The Yacht Club de Monaco was transformed into a garden of celestial beauty this past weekend as the 57th International Bouquet Competition — organised by the Garden Club de Monaco under the High Patronage of Prince Albert II and the presidency of the Princess of Hanover — drew floral artists from across Europe to compete under the theme ‘Céleste’.
Prince Albert II and the Princess of Hanover toured the stands alongside Marco Casiraghi, Cécilia Casiraghi, Mélanie-Antoinette de Massy, Minister of State Christophe Mirmand and Christiane da Luz, pausing to engage with participants whose compositions interpreted the poetry of the sky, light and celestial beauty across seven categories — from ‘L’Orage’ (The Storm) to ‘Les Aurores Boréales’ (The Northern Lights).
The prize-giving
The Princess of Hanover took to the stage to present the awards. The Grand Prix Général and Prix Princesse Grace de Monaco were among the evening’s most coveted distinctions, with Gold Insignia awarded across all seven categories. Standout winners included Frédérique de Chambure and Maryse Gras in the storm-themed opening category, Fabienne Obry of Bordeaux for her lunar pedestal composition, and Francesca Barinci of Livorno for her eclipse-inspired creation.
In the table decoration category — Dîner sous les Étoiles — Federico Silvestri of Alassio took gold, while Geneviève Antona of the Garden Club de Monaco claimed the top prize for the evocative Lune Rousse sur la Mer category. Giuseppina Granero of Italy won gold in the Northern Lights category.
Young talent takes the stage
The competition’s youth categories drew entries from Monaco’s next generation of floral artists, with children aged six to 14 competing in their own divisions under the theme Le Soleil. In the six-to-nine age group, Sacha Blasco took gold ahead of Carla Tavernier and Alice Pliner. Among the 10-to-14-year-olds, Charlène Barois claimed the top prize, with Sky Janssens in silver and Rose Deluga in bronze.
The exhibition remained open to the public until 18:30 on Sunday at the Yacht Club de Monaco.
AS Monaco risk missing out on all forms of European football as a 1-0 loss at home to Lille on Sunday night saw them drop to seventh ahead of the final week of the season.
It was only a matter of weeks ago that optimism had returned to the Stade Louis II. Distanced from the European race and languishing in mid-table mid-season, it required a significant effort to drag themselves back up the table. But they managed it. Nine league wins in a row saw Monaco once again in prime position to secure some form of European football. A return to the Champions League was a very real possibility. But having beaten the likes of Marseille, Lyon, and PSG during their impressive run from February through March, the wheels fell off against minnows such as Toulouse, Paris FC, and Auxerre. Taking just two points from a possible nine in that three-game run left Sébastien Pocognoli’s men on the back foot once again.
The situation was critical but not terminal when Lille arrived. Ahead of Marseille, their sixth-place standing could have been enough to secure Europa League football. It may still be, but if they are to secure it, they must beat Strasbourg on the final day of the season and hope that OM stumble at home to Rennes, who retain hope of UCL qualification themselves.
Monaco and Lille both “lacklustre”
It was a passive performance, all too common over the course of the campaign, that brought Monaco close to breaking point. “Lacklustre” was the word used by Sébastien Pocognoli on a night when Monaco’s dream of a third successive Champions League qualification died.
It was Lille, in search of a place on the podium, who brought the intensity, forcing Monaco into errors in their own half. Their pressing yielded no clear chance, though. There was a scare for Monaco when Clément Turpin pointed to the spot when he adjudged Jordan Teze to have brought down Matias Fernandez-Pardo. The Dutchman looked a little surprised. When you say the replays, you could see why. There was no contact, and the decision was overturned. The first clear chance fell to Maghnes Akliouche, perhaps in his final game at the Stade Louis II, but from a tight angle, his curled effort flew just the wrong side of the far post.
“It wasn’t a great match generally. There were very few chances for either side and no clear domination,” said Pocognoli. Such games can be decided by one error, and so it was on Sunday. Lamine Camara, also linked with a summer move and perhaps playing in the Principality for the last time, misplaced his ball back for Thilo Kehrer. It allowed Gaetan Perrin to run through and pull the ball across the goal for Thomas Meunier. It would never reach the latter. Instead, scrambling to recover, Denis Zakaria would put it past Lukas Hradecky and into his own net.
