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Day: 1 September 2026

From champions to third tier: Roca Team reveals plan to rebuild

by: Kayla Sauceda
01/09/2026

After a seemingly never-ending uphill battle for AS Monaco Basketball, the Roca Team remains excluded from France’s top two basketball divisions and has now declared its ambitions to register for Nationale Masculine 1.

Due to financial challenges throughout the 2025-2026 season and a lack of a solid restructuring plan heading into the upcoming season, Monaco faced multiple rejections in its efforts to retain its place at the highest level of French basketball.

On Tuesday 1st September, the Roca Team released a statement announcing that it had submitted an application to compete in NM1, with the ambition of “regaining its place at the top of French basketball”. Despite being reigning Betclic Élite champions, the team is now facing a potentially massive drop in level, with NM1 representing the third tier of French basketball, should the application be approved.

With time not on its side, Monaco’s administration was forced to consider alternative options after multiple appeals failed to secure the club’s place in the top competitions. Following months of deliberation, appeals, and rejections, Monaco has ultimately turned to NM1 as its most promising path forward.

Alongside this, Monaco will no longer compete in the EuroCup as planned and has officially been replaced in the competition’s lineup. Bosna BH Telecom Sarajevo has been announced as Monaco’s replacement for the upcoming season.

The club’s statement also shared that the youth academy will play a crucial role in the rebuilding of the Roca Team, with Monaco now looking towards its younger players as part of its efforts to work its way back up the French basketball pyramid.

Looking ahead, the Roca Team still faces a great deal of uncertainty. There are no guarantees that its NM1 application will be approved, and even if it is, questions remain over what that transition will look like for a team that was competing at the highest level in Europe just last season.

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Photo credit: AS Monaco Basket

Prince Albert gives retiring Palace chef new gastronomy role

by: Cassandra Tanti
01/09/2026

Christian Garcia may have retired from the kitchens of the Prince’s Palace after almost 40 years, but his work for Prince Albert II is continuing in a new role.

A Sovereign Decision published in the latest Journal de Monaco appoints Garcia as the Prince’s Personal Representative for Gastronomy from 1st September 2026.

The appointment comes immediately after Garcia stepped down as head chef of the Prince’s Palace, where he had served the Princely Family since 1987.

The decision does not set out his formal responsibilities, but Garcia is expected to continue representing Monaco through international culinary events and organising charitable dinners around the world.

A career extending beyond the Palace kitchens

Garcia arrived at the Palace aged 23 for what was intended to be a seven-month replacement. He remained for almost four decades, serving Prince Rainier III and later Prince Albert II.

During that time, he prepared meals for the Princely Family as well as state dinners and official receptions attended by figures including Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama and Angela Merkel.

His influence has also extended well beyond Monaco. Garcia is president of the Club des Chefs des Chefs, an international association bringing together the personal chefs of heads of state and government.

The organisation uses gastronomy as a form of cultural diplomacy while supporting charitable projects and encouraging cooperation between chefs serving world leaders.

His new appointment allows Garcia to continue that work with an official mandate from Prince Albert.

Cédric Chabaudie takes over at the Palace

Cédric Chabaudie has succeeded Garcia as chef to Prince Albert II and will oversee the day-to-day kitchens of the Palace.

Chabaudie comes to Monaco after working in the kitchens of the Élysée Palace, where he served the French presidency.

Garcia’s transition therefore brings an end to his daily work at the Palace while preserving his connection to the Sovereign and Monaco’s international gastronomic activities.

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Photo credit: Axel Bastello, Palais Princier

MonacoUSA members to run New York’s ‘Tunnel to Towers 5K’ for 25th 9/11 anniversary

by: Virginia D’Umas
01/09/2026

A delegation from the MonacoUSA association is set to join nearly 30,000 participants in New York City for the ‘Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk’ to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 11th September attacks. The delegation is travelling to honour first responders and reaffirm the enduring diplomatic and personal ties between Monaco and the United States. 

