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Month: March 2026

Peace and sport launches its 2026 WhiteCard campaign

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
25/03/2026

Prince Albert II joined the international organisation Peace and Sport at the Hôtel Metropole on 25th March for the launch of its annual WhiteCard campaign, which calls on people around the world to use sport as a tool for peace. 

Around the world, 251 million children are currently out of school, cut off not only from education but from the skills and opportunities they need to develop. It is for that reason Peace and Sport is calling on athletes, institutions and the public to unite around the message that sport can help build more peaceful and inclusive societies, particularly for young people.

The event was held ahead of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, and it kicks off a series of initiatives building towards the official global WhiteCard day on 6th April, when everyone is invited to share their White Card on social media.

Prince Albert II reaffirmed Monaco’s commitment to the cause. “The sport is a formidable lever for education, inclusion and dialogue between cultures,” he said, adding that the campaign reflects values close to Monaco such as “solidarity, respect and the construction of lasting peace.”

During the launch of the WhiteCard campaign, photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace

Joël Bouzou, the organisation’s founder and president added: “Peace is not decreed solely at international summits,” he said. “It is also built pragmatically on playing fields, where sport gives rise to ecosystems of micro-peace, founded on shared rules and mutual respect.”

Didier Drogba, Vice-President of Peace and Sport, also underlined the significance of the campaign. “The WhiteCard is not just a symbolic gesture: it is a commitment we share with the world. Every share helps spread a message of peace and inclusion, and shows that sport can unite and inspire.”

During the presentation of the campaign, photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace

What’s coming up

Several initiatives will carry the campaign forward over the coming days and months. French professional rugby players, mobilised through Provale – the union of professional rugby players in France – will back the campaign. The Vuelta cycling race is also set to carry the campaign’s message, with its grand départ scheduled from 22nd to 23rd August.

Additionally, two of Peace and Sport’s Champions for Peace take the campaign to major international stages. Ivorian Olympic champion Cheick Sallah Cissé will speak at the ChangeNOW summit in Paris, while Franco-American skateboarder Julian Agliardi will address the United Nations in New York at a conference marking the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on 6th April.

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Main photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace

Prince Albert II presides over third edition of Monaco’s Ocean Cocktail Competition

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
25/03/2026

Prince Albert II attended the final of this year’s ‘A Cocktail for the Ocean’ competition on March 22nd, where Monaco bartender Maëvah Lorion of Gaia Monte-Carlo beat 12 rivals from across Europe to claim the top prize.

The ceremony took place at Restaurant Amù in the Fairmont Monte-Carlo, closing the third edition of the contest organised by Prince Explorer Gin, a Monaco based spirit brand.

Thirteen bar teams, selected from more than 50 candidate establishments across Europe, had competed over the course of the event with entries from Italy, Croatia, France, Malta and Monaco.

Maëvah Lorion took first place with the ‘Okeanos’ cocktail. Second place went to Enzo Pajany of the Bar Américain de l’Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo with ‘Hirondelle’, and third to Gilda Giovannoni of Amazonico Monte-Carlo with ‘Sky and Shell’.

The Okeanos cocktail, photo credit: Coline Ciais-Soulhat, Prince Explorer

A panel of four industry judges assessed the entries, each of which was required to feature Prince Explorer Gin as a core ingredient

However, ocean conversation sits at the heart of the competition. For every cocktail sold during the contest, Prince Explorer donated €1 to marine conservation projects. “This competition was born from the simple conviction that mixology can carry real purpose,” said Giacomo Frateschi, co-founder of Prince Explorer Gin. “Seeing thirteen teams from across Europe rise to the challenge with such talent and dedication is the clearest proof that our conviction is shared.”

226 bottles, eight months under the sea

Since last November, 226 bottles of Prince Explorer Gin have been lying on the bed of the Mediterranean as part of an underwater ageing experiment the brand calls Operation Explorer. The theory is that the pressure, temperature and movement of the sea alter the spirit in ways that conventional ageing cannot.  The bottles are due to be retrieved on 22nd June, shortly after World Oceans Day.

Monegasque freediver Pierre Frolla, a four time world record holder, will dive to bring up the first bottle. A ceremony will then take place aboard a catamaran moored before Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum, where the bottle will be formally presented to Prince Albert II.

Ten bottles from the limited edition, signed by both Prince and Frolla, are earmarked for international auction, with all proceeds directed to ocean conservation.