“It has been a gruelling season” – Pocognoli
Monaco fell behind in the 72nd minute and wouldn’t have another shot on target; they were limited to just three on target all game. For much of the season, Les Monégasques have been reacting, and on Sunday night, there wasn’t one. On the final day, Monaco’s fate is out of their hands as they fight for the more minor European competitions.
“The match tonight showed us that we don’t belong in the Champions League,” said Hradecky. “Overall, individually, as a club, as a team, we have to do better. Sixth and seventh position, it is not what I came to play for. I don’t think it is what anyone expected.”
“It has been a gruelling season,” added Pocognoli. “There have been highs and lows, and that in itself expends a lot of energy […] there have been some great evenings, but unfortunately not enough.” The Monaco manager has spoken a lot about energy and how much was expended to get back into a position that gave rise to hope. But that energy, as was evident against Lille, has run out. To beat Strasbourg and dream – if that is even the right word – of a sixth place, they will have to tap into their reserves. Doing so will not be easy. “There are still things to fight for,” Pocognoli sought to highlight post-match. At the start of the season, Monaco wouldn’t have thought that they would be fighting for scraps when they travelled to the Meinau.
Nikki Beach St-Tropez has announced a Sunday dining series running throughout May and June. Titled ‘Amazing Sundays | Taste & Celebrate’, the programme pairs themed menus with live music each week, with executive group chef Alessandro Pizza leading the culinary offer alongside local producers and brand partners.
The series opens on 10th May with a Farm to Table Sunday, followed by a Seafood Sunday on 17th May. On 24th May, chef Nicolas Sintes presents a French Riviera menu in partnership with Miraval. Mother’s Day on 31st May is marked with a dedicated menu under the banner A Tasteful Mother’s Day.
June highlights
The June programme includes a Wagyu BBQ, a La Dolce Vita edition in collaboration with Campari, a Father’s Day Rotisserie, and a Caviar Day. Full dates for the June events are yet to be confirmed.
Miraval features as a partner across multiple editions, including the Mother’s Day sitting.
The Amazing Sundays series is part of Nikki Beach St-Tropez’s broader 2026 summer season.
More than 180 postage stamps and a rare postal document on loan from the Prince’s Palace are at the heart of a new exhibition opening at Monaco’s Museum of Stamps and Coins on 11th May, tracing the history of human movement from the first foot messengers to the technologies reshaping travel today.
Voyage au fil du timbre — on display until 27th September 2026 at the Terrasses de Fontvieille — uses philately as an unlikely but compelling lens through which to examine the transport revolutions that have reshaped societies across centuries. The postal document on exceptional loan from the Palace dates to 1870, lending the exhibition a rare archival anchor.
Small objects, big history
Postage stamps, by their nature, capture a moment: a technology celebrated, a milestone commemorated, a national pride expressed. Assembled in sequence, the more than 180 pieces in this exhibition tell the story of how humans have relentlessly pushed the limits of distance, speed and communication — from horse-drawn coaches and early railways to aviation, maritime routes and the digital age.
The exhibition traces not only the mechanics of transport but its broader consequences: the circulation of ideas, the expansion of commerce and the social bonds forged by the ability to move people and goods across the world.
The racing section
A dedicated section brings the story closer to Monaco’s own identity, charting the evolution of the leisure and racing automobile from its earliest incarnations to the present day. Through stamps depicting iconic cars, the display traces the technical and aesthetic transformations of motorsport — a nod to the Principality’s enduring relationship with speed, performance and the spirit of competition.
Voyage au fil du timbre runs at the Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies, Terrasses de Fontvieille, from 11th May to 27th September 2026. Entry is €3.
Curated by the artistic director of the Atelier du Quai des Artistes’ exhibitions – Mr OneTeas – the new exhibition Motors is bringing together a diverse collective of contemporary artists exploring the world of motorsport.
During a press conference on Thursday 7th May at Quai des Artistes in Monaco — where the exhibition Motors is currently on display — artist Mr OneTeas presented the vision behind the exhibition: an artistic exploration of motorsport in all its forms. Moving beyond Formula 1 and Grand Prix racing alone, Motors embraces the wider universe of mechanical sports, from historic racing and endurance competitions to motorcycle culture, interpreted through a diverse range of artistic styles and mediums.
