Brigitte Bardot’s funeral will be held next week in French Riviera resort of Saint-Tropez

Saint-Tropez to Host Funeral for French Icon Brigitte Bardot

The funeral for Brigitte Bardot, the legendary French actress and animal rights activist who helped transform Saint-Tropez from a modest fishing village into a glamorous destination, will be held in the French Riviera resort on January 7, local authorities announced Monday.

Bardot, who died Sunday at the age of 91 in her beloved Mediterranean home, had been a resident of Saint-Tropez for more than half a century, having settled there permanently after retiring from the film industry in 1973 at age 39.

The ceremony will take place at the Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption Catholic Church, with the proceedings broadcast on large screens set up at the port and on the Place des Lices central square to accommodate the thousands of mourners expected to pay their respects. Following the church service, Bardot will be laid to rest “in the strictest privacy” at the town’s marine cemetery, which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and already serves as the final resting place for her parents and her first husband, filmmaker Roger Vadim.

“Brigitte Bardot will forever be associated with Saint-Tropez, of which she was the most dazzling ambassador,” the town hall said in a statement. “Through her presence, personality and aura, she marked the history of our town.”

Bardot’s influence on Saint-Tropez cannot be overstated. When she arrived in the 1950s, her star power helped transform what was then a quiet coastal village into an international playground for the rich and famous. Her 1956 film “And God Created Woman,” directed by Vadim and filmed in Saint-Tropez, catapulted both Bardot and the town to international fame.

Her villa, La Madrague, became almost as iconic as Bardot herself, serving as her sanctuary from the relentless media attention that followed her throughout her acting career. After retiring from film, Bardot devoted herself almost entirely to animal rights activism, founding the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in 1986.

The marine cemetery where Bardot will be interred has become something of a celebrity necropolis over the years. In addition to Vadim, several other notable figures from French arts and culture are buried there, with its breathtaking views of the Mediterranean providing a fittingly dramatic final resting place for the woman who embodied French glamour for generations.

Following the private burial, a public homage will be held at a nearby site, allowing fans to pay their respects to the woman who not only defined an era in French cinema but also reshaped popular culture with her liberated persona and distinctive style.

In a touching tribute posted on Facebook, Bardot’s younger sister, Marie-Jeanne “Mijanou” Bardot, shared a photograph of Brigitte at age 12, writing that she now “knows whether our beloved pets are waiting for us on the other side.” She added, “Let her not be afraid, and let her instead be in the love and joy of reuniting with them all” — a poignant nod to Bardot’s lifelong dedication to animal welfare.

Bardot’s legacy extends far beyond her 40 films. Her impact on fashion, women’s liberation, and animal rights advocacy transformed her from a sex symbol to a cultural icon and activist. Her decision to abandon stardom at the height of her fame to focus on causes she believed in only enhanced her mystique.

The announcement of her funeral arrangements has already prompted an outpouring of tributes from across France and around the world, with many planning to travel to Saint-Tropez to bid farewell to the woman who captured the imagination of multiple generations.

As Saint-Tropez prepares for the influx of mourners, the town she helped make famous will serve as the backdrop for a final farewell to one of France’s most enduring cultural treasures.