spin on traditional French cuisine.

Coolest pool hangouts

During festival week, the Palm Beach Casino Cannes outdoor deck becomes a super-luxe poolside beach club where stars and their satellites head to strut their bikini-clad stuff. However, if you’re keen to find a lesser-known spot to splash around surrounded by a cast of celebrities, make a beeline for the top floor of quirky boutique hotel 3.14 (home of 3.14 The Beach). Low lighting and plush velvet decor make this one of the best places in town for watching star-spangled crowds. When the sun goes down this hip hotel draws a gaggle of A-listers that in recent years has included Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney.

Crème de la crème of sleep spots

You’ll need to book months ahead if you want a room at the sempiternally chic Intercontinental Carlton Cannes. Built in 1912, it’s known to attract the most haute members of Europe’s high society. Just down the road in Antibes the legendary Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, where the gang from Ocean’s Thirteen stayed during last year’s festival, is another celebrity-packed hostelry where you might have difficulty finding a room during the globe’s most glittering film event. And if you’re stuck for sleep spots you might have more luck further afield at former farmhouse Le Mas Candille
in the ancient village of Mougins.

Best star-studded gastronomy

Fine food and famous people inevitably go together and the top spot for seafood during the festival is Tetou, just down the road in Vallauris. Owned by the same family since the 1920s, celebrities including Mick Jagger and Brangelina flock here to order the seafood soup bouillabaisse, so don’t be surprised if it’s staked out by the festival paparazzi and every new entry is greeted with the blinding pop of flashbulbs.

More reclusive stars make a beeline for Trattoria Da Laura. Set in a beautifully renovated oyster vendor’s parlour, stars like Naomi Campbell and Kirsten Dunst have been spotted dining on specialities like risotto aux truffles d’Alba and raviolis au foie gras in this authentic little trattoria.