The illustrious equestrian event will take three stops in France’s sun-drenched south in quick succession, giving enthusiasts three chances to enjoy the show, in Cannes, Ramatuelle and Monaco.
There is a particular alchemy to the French Riviera in early summer. The light turns golden, the yachts drift into harbour, and the terraces fill with the scent of warm sea air. It is precisely here — along the most glamorous stretch of European coastline — the Longines Global Champions Tour has chosen to make its most enduring statement, returning in 2026 with three back-to-back legs across eight unforgettable days.
Founded in 2006 by Dutch entrepreneur and Olympic Team Gold medallist Jan Tops, the tour is celebrating its twentieth anniversary season. From a six-event debut, it has grown into a 17-leg global spectacular spanning three continents and 15 countries — the Formula One of show jumping, in which the world’s finest riders and horses compete across some of the planet’s most breathtaking locations. Running alongside it is the Global Champions League, a team format in which riders of different nationalities unite under vivid team identities, adding collective strategy to individual brilliance.
Cannes: Glamour in the Arena
The Riviera run begins in Cannes, from 4 to 6 June, at the Stade des Héspérides — a venue with more than four decades of equestrian history. Sixth leg of the 2026 season, the Jumping International de Cannes arrives just days after the city has lowered the curtain on its celebrated film festival, and the sense of spectacle in no way diminishes. Competition builds across three evenings of CSI5* show jumping towards the headline Grand Prix on Saturday night, with courses set at 1.60 metres to test horse and rider to their absolute limit. Access to the 2* classes and much of the village is free, while the evening sessions, held under lights with a DJ and dancing, carry the energy of a major summer event.
Ramatuelle: Where Pampelonne Meets the Paddock
Five days later, from 11 to 13 June, the circuit relocates to one of the most improbable and magnificent arenas in world sport. The competition arena is constructed directly on Pampelonne beach near Saint-Tropez — the legendary stretch of sand made famous by Brigitte Bardot — with the Mediterranean as its permanent horizon. Ben Maher, Scott Brash, Jessica Springsteen and Julien Épaillard all feature on the roll of honour here, and the 2026 field will arrive with equal ambition. Whether one comes for the jumping or simply for the extraordinary setting, it is an experience impossible to replicate elsewhere.
Monaco: A Grand Prix Fit for the Principality
The trilogy reaches its magnificent conclusion at Port Hercule, Monaco, from 2 to 4 July. For more than three decades, the Principality has welcomed the global elite of show jumping to this storied harbour venue — the Rock above, the superyachts alongside — lending the competition an atmosphere closer to a grand occasion of state than a mere athletic contest. Thursday brings the GCL team competition, Friday the beloved Longines Pro Am Cup — organised in aid of AMADE, the association founded by Princess Grace of Monaco — before Saturday’s Grand Prix brings the Riviera sequence to a close. In 2025 it was France’s Simon Delestre who triumphed on the Rocher. The 2026 field will be no less distinguished.
The question for the discerning visitor is not whether to attend, but which to choose. The answer, for anyone with the flexibility to do so, is all three: Cannes for the glamour and the history, Ramatuelle for the sheer improbable beauty of the setting, and Monaco for the theatre and the principality’s particular brand of magnificence. If you have an amazement for horses and world class riders, this is the event to attend.
Essential Information
Cannes 4–6 June 2026, Stade des Héspérides. Free access to 2* classes; ticketed tribunes for 5* competition. Nice Côte d’Azur airport, 30 minutes.
Ramatuelle 11–13 June 2026, Plage de Pampelonne. Village access free; ticketed competition arena. Via A8 motorway, exit 36 Saint-Tropez.
Monaco 2–4 July 2026, Port Hercule. Free access during CSI2* classes; ticketed CSI5* sessions. Nice airport, 22km.
Book at gcglobalchampions.com