“The concept behind the exhibition was not to invite a single artist to create an entire series around motorsport, but rather to bring together artists from very different backgrounds, including some who had never worked with this theme before and agreed to experiment with it for the occasion,” artist Mr OneTeas to local press.
Motors, which opened on 30th April, brings together an eclectic collective of artists united by a shared fascination with motorsport. Painters, graffiti artists, and sculptors take over the venue’s walls and spaces, as distinctive talents explore speed, movement, competition, and mechanical beauty through their own visual languages — all while the Principality itself pulses to the sound of roaring engines and screeching tires.
Photo credit: Virginia D’Umas, Monaco Life
The exhibition features works by Harry James, Sly2, Mr OneTeas, Indy Saki, Loris Quintana, Kotek, Dario Vella, Asia Nasi, Rice, Francis Puivif, Fred-Z, Jordane Saget and Gérard Haton-Gauthier.
More than a celebration of racing, Motors invites visitors to pause and rediscover — through a fresh artistic perspective — the emotion, mythology, and aesthetic power of a discipline that has inspired generations of legends.
The artists behind Motorse
The exhibition itself is highly eclectic. Many of the artists come from urban art and graffiti culture. One striking example is the painting of a young girl wearing a racing suit marked “Féérie” instead of “Ferrari”. The artist, Sly2, created this work to question the place of women in Formula 1 today: when will we finally see women competing alongside men at the highest level of motorsport? The work has a dreamlike, poetic atmosphere — set in a schoolyard, with a young girl imagining herself as a future racing driver.
Most artists created two formats for the exhibition: one large and one smaller piece. Some works arrived at the last minute, like Jordane Saget’s installation representing the starting lights of a race. Originally, the work was over two meters long and featured all the race lights together; here, only part of the installation is shown.
Photo credit: Virginia D’Umas, Monaco Life
“Dario Vella, whose work we previously exhibited in a solo show, contributed pieces in his recognisable universe populated by animals and fable-like imagery. Here, vintage racing cars coexist with foxes and farm animals, creating playful narratives inspired by motorsport,” said Mr OneTeas. “We were also delighted to include Harry James, who created a portrait of Charles Leclerc in his distinctive style, as well as a hybrid creature inspired by Lewis Hamilton — continuing his fascination with transformation and mythology.”
Many artists wanted to pay homage to racing driver Ayrton Senna, but l’Atelier du Quai des Artistes chose to include only one homage by Harry James, framed by works from Francis Puivif. He poetically combines everyday objects and reclaimed materials, creating works that move between sculpture and painting. His works at Motors create a fascinating dialogue between the circuit and the circus.
From Fangio to modern life: The vision of Mr OneTeas
Graffiti artist, painter, photographer, and sculptor based in Monaco, Anthony Alberti — better known under the artist name Mr OneTeas — is actively involved in major events in the Principality, whether art-related or not. He has developed a deep understanding of the local cultural landscape, where he has become a key figure.
As artistic director of the Atelier du Quai des Artistes’ exhibitions, he also contributed his own work to this show, for which he personally brought together the group of artists forming the Motors collective.
“One is a portrait of Juan Manuel Fangio, known as El Maestro or El Chueco. Fangio originally dreamed of becoming a football player before turning to motorsport and eventually becoming a five-time world champion. Since Monaco was one of his legendary victories, I wanted to pay tribute to him here,” said the artist.
His second work, Racing Through Life, was created using authentic vintage oil cans. It reflects on the speed of modern life — how we rush constantly, until events like the pandemic suddenly force us to stop and reconsider time itself.
Photo credit: Virginia D’Umas, Monaco Life
The many faces of MOTORS
One of the most touching stories in the exhibition is that of an 18-year-old artist exhibiting for the very first time. Mr OneTeas discovered her pencil drawings by chance at her father’s home in Italy and was immediately struck by their quality. Since she is passionate about automobiles, he invited her to participate in this exhibition. For Motors, she created her very first acrylic portrait.
“I loved the contrast between such a young emerging artist and our oldest exhibiting artist, Gérard Haton-Gauthier, who has decades of experience — it created a beautiful dialogue between generations,” said the artistic director of l’Atelier du Quai des Artistes.
Fred Genovese, who goes by the artist name Fred-Z, contributed a work titled Rhinocerosso, inspired both by Ferrari’s iconic “Testa Rossa” and by classical art history. The piece, depicting a rhinoceros in Ferrari red with the number 1 on its shoulder — symbolising the dream position every Formula 1 driver aims for — combines racing imagery, checkerboard patterns reminiscent of finish lines, and symbols of ambition, success, and competition.
Loris Quintana, originally a calligrapher and graffiti artist, created works where the image emerges through negative space between layers of calligraphic forms. His pieces explore movement, rhythm, and hidden imagery.
Another remarkable contribution to this exhibition comes from multidisciplinary artist Indy Saki, who created a sculptural Red Bull helmet combining resin, carved wood, and dynamic relief effects to evoke speed and motion.
What makes Motors particularly strong is its this diversity. Rather than simply displaying existing works, most of the artists created entirely new pieces specifically for the exhibition. Each artist brought their own visual language, their own concerns, and their own universe into dialogue with the world of motorsport. That variety is what gives this exhibition its real energy and identity.
The Fédération Monégasque d’Athlétisme (FMA) unveiled its 2026 summer programme on Thursday 7th May, sharing the first major highlights of the upcoming Meeting Herculis EBS. The Hôtel Hermitage hosted the presentation in which Rodolphe Berlin, Vice President of the FMA, and Frédéric Choquard, Director of the federation, outlined the organisation’s ambitions for the upcoming summer season.
An expanded summer calendar will offer two new major athletics events. On 30th May, the FMA will organise the European Challenger Championships. This one-day competition brings together 18 nations, serving as the athletics equivalent of the Games of the Small States of Europe, which Monaco will host in 2027.
On 5th August at 6pm, the Monaco Athletics Festival will take place on Quai Albert-Ier. This event, organised in partnership with the ‘What Gravity Tour’ led by Mutaz Barshim, will bring together 12 of the world’s best high jumpers in the heart of Monaco.
Meeting Herculis EBS returns in July
The main event of the summer will be the Meeting Herculis EBS, scheduled for 10th July at Stade Louis II from 7pm. Over nearly 40 years, this event has been ranked several times as the best athletics meeting in the world and has been part of the Wanda Diamond League since its creation in 2010.
The 2025 edition featured elite performances, three continental records, several national records, and record-breaking national TV audiences. Expectations are already high for 2026 as the competition gears up for another highly competitive edition.
The FMA announced its expanded partnership with TVMonaco, which will handle the full production and live broadcast of the event. This growing collaboration highlights the importance of local media partnerships within the Principality.
The Meeting Herculis EBS will continue to welcome technological innovation. After successfully integrating the Wavelight pacing system, LED lights used to indicate world record and qualifying pace, the 2026 edition will debut adhesive race bibs designed to improve athlete comfort and movement. This technology, tested in 2025, will be rolled out across the Diamond League circuit.
Mondo Duplantis and a new pole vault format
Furthermore, Stade Louis II will feature the installation of a second pole vault runway designed to enhance the spectacle and create a unique viewing experience for fans. The idea was heavily encouraged by world record holder Mondo Duplantis, who confirmed his participation in the event.
Speaking on the addition of the second pole vault runway, Duplantis – who was at the presentation – said: “It took some convincing from my end. It would have felt weird to wake up and be so close to the competition and not be a part of it.” Duplantis has recently become a resident of the Principality and has begun settling into life here both on and off the track. “Monaco is a really special place for me, a special place to compete as well.”
During the 2025 edition, he set a new meeting record at 6.05m, before narrowly missing another world record attempt. Speaking on competing this year, Duplantis added: “The mindset going into the competition, now that I’m here at the home stadium and where I’m training, it just feels like a world record is needed. That’s something I really want to do.”
Other headline athletes have begun confirming their appearance at the event. Faith Kipyegon, who set a still-standing world record in the mile during her 2023 appearance in Monaco, will compete at this year’s event. Jimmy Gressier, the 2025 world champion in the 10,000m, will also compete in the 5000m.
Beyond the competition, the Meeting Herculis EBS will host a full day dedicated to athletics, including nearly 50 amateur races held on the same day as the event. This initiative reflects the organisers’ desire to make athletics accessible to all. All participants will be invited to attend the meeting.
