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Day: 14 September 2026

easyJet pilots postpone strike, sparing Nice flights this week

by: Cassandra Tanti
14/09/2026

Travellers flying easyJet through Nice have avoided disruption this week after the airline’s French pilots called off a two-day strike due to begin on Sunday and agreed to return to talks with management. The relief may prove short-lived, however: the pilots’ union has not withdrawn its strike notice but pushed it back to Thursday 24th and Friday 25th September, leaving the threat of cancellations hanging over easyJet’s French bases, Nice among them.

The walkout, called by the National Union of Airline Pilots (SNPL), had originally been set for 13th and 14th September before being suspended over the weekend once negotiations resumed.

Talks reopen, but no deal yet

The SNPL said it had postponed the action to “give this renewed dialogue a genuine chance of success”, while making clear that the dispute is far from settled. “At this stage, no firm commitments have yet been secured regarding key demands, particularly concerning schedule stability and working conditions,” the union said, though it welcomed the return to the table.

A dispute over unstable rosters

At the heart of the disagreement is what pilots describe as chronic instability in their schedules, which they say are changed too often and at too short notice, driving fatigue. Rosters can be altered several times a week, and in some cases up to ten times for a single day before departure. “It is not uncommon for a pilot to end the month with a schedule where not a single day matches what was originally planned at the start of the month,” the SNPL said.

Pilots want the deal cabin crew won

The pilots’ move follows a similar revolt by easyJet’s French cabin crew, who walked out on 15th and 16th August in a strike that grounded close to 100 flights by the airline’s count, and nearer 200 according to unions. That dispute ended in an agreement guaranteeing cabin crew at least five fixed days each month when their schedules cannot be altered, along with compensation when changes exceed two hours, backdated to 1st April 2026. Pilots argue they deserve the same protections, noting that they “operate the same aircraft and the same flight rotations within the same operational environment”.

What it means for travellers

If talks fail, the strike notice covers pilots at easyJet’s six French bases — Paris Orly, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lyon, Nice, Nantes and Bordeaux — with any new dates to be confirmed at least 48 hours in advance.

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Photo by Cassandra Tanti

Ballets de Monte-Carlo unveils an ambitious 2026/2027 season

by: Virginia D’Umas
14/09/2026

The Ballets de Monte-Carlo have pulled back the curtain on their 2026/2027 season, promising a typically ambitious mix of landmark revivals, high-profile collaborations, and international touring following last year’s 40th-anniversary celebrations. 

Under the direction of Jean-Christophe Maillot, the upcoming calendar leans heavily into the company’s vast 180-ballet repertoire while continuing to embrace the wider contemporary dance landscape across its three pillars: the Compagnie, the Monaco Dance Forum, and the Académie Princesse Grace.

Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette. Photo credit: Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo

Echoes of history, visions of today

The season will open at the Salle Garnier from 29th October to 1st November 2026, with Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette. Celebrating its 30th anniversary after more than 400 performances worldwide, the production remains renowned for telling the classic tragedy through the deep guilt and regret of Friar Lawrence, who looks back in torment over how his actions led to the lovers’ deaths.

From the 19th to the 21st December, the Grimaldi Forum will host two very different dance pieces together. The first is Bronia, a tribute piece created by the dance group Kor’sia. The second is Altro Canto, a spiritual dance set to music by Monteverdi with costumes designed by Karl Lagerfeld.

Closing out the winter calendar from 28th December 2026 to 2nd January 2027, Maillot’s Ma Bayadère is set to return to the Grimaldi Forum following sell-out performances last year, accompanied live by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo under the baton of conductor Garrett Keast.

Spring festivals and world premieres

The Monaco Dance Forum will take over the Principality in April 2027, bringing a diverse line-up of international names to local stages. Highlights will feature Aakash Odedra’s Songs of the Bulbul on 22nd April, an inclusive creation by Cécile Martinez and Compagnie 6eSens on 23rd April, and a prestigious WINNDance bill on 24th April featuring choreography by John Neumeier and Javier de Frutos with costumes by Hugo Boss. Acclaimed flamenco artist Israel Galván will also bring his powerful staging of The Rite of Spring to the Salle Garnier on 26th April.

Spring will culminate in a dedicated Bartók evening running from 27th April to 2nd May 2027, featuring two world premieres at the Grimaldi Forum. This showcase will present a fresh reimagining of Maillot’s The Miraculous Mandarin, originally created in 1987, alongside Alexei Ratmansky’s The Wooden Prince, with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo once again in the orchestra pit.

Cinderella. Photo credit: Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo

Summer wrap and open-air events

The summer schedule will shift entirely to the Salle Garnier for a trio of distinct runs. La Mégère apprivoisée will take the stage from 24th to 27th June, followed by a shared bill of Paul Lightfoot’s See You and George Balanchine’s Violin Concerto from 8th to 11th  July, and concluding with Maillot’s perennial favorite Cinderella from 22nd to 25th July.

Beyond traditional theatre walls, dance will spill out into the public square on 17th May 2027, when Maillot will take the artistic reins of the opening ceremony for the Games of the Small States of Europe at the Place du Palais Princier. Meanwhile, the Académie Princesse Grace will stage its annual student graduation gala on 18th and 19th June.

Global touring and ticketing

True to their role as cultural ambassadors for the Principality, the company maintains a packed international itinerary through 2026 and 2027, taking productions to Antwerp, Brussels, Baku, Cairo, Rabat, Hanover, China, Cagliari, and Ludwigshafen.

Tickets and multi-show subscription packages are available now through the official Ballets de Monte-Carlo and Monte-Carlo Ticket platforms, as well as via the box offices at the Atrium du Casino and the Grimaldi Forum.

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The Ballets de Monte-Carlo. Photo credit: Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer

Team Monaco claims first E1 podium in Luanda

by: Cassandra Tanti
14/09/2026

Team Monaco has taken its first-ever podium in the UIM E1 World Championship, finishing second at the Luanda Grand Prix in Angola on Sunday 13th September — and it did so the hard way, recovering from boat damage and a 30-minute trackside repair to force its way into the top three. The result, in only the Principality’s fifth race of a debut season the team had framed as one for learning, arrived well ahead of the podium it had targeted for 2027.

The Monaco entry, racing under the Principality’s number 98, scored 30 championship points and climbed from ninth to sixth in the standings — its strongest weekend yet in a grid stacked with celebrity-owned teams.

A podium built on a 30-minute repair

Team Monaco reached Sunday’s finals from fourth on the grid after Saturday qualifying, but the day began badly. In the opening race of Group A, poor visibility forced Maxime Nocher to change line and make contact with a rival RaceBird, damaging the left foil of the all-electric hydrofoil boat. With roughly an hour before their next outing, the crew rebuilt it in just 30 minutes to make Race 3.

From there the recovery gathered pace. Oban Duncan brought the RaceBird home second in Race 3 to put Monaco back in contention, before Nocher fought back from a poor start to third in the first final, securing the team’s place in the deciding race. Duncan then took the wheel for the finals and took the fight to the leaders, finishing second by just 1.4 seconds after pushing them all the way to the line, while setting the fastest lap at 1:12.218 and earning the PIF Pilot of the Day award.

Photo source: E1 Team Monaco / Credit: Opposite Land Productions

‘It worked out in the end’

“I had absolutely no idea where we were when I crossed the line. When I found out we had finished second, it was such a great achievement. The whole team should be so proud,” said Duncan. “I feel amazing. I trusted Max and it worked out in the end. I’m so pleased for the whole team.”

“Oban was perfect. We were catching up quickly, and I said we could finish first. We were only one second behind. I trusted Oban and the strategy, and it worked out in the end. We pushed for it and we got second place. It was great,” said Nocher, the team’s co-owner and an 11-time kitefoil world champion.

For Nocher, the result marked a turning point for the young team. “We’re so happy for everyone who has trusted us. It has taken us a few races to get used to the boat and get used to the team, and now we’re on the podium. We are really pleased to be here. And we are looking forward to Miami races!”

Miami to close the season

The race was won by Tom Brady’s team, their first victory of the season despite reaching the podium in every round, and the reigning champions left Angola with a 40-point championship lead over Will Smith’s Westbrook Racing. The title will be settled at the season finale, a double-header in Miami on 13th and 14th November, where Brady chase a third crown in a row and Monaco look to build on Luanda.

“We have to keep pushing. Miami is going to be two races, so we have to keep improving and pushing. Hopefully, we can make the podium again at the end of the year. We’re going to do our best,” said Duncan.

See also: 

Interview: E1 Pilot Oban Duncan on flying Team Monaco’s colours into its home race

Monaco Life is written by qualified journalists, writing original content. Sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok. 

Main photo source: E1 Team Monaco / Credit: Opposite Land Productions

Another setback for Roca Team as NM1 application rejected

by: Kayla Sauceda
14/09/2026

The Roca Team’s troubles have deepened after the Fédération Française de Basketball (FFBB) rejected its application to compete in Nationale Masculine 1 (NM1), less than a week before the season begins.

Despite pulling together €10 million in funding to pay off debts and fund the upcoming season, representing a budget significantly larger than those of other competing NM1 teams, concerns surrounding AS Monaco’s recent history appear to have remained an obstacle to obtaining approval.

With little time remaining, the club is expected to file an appeal with the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), with only days remaining before competition begins. Should the club choose to forego an appeal or fail to overturn the decision, attention could instead turn to securing a place further down the French basketball pyramid.

Such an outcome would reflect a dramatic fall for a club that entered the summer as reigning French champions and EuroLeague playoff competitors. However, with the domestic season beginning and the Roca Team still without a confirmed competition, the priority is increasingly to find a realistic path back onto the court.

The latest rejection adds another level of uncertainty to the downfall that has rapidly consumed the offseason. Whether through another appeal or an application at a lower level, the coming days could now determine where, and at what level, the Roca Team will be able to continue its season.

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Photo by Monaco Life

Ursula von der Leyen prepares for 2026 State of the Union address

by: Virginia D’Umas
14/09/2026

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will deliver her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg this Wednesday 16th September. 

The speech will set out the executive’s legislative priorities and strategic vision for the year ahead, building on a busy 12-month period focused on economic competitiveness, industrial autonomy, and defence readiness, guided by the theme of turning past promises into concrete progress.

Stepping up defence and security

Defence has dominated the agenda over the past 12 months. Following the October 2025 Defence Readiness Roadmap, the Commission proposed five major joint security projects in July 2026—including the Eastern Flank Watch, the European Air Shield, and the European Space Shield. To back them up, the EU is pushing a ‘military Schengen’ plan to make it faster and simpler for troops and military equipment to cross national borders when needed.

Boosting the economy and industry

The EU has launched major changes to boost business and trade. In December 2025, the Commission introduced an affordable housing plan alongside an energy infrastructure package to speed up cross-border power grids. January 2026 saw the signing of a historic trade agreement with Mercosur—the South American trade bloc—wrapping up a year of completed deals with Australia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Switzerland.

Spring brought a wave of industrial tranformation, starting with the Industrial Accelerator Act in March to boost low-carbon manufacturing, followed by EU Inc.—simpler online rules designed to make starting and running a business easier across the bloc. 

In April, the Commission launched the ‘One Europe, One Market’ roadmap to complete the single market by 2027, followed in June by a new tech package featuring Chips Act 2.0 and cloud and AI development acts.

Protecting democracy, society, and digital spaces

Domestic and social initiatives have shaped the wider portfolio. In November 2025, the EU introduced the European Democracy Shield and a new strategy for civil society groups, alongside the Pact for the Mediterranean to build closer ties with southern partner countries. 

Early 2026 saw an action plan against cyberbullying launched in February—backed by technical readiness trials for a pan-European age-verification app in April and a child safety report in July. 

In May, the Commission adopted its first-ever anti-poverty strategy alongside updated LGBTIQ+, anti-racism, and gender equality frameworks, as well as a transport package to make cross-border train travel and single-ticket bookings easier.

Backing Ukraine and managing emergency crises

The EU also increased its support abroad. In June 2026, official talks began on the first set of steps for Ukraine to eventually join the EU, backed by an agreement among member states to provide an extra €90 billion in budget and military support for 2026 and 2027. 

Closer to home, when severe wildfires tore through several member states in July and August 2026, the EU put its crisis response into practice by coordinating an emergency cross-border deployment of 777 firefighters and 41 aircraft.

As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen takes the floor on Wednesday morning, her message will echo a simple truth from the past year: “When we are tested, Europe responds together.”

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On 16th September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will deliver her sixth State of the Union address in Strasbourg. Photo Credit: Alain Rolland / European Parliament 

Prince Albert II welcomed astronaut Thomas Pesquet to the Prince’s Palace

by: Virginia D’Umas
14/09/2026

Prince Albert II received European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet in an official audience at the Prince’s Palace on Friday, 11th September.

The meeting followed a busy few days in the region for the French astronaut, who arrived in Monaco straight from the first International Space Summit in Paris, where he served as a special envoy. 

Earlier in the week, Pesquet spoke at a conference titled ‘Space Exploration Today and Tomorrow’ at One Monte-Carlo, hosted by the Monaco Méditerranée Foundation, and met with students at the Lycée Albert Ier.

A veteran of the stars 

Born on 27th February 1978 in Rouen, France, Pesquet was 31-years-old when he was selected by the European Space Agency in 2009. He has since become one of Europe’s most experienced astronauts, spending six months on the International Space Station (ISS) during his first mission in 2016–2017, and returning in 2021 for the Alpha mission, where he made history as the first French commander of the station.

Alongside his flight career, he actively promotes European technological autonomy in space.

Technology in the service of earth 

At the Palace, discussions between the Prince and the astronaut transcended pure exploration, homing in on the vital link between orbital observation and terrestrial conservation. According to the Palace, Prince Albert II confirmed Monaco’s ongoing support for scientific innovation, particularly projects that use satellite data to monitor marine ecosystems and climate shifts.

As the Principality develops its own space sector — supported by local industrial players like Venturi Space — the meeting highlighted a central point: advancing our reach beyond the atmosphere is key to protecting life on Earth.

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Thomas Pesquet meets Prince Albert II during visit to Monaco. Photo Credit: Frédéric Nebinger / Palais princier