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Month: June 2024

Herculis EBS to host five world champions ahead of Olympic Games

by: Stephanie Horsman
12/06/2024

In exactly one month’s time, the Stade Louis II will host the annual Herculis EBS athletics event. Five world champions, including the US’ 200m star Noah Lyles and hurdler Grant Holloway, who set a personal best when he last appeared in Monaco, have confirmed they will be attending.  

For many of the competitors, the Herculis EBS track and field event will be their last public showing before they head to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games, which will be held between 26th July and 11th August.  

Among those set to make an appearance in Monaco are five sportsmen and women who have claimed the title of world champion in their discipline.  

They include US 110-metre hurdler Grant Holloway, a three-time world champion and a Herculis veteran. When Holloway last came to Monaco, he not only won, but also set his best time of the 2022 season: 12.99 seconds.  

“I can’t wait to race in Monaco, on a track where I have very good memories,” he says. “It’s always a pleasure to be here.” 

Fellow American Noah Lyles is another big name confirmed for Herculis. The 200-metre sprinter dominated in Monaco in 2022 with a record time of 19.46 seconds. He is also a three-time world champion.  

The US’ pole-vaulting star, Katie Moon, will be returning to Monaco for the first time since 2021, an event she dominated with a 4.90-metre jump. She has racked up two consecutive world championships since and was previously the gold medal winner at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. 

Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi will also be in Monaco this July. The seven-time Wanda Diamond league winner and Japanese record holder for the javelin is keen to return to Monaco to go for the top spot and better her 2022 second-place finish at the Stade Louis II.  

Finally, 800-metre men’s runner Marco Arop will star on the Principality track come summer. The last time the Canadian competed in the Herculis EBS, in 2020, he beat his own personal best. 

For tickets, the schedule and further information on the 2024 Herculis EBS event, click here.

Read related:

The Olympic flame is coming to Monaco

 

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Photo credit for image of Noah Lyles: Dan Vernon

A €1 billion industry: Monaco’s hospitality sector goes from strength-to-strength

by: Elsa Carpenter
12/06/2024

From five-star hotels to Michelin-starred restaurants and iconic bars and nightclubs, the Monaco hospitality industry is booming. The sector produced record revenues nearing €1 billion in 2023, and things only look set to improve, with exciting new establishments like Amazónico Monte-Carlo boosting coffers even more this year.

One of the first things that comes to mind when you think about Monaco is its world-famous hotels and internationally renowned bars and restaurants. Some are so well-known and respected that they have inspired the names of corners of the legendary Grand Prix track, such as La Rascasse in Port Hercule, while big-name hotels have provided the backdrop for iconic on-screen moments in everything from James Bond to Becoming Karl Lagerfeld.  

A new report by IMSEE, Monaco’s official statistical agency, has revealed an incredibly strong 2023, during which record revenues were reached.

Never-before-seen revenues

According to the report, the combined revenues of the Principality’s hotels and accommodation, restaurants, bars and catering services climbed almost 15% in 2023 to reach €999.1 million – an all-time high. It was also the second year running that the sector had smashed pre-Covid records that had been set in the mighty 2019 calendar year. 

The 16 companies that fell under the hotel and similar accommodation sector produced €710 million alone, and Monaco’s 243 restaurants generated just shy of €265 million. 

See more: Experience Monaco’s wild side at the new Amazónico Monte-Carlo

Beverage-serving establishments contributed €9.5 million, while events and catering services produced €14.7 million.  

In total, the sector was comprised of just over 300 businesses, including nine newly founded companies in 2023. The sector represented around 2.6% of all registered enterprises in Monaco, making the hospitality industry one of the smallest categories in the Principality, but it was still the second-biggest employer, with more than 8,100 workers on the books in 2023. 

More men than women were employed by the hospitality industry last year, a ratio of 68.3% to 31.7%, which is a slightly heavier weighting in favour of male workers than in the overall private sector.

The hotel sector had the largest proportion of employees – just over 5,500, according to IMSEE – followed by the restaurant and food service sector. While the majority of all employees were of French nationality, with Italians in second, the combined accommodation and food sectors employed 428 Monegasques, which equates to four in 10 of Monegasque nationals working in the private sector last year. 

Read related: 

Monaco’s tourism sector in 2023: Hotel prices hit new record

 

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Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department

UPaint auction raises €31,000 for FPA2 and Monaco SPA animal shelter

by: Niki Borisova
12/06/2024

The public auction of a dozen artworks created by some of the world’s leading street artists during the recent UPaint event in Larvotto has raised an impressive €31,000. The funds have been donated in full to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (FPA2) and the Monaco Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA).  

Earlier this month, UPaint Monaco invited a dozen well-established urban and graffiti artists to the Principality for the eighth edition of the colourful and thought-provoking event on the Promenade du Larvotto.  

Among those who showcased their talents were Chanoir, Cofee and Mathieu_1976 from France as well as El Xupet Negre from Spain, Juanjo Surace from Argentina, Nina Valkhoff from the Netherlands, Piskv from Italy and Monaco’s Mr. One Teas. Many joined Prince Albert II in celebrating the success of the auction that concluded the event on 10th June. 

The Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo managed the sales, which ultimately raised €31,000 and featured a dozen artworks produced over the course of UPaint on the themes of regeneration and pets.

The proceeds have been donated to the FPA2 and the Monaco SPA via a charity cheque. The Monaco SPA will use its portion of the funds to continue its efforts to build shelters for the animals in need of refuge in the area. 

Read related:

Mr. One Teas among the international street artists set to star at UPAINT Monaco

 

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Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department

 

Monaco’s Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology to celebrate European Archaeology Days

by: Niki Borisova
12/06/2024

The Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology of Monaco will be holding a series of workshops and a special guided tour later this week in line with the continent-wide European Archaeology Days initiative. 

Founded by Prince Albert I in 1902, the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology in the Jardin Exotique neighbourhood of Monaco has been tasked with preserving the traces of primitive human activity discovered in Monaco and the surrounding areas and presenting these treasured artefacts to the public. The museum also regularly hosts guest exhibitions, such as the ongoing Lascaux à Monaco, which delves into the history of this globally renowned cave system in the Dordogne.

See more: Lascaux in Monaco: Reproduction of the famous cave coming to the Musée d’Anthropologie Préhistorique

Between Friday 14th and Saturday 15th June, the museum will be celebrating the European Archaeology Days event along with more than 30 other European nations, including France, which will be holding a staggering 670 events this coming weekend.  

In Monaco, the action will be centred on a number of guided tours and workshops. 

From 5pm to 6pm on the Friday, visitors of all ages will be invited on a VIP tour of the museum and specifically its Suzanne Simone Research Laboratory. 

The following day will feature two special workshops for the younger generation. From 2pm to 3.30pm, children aged five to seven can participate in an interactive workshop. This will be followed by a session for children aged seven and above from 3.30pm to 5pm.  

Admission to both days is free of charge, but reservations are required as spaces are limited. To reserve, call +377 98 98 80 06 or email map@gouv.mc. 

Read related:

Getting to know Monaco: Exploring the Jardin Exotique neighbourhood

 

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Photo source: Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology, Facebook 

 

Introducing the Hôtel Métropole’s ZIA pizza pop-up

by: Stephanie Horsman
12/06/2024

Featuring the finest Italian ingredients and time-honoured traditional methods, but with a very contemporary twist, the ZIA pop-up restaurant at the Hôtel Métropole will be serving up pizzas like no others in the Principality this summer season.  

The new ZIA pop-up at the Hôtel Métropole’s Odyssey venue, a collaborative effort between the five star hotel and Intuicion Limited, officially opened on 12th June.

Chefs Manon Santini and Rocco Seminara have spent the last few months perfecting their menu of pizzas, both savoury and sweet, which will be all be made from dough rested for up to 72 hours to achieve the ideal combination of lightness and crispiness.  

Avocado Pizza at Zia

The pair uses the best Italian ingredients to create the bases, such as whole grain and cereal flours, as well as choice specialties from the nation’s various regions for the toppings, such as truffles and hazelnuts.  

Of course, there are the classics, like the Margherita and Napolitana, but the duo has also dreamt up an array of creative and exotic options that will feature the likes of avocado and caviar.

Chef Manon Santini, the winner of the 2019 World Champion Dessert Pizza award, is bringing her own unique take on dessert to the ZIA pop-up. Photo credit: Rafael Alonso

Chef Santini won the 2019 World Champion Dessert Pizza award and is pulling out all the stops to offer diners a unique pizza experience in this glorious outdoor setting. 

The ZIA pop-up is open for dinner service from Wednesday to Sunday until 31st August. Buon appetito! 

Read related:

Michelin Guide 2024: Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac earns two stars in its first year

 

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Main photo: Chefs Manon Santini, Christophe Cussac** and Rocco Seminara. Credit: Matthieu Cellard

 

 

*Adapted from an article originally published on 2nd May 2024

Canadian Grand Prix: A “weekend to forget” for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc

by: Elsa Carpenter
12/06/2024
leclerc canadian grand prix

Just two weeks on from Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s historic home win at the Monaco Grand Prix, the Principality’s brightest sports star has been brought back to Earth with a very disappointing bump.

Having failed to reach the third qualifying session, Monegasque Charles Leclerc was forced to start the race on the Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit on 9th June from P11, with his teammate, Carlos Sainz, just behind in 12th.  

26-year-old Leclerc advanced quickly to P9, but had fallen back again to his original position by Lap 2. By Lap 7, it was clear that something was wrong with his car, but the Monegasque persisted until Lap 29, when he returned to the pits to attempt a reset and revive his chances in the race. 

It wasn’t to be, however. He was back in the pits by Lap 31, where he made a switch to Intermediates, but he was at the very back of the grid and was lapped.  

A decision around Lap 40 saw Leclerc retired from the race, with team ruling, ” There was no point in adding kilometres on the car with no chance of scoring points.” 

See more: Charles Leclerc documents “dream” Monaco GP win in new vlog

“The bottom line is that the engine issue is what compromised our race,” said a frustrated Leclerc post-race. “We were losing substantial lap time compared to the other cars, so we tried to go on slicks, knowing that it was our only chance to try to finish in the points. There was nothing to lose and I’ve got no regrets on that.” 

The DNF result is a far cry from Leclerc’s win in Monaco just two weeks ago, and marks the first time in the 2024 season that he has finished outside of the Top 4. Sainz also recorded a DNF after spinning out on Lap 53. 

“This one hurts and it’s a big loss of points for the team with both of us unable to finish,” Leclerc added. “We will look into the issue we had to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” 

Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur admitted, “We were lacking something a little bit everywhere. This has been a very tough weekend for us. On one side of the garage with Charles we had an issue [with] the engine, which meant we lost around 80 horsepower for about 15 laps… For sure, it’s not been a good weekend right from the very beginning. I hope it means we have had all our troubles in the one Grand Prix and that we will be back in Spain in much better shape… It’s a long season, so we will have ups and downs, but I hope we don’t have too many ‘downs’ like this.” 

Despite failing to achieve any points in Montréal, Leclerc and Ferrari retain their positions in the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Standings. 

The next race of the season will be on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix on 23rd June.  

Read related:

The 2024 Monaco Grand Prix in pictures

 

 

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Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre