To celebrate 100 days until the start of La Vuelta, which will begin in Monaco on 22nd August, Amazónico Monte-Carlo hosted a cocktail evening on Thursday to mark the occasion. As one of cycling’s most iconic races, La Vuelta is set to bring added excitement to the Principality this summer.
The evening welcomed Prince Albert II, Javier Guillén, Director of La Vuelta, and guests from Monaco and the world of cycling. Nearby, overlooking Place du Casino, residents and visitors can find a countdown clock building anticipation ahead of the race.
While the race does not officially begin until Saturday 22nd August, Thursday 20 August will kick off the festivities with team introductions. The opening day of competition on 22 August will feature a 9.6-kilometre individual time trial through the streets of Monaco. Following this, the second stage will begin the next day as riders depart Monaco and continue into France.
To mark the milestone, the Palais Princier was illuminated in red, symbolising the famous Spanish race. While the event will attract international attention, it also offers Monaco an opportunity to further strengthen its relationship with international cycling.
Monaco is marking this year’s Fête de la Musique with a free outdoor concert by French electronic producer Petit Biscuit, taking place on Sunday 21st June from 8:30pm on the Esplanade des Pêcheurs.
The setting is new for this edition — the waterfront esplanade transformed into an open-air stage facing the Mediterranean, with entry free to all. Support sets from DJs Sunlee and Karlota open the evening before Petit Biscuit takes to the stage. A relaxation area, set up in partnership with Monte Carlo Beer, will offer a spot to unwind between sets.
The artist
Petit Biscuit — real name Mehdi Benjelloun — broke through at 16 with Sunset Lover, a track that accumulated hundreds of millions of streams and established him as one of the most recognisable names in contemporary French electronic music. Since then, he has built a career spanning worldwide tours, billions of streams and a growing international fanbase.
His most recent artistic chapter, Movement I and Movement II, released in 2025, marks a shift toward a more powerful, emotionally driven electronic sound — built for large stages and collective experiences. That energy is what he will bring to Monaco on 21st June.
Accessible parking is available at the Digue, Pêcheurs and Antoine 1er car parks.
The Crossing is back. The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation’s flagship sporting challenge returns on 19th and 20th June with a brand-new 225-kilometre water bike route linking Viareggio to Monaco — the most ambitious edition of the event since its launch in 2020.
Teams of four elite athletes will depart from the Viareggio Yacht Club on Friday 19th June, taking turns on the water over nearly 24 hours of continuous racing before arriving at Larvotto Beach in Monaco on Saturday 20th June. Exact departure and arrival times will be confirmed 48 hours in advance.
Through Europe’s largest marine sanctuary
This year’s edition introduces an environmental dimension that sets it apart from previous crossings. The route passes through the Pelagos Marine Sanctuary — a 87,500-square-kilometre territory forming a triangle between France, Italy and Monaco, and the largest marine area dedicated to the protection of marine mammals in Europe. Established in 1999, the sanctuary is home to dolphins, fin whales and other iconic Mediterranean species, making the race as much a statement of environmental commitment as a test of athletic endurance.
Organised by the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation since 2020, The Crossing combines sport with social purpose — raising awareness and funds for the Foundation’s work in swimming education, drowning prevention and the promotion of the human values of sport. The Foundation operates across 45 countries and has reached more than two million beneficiaries worldwide.
Details of the team members are expected to be revealed over the coming weeks.
A donation platform and real-time race tracking will be available to the public throughout the event, allowing supporters to follow the crossing and contribute to the Foundation’s mission as it unfolds.
Amidst the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival, at the Italian Pavilion inside Cannes’s Majestic Hotel, Matera International Film Festival (MATIFF) Artistic Director Valentina Quinn presented the festival’s seventh edition, scheduled to run from 26th September to 4th October 2026.
The press conference on Friday 15th May also marked the debut of MAMA – Matera Market, a premier new global marketplace designed to connect independent filmmakers with top-tier producers from the USA, UK, Ireland, and Saudi Arabia.
Sharing the grand vision for MATIFF’s future was an esteemed panel featuring founder and president Leonardo Fuina, Artistic Director Valentina Castellani-Quinn, and incoming jury president Joyce Pierpoline, director of the BAFTA Awards. The panel also highlighted the industry expertise of film consultant Hans Fraikin and cultural councillor Simona Orsi, with actress Ester Pantano—last year’s festival ‘godmother’—elegantly introducing the high-profile gathering.
Drawing on her background in Los Angeles and the rich cinematic heritage of her family—most notably legendary actor Anthony Quinn—Valentina Castellani-Quinn intends to strip away modern Hollywood vanity at the Matera International Film Festival. Her aim is to capture the authentic, independent spirit of the early Sundance Festival and plant it firmly in Italy’s historic heart.
“My vision for MATIFF is to bring cinema back to its roots,” Castellani-Quinn said during the press conference. “Much like the early days of Sundance, where I collaborated for years, we want a festival focused purely on the art of storytelling, not the noise of the red carpet. Matera may feel like it’s in the middle of nowhere, but it is the perfect canvas for filmmakers to dream together.”
From left to right: actress Ester Pantano, Valentina Quinn, Joyce Pierpoline and Hans Fraikin. Photo by Virginia D’Umas, Monaco Life
Matera’s new marketplace: redefining independent cinema in Italy’s historic heart
Dating back an astonishing 10,000 years, Matera stands as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. As film industry veteran Hans Fraikin humorously remarked during the conference: “It’s about time they have a film festival”.
Fraikin, who brings decades of elite global experience from Hollywood’s 20th Century Fox to prestigious film councils in Canada and Abu Dhabi, is lending his formidable expertise to the MATIFF team to launch MAMA – Matera Market.
“Throughout my career, I have seen hundreds of independent film festivals inject vast amounts of capital and press into their launches, only to fail because they lack the business engine to sustain them,” Fraikin explained. “A festival provides the glamour, but the market is where the deals are struck. That is the exact gap Valentina and Leonardo are filling. This is the Mediterranean ‘Davos’ of film.”
Unlike traditional Italian markets like the Venice Production Bridge or Rome’s MIA—which strictly require filmmakers to already have 70% of their production budget secured in the bank to participate—MAMA takes a radically supportive approach. The market will cater directly to writers and directors who possess brilliant projects but are still building their initial cast and foundational backing. Designed from the ground up for high-level deal-making, it will feature highly curated “speed-dating” sessions to seamlessly connect global co-producers, sales agents, and distributors.
In a groundbreaking international coup, the festival has also secured an exclusive partnership with the American Film Market (AFM).
“Recognising that many emerging talents struggle to navigate such powerful institutional landscapes, the AFM leadership will personally travel to Italy to help launch this initiative,” Fraikin noted on Friday. “This creates a highly accessible, creator-focused industry hub designed to connect raw global talent directly with powerhouse production companies.”
Valentina Quinn during the MATIFF press conference. Photo by Virginia D’Umas, Monaco Life
The Mediterranean: a mirror to the world
The chosen theme for 2026 is ‘Mediterranean, Mirror of the World’—an image that serves as a profound cultural and political metaphor, designed to reflect on the Mediterranean as a space of memory, identity, migration, and future possibilities. This thematic thread naturally intertwines with Matera’s candidacy for Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue 2026, further elevating the international standing of the historic Lucanian city.
Alongside the competitive categories for feature films, shorts, documentaries, and animation, the festival is expanding its educational branch. This will introduce writing and screenplaying workshops alongside panels covering filmmaking, film marketing, and distribution. This framework is specifically tailored to the next generation of filmmakers, equipping them with practical tools and rare opportunities for direct engagement with the global industry giants.
Furthermore, the ‘A Drop of Hope’ initiative will return, dedicated to fostering intercultural and interreligious dialogue through cinema, reaffirming the festival’s profound civic and humanitarian core.
During the Cannes conference, two symbolic accolades for the 2026 edition were also presented: the MATIFF Excellence in Film Artistry Award 2026 was bestowed upon visionary director Pan Nalin, while the Luchino Visconti Lifetime Achievement Award honoured Alberto Barbera, the esteemed Artistic Director of the Venice International Film Festival.
Reflecting on the festival’s deeper emotional purpose, MATIFF founder Leonardo Fuina concluded: “At 50, I decided I shouldn’t stop dreaming. I wanted to make people dream about our culture, linking Venice, Cannes, and my home country, Matera, together. Embracing these dreams is essential; they are one of the final beacons of hope alive in our society today, and we must never let them go.”
Monaco’s Condamine market is temporarily relocating to the Espace Léo Ferré from 26th May, as the Place d’Armes is taken over by the Fan Zone for the 2026 Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Grand Prix de Monaco and renovation works on the market hall continue.
Market traders will cease operations at the current site on 23rd May — produce vendors closing at midday and kiosk and barnum traders at 10pm. From 26th May, market gardeners, producers, the florist and Solis Bio will welcome the public at the Espace Léo Ferré for a transitional period of three weeks, before returning to the Place d’Armes once the Grand Prix has concluded.
The Mairie’s home delivery service will be maintained throughout the relocation period.
Opening hours at the Espace Léo Ferré are as follows: the market opens to the public on 26th May at 7am; produce vendors and the florist operate daily from 7am to 1pm; Solis Bio is open daily from 7am to 7pm, except Sundays.
Everything you need to know about Monaco’s ocean emergency summit this month
The ocean’s surface temperature hit a record high of nearly 21°C in March 2026 — half a degree above the 1993-2022 average. Ecosystems are under mounting pressure, financing for ocean protection remains inadequate, and governance of the world’s seas is fragmented. Against that backdrop, Monaco is hosting two back-to-back international gatherings from 27th to 29th May designed to move the conversation from diagnosis to action.
Two complementary events will take place across three days. The Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI) opens on 27th May at the Oceanographic Museum, bringing together more than 100 scientists, policymakers, international organisations and economic actors. The Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF) follows on 28th and 29th May at the Grimaldi Forum, targeting more than 300 investors, financial institutions, businesses and political leaders. Both are co-organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco.
What is being discussed?
The MBI will focus on three central themes: the post-2025 ocean agenda — assessing how the international milestones of 2025 have reshaped ocean governance and what needs to happen before 2030; ocean governance and financing in a fragmented world; and the BBNJ Agreement and the protection of marine areas on the high seas. A series of thematic workshops will run alongside the main sessions.
The BEFF picks up where the MBI leaves off, translating scientific and governance priorities into concrete financial levers. Key themes include blue economy financing, decarbonisation of maritime transport, sustainable food resources from the sea, and integrating the blue economy into global financial strategies. An innovation hub will showcase companies developing solutions for a regenerative blue economy.
Who is speaking?
At the MBI, confirmed speakers include Sylvie Goulard, co-president of the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits; Valerie Hickey, World Bank Director for Environment; Serge Ekue, President of the West African Development Bank; Karen Sack, Executive Director of the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance; and Pascal Lamy, former Director General of the World Trade Organisation.
At the BEFF, confirmed speakers include Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer at Standard Chartered; Guillaume Branco, Managing Director of Eurazeo; Mike Velings, Co-founder and CEO of Aqua-Spark; and Bertrand Charron, Global Director of Research at the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.
Why Monaco and why now?
The BEFF made a significant impact at its first edition in 2025, held alongside the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice — attracting 1,800 participants from nearly 100 countries, identifying more than €25 billion in investment opportunities and unlocking €8.7 billion in additional commitments for the blue economy transition.
“We no longer lack scientific knowledge — we lack execution,” said Cyril Gomez, Deputy Director General of the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco. “The problem is no longer understanding, it is acting. Without clear governance and readable rules of the game, it is difficult for the private sector to engage and invest in the right direction. In Monaco, we offer a unique platform, over three days, to address these issues at the highest level.”
Romain Ciarlet, Vice-President and Chief Executive of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, added: “The Blue Economy and Finance Forum is committed to being a lever for action, mobilising private sector actors, philanthropists and investors to transform commitments into concrete solutions in service of the ocean.”
