Pierre Gagnaire and Anne-Sophie Pic to star at 2025’s Festival des Etoilés Monte-Carlo

18/03/2025

pierre gagnaire anne-sophie pic Festival des Etoilés

From April, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer will be inviting some of the world’s most famous – and most decorated – chefs to the Principality for four exceptional collaborative dining events as part of its Festival des Etoilés .

Over the last four years, the Festival des Etoilés Monte-Carlo has grown exceptionally to host some of the most impressive figures in the culinary arts, from international talents such as the UK’s Simon Rogan of L’Enclume and Richard Lee of La Saison in San Francisco to French titans of gastronomy, including David Toutain, Yoan Conte and, of course, Alain Ducasse.

This annual gourmet festival is designed to showcase the richness and prestige of Monaco’s elevated restaurant scene – and particularly that of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), Europe’s most starred resort with a full seven Michelin stars to its name.

See more: Monaco’s most powerful company charts a bold future: Inside SBM’s plans

Once again, the Group will be spotlighting the unique talents of four of its leading chefs at the upcoming edition of the Festival des Etoilés, which is set to begin in just over a month. Each chef has invited a special guest, with the pairs set to work together to produce a menu influenced by their personal and crossover styles.

SBM describes the concept as: “A great moment of gastronomy, the meeting of two talents, two visions of cooking, two personalities too.”

The 2025 programme

The festival will begin with a one-night-only gourmet experience at Le Grill featuring the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo’s Executive Chef, Dominique Lory, and the acclaimed Pierre Gagnaire on 10th April.

Lory, once voted “greatest starred chef in the world,” worked alongside Gagnaire at his three Michelin-starred restaurant on Paris’ Rue Balzac in the early stages of his career. In Monaco, the duo will be teaming up once again to offer diners a six-course menu priced at €450 per person.

On 20th June, Emmanuel Pilon of the highly esteemed Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse will host Albert Adrià, Head Chef at Barcelona’s Enigma, in the presence of the legendary Alain Ducasse. The pair will present a six-step tasting menu, costing €750 per person with wine pairing included, that will honour the Mediterranean in a new and innovative way.

Next comes the pairing of Yannick Alléno and Davide Oldani on 13th July. The chefs are set to meld their shared passion for Italian cuisine – they are known to enjoy spending time together in Tuscany – with their appreciation for quality produce and modern cooking at Pavyllon Monte-Carlo. The experience has been priced at €650 per person, including drinks.

The final “four-hands” dinner will be held on 18th July at Blue Bay Marcel Ravin, which underwent significant renovations just over a year ago. Chef Marcel Ravin, a man deeply inspired and influenced by native Martinique and Caribbean flavours and colours, will pair up with Anne-Sophie Pic, the world’s most decorated chef – she currently holds an astonishing 10 Michelin stars – for this exceptional evening of gastronomy. The six-course menu costs €700 per person, with wine pairing included.

The festival will conclude with a spectacular gala in the autumn, with more information about the closing event set to be revealed closer to the time.

For further details on the four “four-hands” dining experiences, click here.

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Monaco’s must-visit restaurants without a Michelin star

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Monaco celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with illuminations and tributes to Irish culture

by: Niki Borisova

18/03/2025

The Principality embraced the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day with lively celebrations, from Irish music and dancing at the Princess Grace Irish Library to festive gatherings over pints of Guinness at the Trinity Irish Pub.

Monaco paid tribute to its historic ties with Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, with the Palais Princier de Monaco, the Musée Océanographique de Monaco and the Conseil National all illuminated in green on the eve on Monday 17th March. The colour, synonymous with Ireland, also represents health, renewal and hope.

*The Musée Océanographique illuminated in green in honour of St. Patrick’s Day. Photo credits: Direction de la Communication / Manuel Vitali*

The celebrations extended beyond the emerald lighting, with the Princess Grace Irish Library hosting a special lunchtime concert in honour of the occasion. Monaco Life attended as Irish traditional band Dubh Linn set the tone with their lively melodies and intricate harmonies, transporting guests into the heart of an Irish céilí. The performance was accompanied by award-winning dancer Cara Flannagan Walsh, whose footwork and captivating energy brought the spirit of Irish dancing to Monaco.

Adding a literary touch to the event was Conal Creedon, the renowned Irish writer and playwright, who is currently the writer-in-residence at the Princess Grace Irish Library. He gave readings from his works, further immersing the audience in the richness of Irish storytelling. Following the performances, attendees gathered in the library to savour Irish coffee and other traditional drinks, mingling in a truly convivial atmosphere.

*Members of the Dubh Linn band pictured with Conal Creedon, dancer Cara Flannagan Walsh and Paula Farquharson, Director of the Princess Grace Irish Library. Photo by Monaco Life*

Later in the evening, the celebrations carried on at the Trinity Irish Pub, where Guinness flowed freely and festive cheer filled the air, rounding off Monaco’s tribute to the Emerald Isle in true Irish fashion.

Check out Monaco Life’s reel of the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations below:

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Monaco Life is produced by a team of real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit: Michaël Alesi / Palais Princier de Monaco

“Worrying” air pollution levels at PACA schools revealed in Respire report

by: Stephanie Horsman

18/03/2025

A new report by Respire has documented alarming levels of air pollution in almost every school in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur despite efforts to improve conditions over the last decade. Furthermore, the association’s deeply concerning findings indicate that 98% of schools in the region exceed the World Health Organization’s recommended thresholds for fine particulate matter—PM2.5—one of the most harmful pollutants to human health.

Respire, a French association that aims to prevent health damage from air pollution and improve air quality, conducted air quality measurements throughout 2023 in around 2,800 schools in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region using data from Atmosud, the regional air quality observatory, focusing on nitrogen dioxide and two types of fine particles: PM10 and PM2.5.

The study found that in cities such as Marseille and Nice, not a single school met World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines for these three pollutants. The report also highlighted how PM2.5 concentrations in Marseille, Avignon and Gap are, on average, twice the WHO’s recommended limit.

Marseille stands out as the most polluted city in southern France in the report, with certain schools experiencing particularly high pollution levels, but schools in the Alpes-Maritimes didn’t fare much better. In Cannes, for example, numerous schools also exceed the safe fine particle thresholds, while in Nice, where air quality was deemed “passable” in a good number of schools, many still had worryingly high PM2.5 and NO2 levels.

The Principality of Monaco was not part of the study, but schools in neighbouring villages such as Beausoleil, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and Cap d’Ail were all granted “passable” air quality—though only one was rated as “good”.

Health implications

The health implications for the region’s young people could be severe.

“This overexposure to pollutants poses an increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, impaired respiratory function, allergies, pneumonia, ear infections and even leukaemia,” the report warns.

Respire estimates that fine particles and nitrogen dioxide account for “12% to 20% of new childhood respiratory disease cases each year”.

Beyond respiratory conditions, the association notes that exposure to air pollutants negatively affects neurocognitive development and potentially academic performance.

To address this urgent public health crisis, Respire has proposed several measures to curb pollution levels near schools.

“We can make streets accessible to children by stopping road traffic near schools so that students can breathe cleaner air,” noted Tony Renucci, the association’s director. Renucci also stressed the need to expand dock electrification to reduce maritime pollution and suggested banning open fireplaces in densely populated areas and improving public transport to cut vehicle emissions.

Additional recommendations include implementing awareness programmes in schools, tackling pollution from logistics and transport, and furthering discussions on low-emission port zones.

While average pollutant concentrations have declined over the past decade in many of the cities covered by the report, including Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Nice, Cannes, Toulouse, Avignon and Gap, the Respire report highlights how further action is needed if the issue is to be brought under control.

For an interactive map of all the schools that feature in the report and their respective ratings, click here.

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Photo credit: Norma Mortenson, Pexels

New 2025 limits: How much can you earn tax-free in France?

by: Stephanie Horsman

18/03/2025

Ahead of the 2025 tax declaration deadlines, covering income earned in 2024, the French government has updated income tax brackets to reflect inflation. These adjustments, which vary depending on individual situations, aim to ease the tax burden, particularly for lower-income earners, by increasing the threshold for tax-free earnings. Here’s a closer look at the new structure.

In France, income tax follows a progressive structure with five brackets, ranging from 0% to 45%. The calculation of taxable income incorporates the family quotient, a system designed to reduce the tax burden for households with dependents. This mechanism means families with more members—such as spouses and children—benefit from lower overall tax rates.

The brackets have increased by 1.8% in 2025, ensuring that individuals whose earnings have kept pace with inflation do not find themselves unexpectedly moving into a higher tax category.

While the official tax brackets start at a taxable rate of 11% for those earning €11,497 and above, the actual threshold for tax liability is higher due to a further calculation called the décote, which limits tax on lower earners.

Tax liability

For a single person without dependents, the threshold for income tax liability in 2025 is set at €17,438 in annual net taxable income. This means individuals earning below this amount will not be required to pay income tax. For a couple without children, who benefit from two tax shares, the tax-free threshold stands at €32,572. These thresholds apply to all declared income sources, including salaries, rental income and pensions.

Furthermore, any calculated tax owed below €61 is not collected by the state.

Taxpayers may also benefit from various credits and deductions that further lower their final tax bill, such as those for child support, alimony, school fees and childcare. As a result, some individuals with incomes above the official threshold may still end up owing no tax.

Since the introduction of withholding tax in January 2019, income tax is deducted directly from taxable earnings each month for much of the working population. This system ensures that tax payments are spread throughout the year rather than requiring a lump sum payment at the end of the tax season.

Overall, these updates aim to maintain fairness by preventing inflation from artificially increasing tax burdens. As always, individual tax obligations may vary depending on specific income sources, household composition and eligible deductions.

To calculate taxes owed on 2024 income in 2025, the government has created an online tool, available here.

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Photo credit: Mikhail Nilov, Pexels

Back by popular demand: Jam Sessions returning to Marché de la Condamine in April

by: Niki Borisova

18/03/2025

Having welcomed a healthy turnout of musicians and singers from all genres to the inaugural edition of its Jam Sessions at the Marché de la Condamine, the Mairie de Monaco has announced it will host a follow-up edition of the popular event in early April. Here are all the details.

Following a successful evening of live acoustic improvisation earlier this month, a second Jam Session has been scheduled at the Marché de la Condamine from 6.30pm on Wednesday 2nd April.

Open to all, regardless of age or musical ability, the event invites musicians and singers to come together and improvise. Participants are asked to bring their own instruments, if needed, and perform live on stage for an audience. Percussion, keyboards and microphones will be available on-site.

The Marché de la Condamine is both a lively marketplace and a hub for community events, providing a central meeting place for residents and visitors to the Principality. It is set to undergo a major renovation from early 2026, with a view to increasing its capacity and appeal.

See more: La Condamine Market renovation plans revealed: What to expect and when

The first edition of Jam Sessions saw a mix of amateur and experienced musicians take part in an informal evening of spontaneous collaboration. With this confirmed continuation of the event, organisers are hoping to establish a regular programme where artists and their supporters can connect through music.

Entry is free, with further details available here.

Check out these photos from the first Jam Session: