John Lennon and Yoko Ono Travel from Barcelona to Nice – 18 May 1971
Tuesday 18 May 1971 | John Lennon, Travel
On 18 May 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono flew from Barcelona, Spain, back to Nice on the French Riviera. They had travelled to Barcelona the previous day — 17 May — to consult Spanish lawyers about a potential custody case to recover Kyoko, Ono's seven-year-old daughter from her previous marriage to Anthony Cox. After returning to Nice, they spent several more days on the French Riviera before flying back to London on 22 May.
The Cannes Film Festival
Lennon and Ono had been on the French Riviera since at least 15 May 1971, attending the Cannes Film Festival for screenings of their films Fly and Apotheosis at La Quinzaine des Réalisateurs — the Directors' Fortnight sidebar. On 15 May they had lunched at La Colombe d'Or in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, where they were photographed with Jeanne Moreau and Louis Malle. On 16 May Lennon held a press conference at Cannes, wearing a white YOKO ONO t-shirt.
The Kyoko Custody Case
The Barcelona trip on 17 May was driven by the ongoing and deeply painful custody battle over Kyoko Chan Cox — Yoko Ono's daughter from her marriage to American filmmaker Anthony Cox. Cox had taken Kyoko and disappeared, and Ono had been fighting to regain custody since 1971. Lennon and Ono had been arrested in Majorca on 23 April 1971 on suspicion of kidnapping Kyoko; the charges had been dropped, but the legal situation remained unresolved.
The consultation with Spanish lawyers on 17 May was part of a broader legal strategy being coordinated across multiple jurisdictions by Lennon's lawyer Leon Wildes — the same lawyer who would later defend Lennon against deportation from the United States. Kyoko would not be found until the 1990s, when she made contact with Ono as an adult.
Return to London
After returning to Nice on 18 May, Lennon and Ono spent several more days on the French Riviera before flying back to London on 22 May 1971. They were in the midst of one of the most productive periods of Lennon's solo career: the Imagine album had been recorded at Tittenhurst Park in May–June 1971 and would be released in September.
Key Facts: 18 May 1971
- Travel: Barcelona → Nice
- Reason for Barcelona: Consultation with Spanish lawyers re Kyoko custody case
- Barcelona trip: 17 May 1971
- Cannes Film Festival: Fly and Apotheosis screened at La Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
- Return to London: 22 May 1971
- Kyoko's mother: Yoko Ono (from marriage to Anthony Cox)
- Kyoko found: 1990s (made contact with Ono as an adult)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did John Lennon and Yoko Ono go to Barcelona in May 1971?
To consult Spanish lawyers about the custody case for Kyoko Chan Cox — Yoko Ono's daughter from her previous marriage to Anthony Cox, who had taken Kyoko and disappeared.
What were Lennon and Ono doing at Cannes in May 1971?
Attending the Cannes Film Festival for screenings of their films Fly and Apotheosis at La Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (the Directors' Fortnight).
Who was Kyoko?
Kyoko Chan Cox — Yoko Ono's daughter from her marriage to American filmmaker Anthony Cox. Cox had taken Kyoko and disappeared in the early 1970s. Kyoko made contact with Ono as an adult in the 1990s.
When did Lennon and Ono return to London from the French Riviera?
22 May 1971.
What album was Lennon recording around this time?
Imagine, recorded at Tittenhurst Park in May–June 1971 and released in September 1971.
→ 16 May 1971: Lennon and Ono Press Conference at Cannes
→ 17 May 1971: Lennon and Ono Travel Nice to Barcelona
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