The event, to be held on  Sunday 27th September, retraces the final journey of firefighter Stephen Siller, one of the 343 New York City firefighters who lost their lives on 11th September 2001, after carrying nearly 60 pounds of equipment through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers. 

A personal connection to New York

The Monaco delegation includes Board member and native New Yorker Merrily Lustig Tornatore – participating for the sixth time – alongside her husband Rémy Tornatore, Board member Kimberlee Smith, local residents Marie-Pierre Porri, Yannick Barrel, and Marie Serra, and International University of Monaco alumni Benjamin Franco and Andrew Agnello.

“I was born and raised in New York, and even after all these years in Monaco, I will always be a New Yorker,” said Lustig Tornatore.

Watching the events unfold from Europe in 2001, she was unable to reach her mother in Manhattan, returning weeks later to a city in mourning. “The families and friends of those who lost their lives are still with us. That is why we must continue to tell their stories – to honour their memory and pass it on to future generations,” she added.

Maguy Maccario Doyle, Ambassador of Monaco to the United States and Canada. Photo credit: Embassy of the Principality of Monaco

Standing between paradise and hell

The anniversary carries deep institutional resonance for Monaco, whose presence in New York spans more than six decades and is anchored by the legacy of American-born Princess Grace.

Maguy Maccario Doyle, Ambassador of Monaco to the United States and Canada, was serving as Monaco’s Consul General in New York on the morning of 11th September. Stationed at offices on the corner of 46th Street and Fifth Avenue, her team watched flames and smoke ripple from the towers before evacuating amid conflicting reports of further airborne threats.

Walking with her youngest daughter through Central Park after collecting her from school, Ambassador Maccario Doyle recalled the stark contrast of the environment. “In the park, everything seemed calm, beautiful, almost idyllic,” she said. “Looking south toward Wall Street, we could see the immense cloud of smoke rising above Lower Manhattan. Around us, the serenity of Central Park; in the distance, the image of a city struck at its very heart. We felt as though we were standing between paradise and hell.”

Prince Albert II in New York to present Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (to his left) with a $700,000 donation to the ‘Twin Towers Relief Fund’. Photo credit: Embassy of the Principality of Monaco

The story behind Prince Albert’s $700,000 donation

Faced with months of sustained trauma – encompassing lingering smoke, security alerts, the anthrax scares, the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 in Queens, and endless funeral processions for emergency personnel at St. Patrick’s Cathedral – Ambassador Maccario Doyle sought a concrete outlet for solidarity.

When established relief channels proved overwhelmed, she proposed a dedicated fundraising campaign to Prince Rainier III’s Chief of Cabinet. With the backing of the Sovereign and the Princely Government, Monaco residents, businesses, and the Princess Grace Foundation-USA mobilised support. On 23rd October 2001, Prince Albert – then Hereditary Prince – travelled to New York to present Mayor Rudolph Giuliani with a $700,000 donation to the ‘Twin Towers Relief Fund’.

“Twenty-five years later, we remember those who lost their lives and honour those who ran toward danger to save others,” Ambassador Maccario Doyle concluded.

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Prince Albert II in New York after the 9/11 attacks. Photo credit: Embassy of the Principality of Monaco

French Riviera and Monaco dominate summer charter market

by: Cassandra Tanti
01/09/2026

The French Riviera and Monaco have been named the world’s most popular summer superyacht charter destination, as global bookings continue to rise despite economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

The ranking appears in the new BoatPro Monaco Yacht Show Market Report, using booking data supplied by YachtFolio, the charter platform operated by MYBA The Worldwide Yachting Association.

The French Riviera and Monaco ranked ahead of Corsica, Sardinia, northern mainland Italy and Provence for summer charter activity. During winter, demand shifts largely to the Caribbean, led by the Leeward Islands, the Bahamas and the Windward Islands.

Global charter bookings continue to rise

Bookings aboard yachts measuring more than 20 metres increased by 10.28% between 2023 and 2025, reaching 13,812 charters last year. The average booking lasted 8.2 days.

While established Mediterranean destinations continue to account for most summer activity, the report identified growing demand for charters built around adventure, wellness and environmental considerations. Interest is also expanding into less traditional cruising grounds, including Southeast Asia, the Galápagos Islands, Canada’s west coast and Australia’s Kimberley region.

More yachts could put pressure on prices

The number of yachts available for charter has increased by 9.33% since 2023, following several years in which demand outpaced supply.

BoatPro said the additional competition could begin to moderate charter prices, giving an advantage to operators offering competitive rates, well-managed fleets and larger or more environmentally efficient yachts.

Demand for vessels exceeding 50 metres remains strong, despite a slight decline in the average size of yachts booked during 2025.

The findings reinforce Monaco and the French Riviera’s central position in the international charter market ahead of the Monaco Yacht Show, which will bring yacht owners, builders, brokers and charter specialists to Port Hercule from 23rd to 26th September.

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Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti

 

 

European police forces to gather in Monaco for inaugural Padel Cup

by: Virginia D’Umas
01/09/2026

Police officers from ten European nations will travel to the Principality for the inaugural European Police Padel Cup, running from 15th to 18th September.

Organised by the Association Sportive de la Sûreté Publique (ASSP) under the guidance of the Union Sportive des Polices d’Europe (USPE), the tournament represents a major new chapter for athletic competition within law enforcement.

Capitalising on the sport’s continental boom 

Padel has enjoyed explosive growth across Europe over the past quarter-century. In recent years, the rapid proliferation of dedicated facilities has reflected the discipline’s sustained popularity among athletes and the general public alike. Capitalising on this momentum, the ASSP led the initiative to bring European law enforcement officers together for a premier sporting showcase.

Delegations arrive in the Principality

Competitors representing ten countries – Monaco, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Belgium, Cyprus, Luxembourg, and Sweden – will arrive on Tuesday 15th September. 

The official opening ceremony will take place at 11am on Wednesday 16th September at Fort Antoine, introducing the competing teams to the public. Tournament matches follow on Thursday 17th September from 9am to 6pm just across the border at the Padel Tennis Club Soleil complex in Beausoleil. The championship final is scheduled for 4:30pm, immediately preceding the official prize-giving ceremony at 5:45pm to conclude the competitive matches.

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Photo credit: Critical Smith – Pexels

Unseasonably hot, sunny weather to stay over Monaco into September

by: Cassandra Tanti
01/09/2026

Monaco and the French Riviera are set for a largely sunny and increasingly hot start to September, with daytime temperatures climbing well above seasonal norms by the end of the week. The forecast points to highs building steadily over the coming days across the Principality, reaching the high 20’s by midweek and peaking close to 30°C early next week under near-unbroken sunshine.

Clear skies and light winds are expected to hold across the coast for much of the first week of the month. Highs should reach the high 20’s from midweek, with around 28°C on Wednesday rising to 29°C from Thursday and holding through the weekend. By early next week the mercury could touch 30°C in Monaco before easing slightly. Overnight lows will stay mild throughout, generally between 19°C and 22°C, keeping evenings warm along the coast.

Well above the seasonal average

The spell will run several degrees warmer than is usual for the time of year. Average daytime highs along this stretch of coast sit at around 24 to 25°C in early September, easing as the month goes on, which places forecast highs of 29 to 30°C some four to six degrees above the norm.

Sea temperatures also remain warm after the summer – around 24°C – and will continue to hover around this temperature over the next few days before minor fluctuations later in the week.

A change expected from mid-month

The uninterrupted sunshine, however, may not last. Some forecasts point to a shift from around the second week of the month, with the chance of rain and cooler, more autumnal conditions arriving from about 10th September. Highs would then ease into the mid-to-high 20’s and nights turn noticeably cooler, dropping towards the mid-teens later in the month.

But for now, warm and largely cloud-free conditions are set to see in the new month across Monaco and the wider French Riviera.

See also: 

A powerful El Niño is building — and the world is bracing for the heat

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

Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti