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Day: 13 May 2024

AS Monaco secure spot in UEFA Champions League and second place in Ligue 1

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/05/2024

AS Monaco’s win against Montpellier over the weekend has put the team firmly back in the limelight. Not only did the result secure the side a spot in the prestigious UEFA Champions League for the first time in six years, but it also means that AS Monaco have shored up a solid second place finish in this season’s Ligue 1 standings.  

The Rouges et Blancs’ 2-0 victory against Montpellier in the Stade de la Mosson on Sunday 12th May has provided more than one cause to celebrate. 

Firstly, it has cemented the Monegasque team’s status as No.2 in the Ligue 1, second only to France’s perennial top dogs Paris Saint-Germain. Secondly, it has earned the side a place in the UEFA Champions League, something AS Monaco has been denied since the 2018-19 season.  

Nearly 400 AS Monaco supporters, including Club President Dmitry Rybolovlev, made the trek to Montpellier to watch their team and were rewarded with being there to share the moment with the elated players.  

“This was the objective all these years, and it has been achieved. We have reached the goal,” said a delighted Youssouf Fofana, who scored one of the two winning goals.  

With just one more domestic league game to play, against Nantes in the Stade Louis II on Sunday 19th May, the team will soon begin preparations for the UEFA Champions League tournament, which will start in early July.  

Daghe Munegu ! 

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Photo credit: AS Monaco

Trainspotting and Scorsese’s After Hours among the titles to watch for free at Cannes’ Cinéma de la Plage

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/05/2024

Every night of the Cannes Film Festival, the Plage Macé on the Boulevard de la Croisette will be hosting free film screenings from 9.30pm. Here are some of the 2024 programme highlights. 

From 14th to 25th May, the public beach found mere steps away from the red carpet of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes will be transformed into an open-air cinema complete with giant screen and deckchairs.  

The public movie screenings held here are completely free of charge to attend, and offer fans of cinema a chance to enjoy the atmosphere of the world-famous Cannes Film Festival without the need for a backstage pass.  

The show will get going at 9.30pm every evening with a musical introduction courtesy of eclectic band TwinSelecter.

On the programme are a number of cult English language movies, such as a 4K restoration of the Danny Boyle classic of Trainspotting from 1995, 1985’s After Hours from the legendary Martin Scorsese and Brian de Palma’s 1974 Phantom of the Paradise.  

A number of the screenings will be hosted in the presence of esteemed guests, including Tony Gatlif, who will be on hand for a projection of his 2004 film Exils, and the teams from 2024 films My Way, Silex and the City, Moi Aussi, Transmitzvah and Slocum et Moi.  

Click here for the complete programme of events.   

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Photo credit: Festival de Cannes

 

Hôtel de Paris to host teddy bear auction in aid of Monaco Disease Power

by: Niki Borisova
13/05/2024
teddy bear auction

In a bid to raise important funds for the Monaco Disease Power association, a very special auction of teddy bears is due to be held at the Hôtel de Paris this week. Here’s everything you need to know about the event. 

Teddy bears hold a cherished place in our hearts and are a symbol of happiness, comfort and warmth that resonates long after childhood.

At the Hôtel de Paris on Tuesday 14th May, famed auctioneer Simon de Pury will be leading a special auction event in which a collection of teddies that have been sponsored by various Monaco-based businesses will be sold off in support of the Monaco Disease Power cause.

The inaugural edition of the teddy bear auction was held in early 2023, and it captured the imaginations and hearts of the public. The initiative was born thanks to Karelle Traverso, whose inspiration for creating such an event came from her late sister, who faced countless challenges during her life due to a complex disability.

That year, more than €23,000 was raised for Monaco Disease Power, an association presided over by Muriel Natali-Laure that is dedicated to supporting families and individuals affected by disabilities.

The upcoming sequel to this charming event promises even more magic. The Patio of the Hôtel de Paris is currently being transformed into a teddy bear treasure trove, with each cuddly toy on the auction list being sponsored by a prominent Monaco brand.

Once again, de Pury will head up the event, which will be complemented by performances from magicians, musicians and singers, making it a wonderfully family-focused occasion.

The auction will begin at 5pm.

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Feel-good teddy bear auction this Friday

 

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Photo credit: Marco Traverso et Histoire d’Ours, Facebook 

In pictures: The 2024 Historic Grand Prix of Monaco

by: Elsa Carpenter
13/05/2024

Over the weekend, the Principality was abuzz with the sights and sounds of 100 years of racing as the 14th edition of the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco came to town. 

The event, which pits legendary race cars from the golden age of motorsports against each other, was held over three days between 10th and 12th May.

The qualifying stages and races alike were full of excitement, with tense overtaking manoeuvers, dramatic entanglements and incidents involving the barriers giving spectators a real taste of what F1 racing was like “back in the day”.

Homage to Ayrton Senna

One particularly poignant part of the programme was the tribute paid to Ayrton Senna, who lost his life on the Imola Circuit in Northern Italy 30 years ago, and Monaco’s Prince Albert II joined a host of past and current drivers in honouring this icon of the sport.

On Saturday 11th May, six of the single-seaters driven by Senna completed four laps of the famous Monaco street circuit as part of a ‘Senna 30 Years Celebration Parade’ organised by the Automobile Club of Monaco in collaboration with the Instituto Ayrton Senna, Lotus Heritage and the McLaren Academy. 

^ Bruno Senna, the nephew of Ayrton Senna (second from left), and former F1 driver Thierry Boutsen (second from right) were among the racing personalities to join Prince Albert II of Monaco in commemorating the driving icon on 11th May. Photo credit: Michael Alesi / Palais Princier de Monaco 

^ A photograph from 1989, the year that Ayrton Senna won the 77th Monaco Grand Prix. It was his second of six wins in the Principality, a feat that remains the record for victories in Monaco. A young Prince Albert II stands behind the legendary driver. Photo credit: Gaetan Luci / Archives of the Palais Princier de Monaco 

^ The single-seaters fly past the new harbour area of the Mareterra development. Photo credit: Michael Alesi / Palais Princier de Monaco 

^ The Historic Grand Prix of Monaco track traces the same course that has been raced upon for almost 100 years. Photo credit: Automobile Club de Monaco / Maxime Le Juste / Jean-Marc Follete

^ Prince Albert shares a joke with Scuderia Ferrari reserve driver and F2 competitor Oliver Bearman in the control room of the race. Photo credit: Michael Alesi / Palais Princier de Monaco 

^ A catalogue of great cars representing the history of Monaco Grand Prix racing was present at the event, which is held every two years. Photo credit: Michael Alesi / Palais Princier de Monaco

^ Actor and racing car driver Patrick Dempsey was among the celebrity figures to attend the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco over the weekend. Photo credit: Michael Alesi / Palais Princier de Monaco 

^ Following the classic racing of the Historic Grand Prix weekend, the Principality is now preparing to welcome the Formula 1 grid to its streets, boulevards and avenues between 24th and 26th May. Photo credit: Michael Alesi / Palais Princier de Monaco

See more in our Instagram reel below…

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Prince Albert II tours ‘Ferrari F1 in Monaco: History and Victories’ exhibit

 

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Main photo credit: Automobile Club de Monaco / Maxime Le Juste / Jean-Marc Follete

€5,000 raised for Monaco charities at Chokolashow attended by Prince Albert and his children

by: Niki Borisova
13/05/2024

Last week, Prince Albert II and his nine-year-old twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, headed down to the Riva Tunnel in Port Hercule to visit the inaugural edition of the Chokolashow and admire up-close the creatively crafted chocolate sculptures on the display. 

The first-ever edition of a new chocolate-themed event, Chokolashow, was held in the Principality of Monaco on 9th May. 

The guests of honour were undoubtedly the Prince and his children, who were photographed visiting the exhibits and trying their hand at chocolate carving. Indeed, the trio left behind them a set of sweet inscriptions on a solid block of the finest Italian cioccolato.  

Prince Albert II of Monaco, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella were invited to carve their names into a solid block of chocolate. Photo courtesy of Chokolashow

The Chokolashow is the brainchild of Maria Bologna of the Monaco International Hub. A life-long chocolate lover, Bologna invited eight students from the Principality’s Pavillon Bosio and the Accademia di Belle Arti di Sanremo, the Fine Arts Academy of Sanremo, to carve a unique chocolate sculpture under the theme of the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco.  

The winner of this inaugural event was Valentina Trassy, a third-year student at the Pavillon Bosio.  

An auction of the sculptures was held during the evening of 9th May. Managed by Wannenes auction house, the sale generated €5,000. All of the proceeds will be donated to eight local Monaco charities selected by Prince Albert.  

Chokolashow visitors were also invited to attend a series of chocolate-themed workshops and sample sweet treats courtesy of the event’s partners during the course of the event. 

“I’m truly delighted with the public’s approval and the work of the young artists, who interpreted the images of the cars competing in the Monaco Historic Grand Prix so well,” said Bologna at the close of the event. “We’re already planning for the next edition, and are considering the possibility of expanding the event internationally to showcase Monaco’s excellence in combining generosity, art and chocolate.” 

Read related:

F1 history to inspire Chokolashow sculptures

 

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Photos courtesy of Chokolashow 

Celebrate International Yoga Day with the Kate Powers Foundation

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/05/2024
international yoga day

The Kate Powers Foundation and Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer are partnering up to host a special public event in the Casino de Monte-Carlo’s gardens in honour of International Yoga Day in June.  

The Kate Powers Foundation was created in 2022 in memory of Kate Powers, the late Monaco restaurateur and activist who dedicated her life to fostering community spirit and environmental awareness through a variety of engaging events and wellness projects.  

Kate was an avid yoga enthusiast, and this year, to mark International Yoga Day on 21st June, the eponymous foundation will be joining forces with Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) to hold an afternoon and evening event on the terraces of the Casino.

The event will begin at 2.30pm with a session led by renowned Vinyasa yoga instructor Nico Luce, which will be followed by a half-hour children’s yoga class featuring personal trainer and former ballerina Sarah Clark. 

From 5pm to 6.30pm, Luce will return for an open yoga class that is suitable for all yogis, regardless of ability and age.  

Next up, Romain Vigna will be inviting the public to join him from 7.30pm to 9pm for an ecstatic dance workshop.  

The evening will wrap up with an hour of relaxation from 9pm to 10pm, where participants can bliss out and unwind as the sun goes down on the longest day of the year.  

“This line-up is designed to offer something special for everyone, from seasoned yogis to beginners and children,” says a representative for the Kate Powers Foundation. “Participants will have the unique opportunity to practice yoga in one of Monaco’s most beautiful settings, connect with nature and experience the joy of community and shared positive energy.” 

For more information, click here. 

 

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Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger / Monaco Communications Department