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Main photo credit: Coline Ciais-Soulhat, Prince Explorer

Monaco’s Kamil Art Gallery launches Contemporary Art Forum to the Indian Ocean

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
25/03/2026

From April 7th to May 20th, the Caudan Arts Centre in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, will host the inaugural edition of the Contemporary Art Forum, a new cultural event conceived and organised by the Kamil Art Gallery in Monaco.

Built around the theme ‘Lines and Colours of Hope’, the forum brings together eight artists spanning painting, sculpture, drawing and photography for over six weeks of exhibitions, workshops and public talks.

The event was created by Kamil and his sister Caroline Jelmoni, director of the gallery and secretary general of Monaco Art Week, and will operate under the High Patronage of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco.

The artists selected include: French painter Jordane Saget, Franco-German artist Eric Massholder, Spanish painter and visual artist Quim Bou Serrano, Spanish painter and draughtsman Sabala, painter and draughtsman Fernando Martinez Garcia, Monégasque sculptor and painter Stéphane Chavanis, American photographer Jordan Matter and Monégasque street artist Anthony Alberti, better known as Mr One Teas.

They were chosen for both their creative range and their following. “I want to make noise,” said Caroline Jelmoni, noting that artists like Matter and Saget bring substantial international audiences with them.

Workshops, talks and live global audience

The forum isn’t just a traditional exhibition, but it also incorporates a programme of workshops, which will see students and members of the public work alongside the artists.

Additionally, two curator-led roundtable discussions will be streamed live online. The academic conversations, led by Dr Fereshte Moosavi of Goldsmiths, University of London, and Dr Fanny Curtat of the Université du Québec à Montréal, will explore connections between the artists’ practices and broader themes of ecology and creative responsibility.

At the heart of the project lies a partnership with Fight Aids Monaco and its supported centre, Chrysalide, a refuge for women and children affected by domestic violence in Mauritius.

The forum will stage two charity gold tournaments, tombolas and auction events to raise funds for the association, with proceeds supporting Chrysalide’s psychological, legal and social reintegration programmes.

Across several workshop sessions running throughout the event, two collective artworks will take shape: one through a series of sessions bringing together Jordane Saget and the women of Chrysalide, and a second led by Mr One Teas with local students. Both will be unveiled at the Caudan Arts Centre during the run of the show.

Describing his approach, Mr One Teas said the piece would be made “by them, with them” — an artwork that honours the country through “a communion between us”.

The exhibition opens to the public on April 10th, with the vernissage the evening before.

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Main photo credit: Monaco Life

Side by side at the Stamp Museum: Prince Jacques joins Prince Albert in public role

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/03/2026

Monaco’s future was quietly on display on Tuesday afternoon, as 11-year-old Hereditary Prince Jacques stood beside his father, Prince Albert II, to inaugurate the 30th anniversary exhibition at the Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies. The moment carried a sense of continuity, reflecting both tradition and the passing of knowledge through generations.

The event marked three decades since Prince Rainier III established the museum in 1996, inspired by his deep interest in philately and numismatics. Over the years, the institution has grown into a respected cultural site, preserving rare and historically significant collections.

To commemorate the anniversary, a special stamp was issued. In keeping with long-standing postal tradition, Prince Albert II and Prince Jacques jointly cancelled a first day envelope — a ceremonial gesture that connected Monaco’s past, present and future in a single act.

Prince Albert II was joined by his son Prince Jacques for the special commemoration. Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger

Tracing the evolution of a unique collection

Running until 26th April, the exhibition titled ‘Du Musée monétaire au Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies’ explores the transformation of the museum from its early focus on monetary history to its broader role today. It highlights the extensive philatelic and numismatic collections initiated by Prince Rainier III and expanded over time by teams from the Prince’s Palace.

Developed in collaboration with the Prince’s Palace, the exhibition offers insight into a lesser-known aspect of Monaco’s heritage, even for regular visitors. Through carefully curated displays, it reveals the depth and significance of the collections housed within the museum.

Prince Jacques touring the collection with his father Prince Albert II. Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger

A family story continuing into the future

The presence of Prince Jacques added a poignant dimension to the occasion. As the grandson of the museum’s founder and the son of its current patron, his participation underscored the enduring connection between the Grimaldi family and Monaco’s cultural institutions.

In many ways, the museum’s story mirrors that of the principality itself — shaped by history, sustained through dedication, and now carried forward by a new generation.

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Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger

Tom Jones, Seal and Marcus Miller among headliners as Jazz à Juan unveils 2026 edition

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/03/2026

Jazz à Juan has revealed the full line-up for its 65th edition, running from 9th to 19th July at the Pinède Gould in Antibes Juan-les-Pins — one of the French Riviera’s most enduring summer festivals.

The programme was presented on Tuesday at the Palais des Congrès d’Antibes Juan-les-Pins by co-artistic directors Jean-Noël Ginibre, Pascal Pilorget and Reno Di Matteo. Ginibre noted that half the artists appearing this year have never previously played at Juan, a deliberate policy of renewal alongside the festival’s bigger names. “These newcomers may be the stars of tomorrow,” he said.

Tom Jones opens the festival

At 85, Tom Jones will open the festival on 9th July, bringing his back catalogue of standards — What’s New Pussycat?, She’s a Lady, Sex Bomb — to the Pinède Gould for the third time, having previously played the venue in 2012 and 2017. Earlier that same evening, José James and China Moses will join forces for a tribute to Marvin Gaye, revisiting I Want You on the album’s 50th anniversary.

The 1990s revisited

Trip-hop icons Morcheeba take the stage on 11th July, touring behind their recent album Escape the Chaos, while Seal makes his Jazz à Juan debut on 13th July. The London singer, who has sold 30 million albums worldwide and holds four Grammy Awards and three Brit Awards, brings a catalogue that includes Killer, Crazy and Kiss From a Rose. He will be preceded by Manchester soul and gospel singer-songwriter Mica Millar, whose latest record was recorded at Brad Pitt’s Miraval studios in the Var.

Tributes to Miles Davis

The centenary of Miles Davis’s birth runs as a thread through the 2026 edition. Marcus Miller — playing Jazz à Juan for the 14th time — will present We Want Miles! The 2026 Reunion Tour on 17th July, reuniting former Davis collaborators including guitarist Mike Stern, saxophonist Bill Evans and percussionist Mino Cinelu. On 18th July, trumpeter Erik Truffaz and saxophonist and flamenco singer Antonio Lizana turn their attention to Sketches of Spain.

A festival of varied textures

The 15th July brings together Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara and Bosnian musician Goran Bregovic with his Wedding and Funeral Orchestra, combining brass band energy with Bulgarian vocals. The Fearless Flyers, the American funk supergroup featuring Cory Wong, Joe Dart, Nate Smith and Mark Lettieri, will play on 16th July alongside Keziah Jones. Thomas Dutronc makes his fourth appearance at the festival on 18th July, joined by a band of accomplished jazz musicians including pianist Éric Legnini, trumpeter Stéphane Belmondo and guitarist Rocky Gresset.

Young New York jazz singer Samara Joy, a three-time Grammy Award winner at just 26, plays on 17th July.

Free evenings and practical information

Two evenings are available free of charge on presentation of invitations collected from the Antibes Juan-les-Pins tourist office: 14th July, featuring the Japanese Banksia Trio alongside French singers Laura Anglade and Maë Defays, and 19th July, a gospel closing with American singer Linda Lee Hopkins. Additional free programming runs throughout the festival under the Jammin’ Summer Sessions strand at the petite Pinède and the Albert Camus media library.

Tickets range from €35 to €135 depending on the evening. The box office opens on 25th March at 09:00 at jazzajuan.com.

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Photo credit: Guillaume Laurent, Flickr

Only one in 10 of Monaco’s private sector workers actually lives in the Principality

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/03/2026

Monaco employs nearly 60,000 people in its private sector, but only a fraction of them call the Principality home. According to the latest figures from IMSEE, Monaco’s statistics institute, just 10% of private sector workers — around 5,975 people — live in Monaco itself. The vast majority commute in daily from elsewhere.

The largest share, 81%, live in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France, with a further 21% in a neighbouring municipality. Eight percent live in Italy, making it the second country of residence after France. The third most common country of residence is Portugal — which may come as a surprise given its geographical distance — a reflection of the significant Portuguese community that has long been embedded in Monaco’s workforce.

Who makes up the workforce

French nationals make up 62% of the private sector workforce, the largest single nationality by some distance. Italians account for 15%, Portuguese workers 7%, with the remaining workforce drawn from 145 different nationalities. Monégasques themselves represent just 2% of the private sector, or 1,011 people. The average age of a private sector worker in Monaco is 42.5 years, with men accounting for 61% of the workforce and women 39%.

A workforce in slight decline

The data, published by IMSEE in March and based on figures from 2025, covers 59,724 active employees across Monaco’s private sector — a figure that fell by 1.2%, or 730 people, compared with the previous year. The total number of hours worked across 2025 stood at 105.7 million, down 2 million on the previous year.

The figures illustrate the extent to which Monaco’s economy depends on a cross-border workforce, with the vast majority of the people who keep the Principality running returning each evening to homes across the French border.

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Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti