For more than two decades, the Bal de Noël has marked the beginning of Monaco’s Christmas social season. Tickets disappear quickly, the Salle Empire is transformed for a single evening, and an audience drawn from Monaco and beyond comes together for one of the Principality’s most anticipated charity galas.
But for its 21st edition, the event is entering a new chapter.
After years of raising funds for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, the Bal de Noël will this year name the Société Protectrice des Animaux de Monaco (SPA) as its principal beneficiary – a cause closely connected to Princess Charlene, the gala’s longstanding patron and president of the SPA.
The event will return to the Hôtel de Paris on Friday 11th December, once again under the High Patronage of Princess Charlene.
“The SPA is a cause that is very close to the Princess, and it is something very different for the Bal. The shelter is beautiful and very large, but looking after all those animals and finding the right homes for them requires a great deal of work and money,” Knoell tells Monaco Life.
From a personal idea to a Monaco institution
Sandrine Knoell created the first Bal de Noël in 2005, shortly after the birth of her son at the Princess Grace Hospital. Asked to help improve the maternity ward, she drew on childhood memories of Christmas in Strasbourg and created a charity gala centred on the season’s values of generosity and giving.
The first edition raised funds for the maternity service. In the years that followed, the Bal supported paediatric and cardiac initiatives, including programmes bringing children to Monaco for life-saving treatment.
Its relationship with Princess Charlene began a new phase in 2016, when the gala started raising funds for her Foundation and its work in drowning prevention, water safety and education through sport.
What began as a single fundraising evening has since become one of the most difficult invitations to secure in Monaco’s winter calendar.
“We celebrated the 20th anniversary last year, and when I look back, it has evolved enormously,” said Knoell. “It has become an iconic event in Monaco. We have the support of the Princely Family and the presence of Princess Charlene, but it still has to retain its own atmosphere. It must remain elegant, exclusive and focused on the charity. I never want it to feel like just another large gala.”
That balance is carefully managed. Knoell remains closely involved in almost every component, from the artistic programme and decoration to the guest list, auction and timing of the evening.
“I organise it in a very personal way,” she said. “I work on the artists, the elegance, the complete experience and all the details. I work very closely with the press, the sponsors and the partners, and I follow the schedule step by step. You cannot simply fill the room and say it is successful. The people, the atmosphere and the purpose all have to work together.”
A cause close to Princess Charlene
The move to support the SPA retains the Bal’s strong relationship with Princess Charlene while directing its fundraising towards another of her principal commitments.
The Princess became president of the SPA de Monaco in 2022 and has taken an active role in its development. She joined Prince Albert II in inaugurating the association’s long-awaited refuge in Peille in September 2024, before returning with members of the Princely Family for the inauguration of further improvements in April 2026.
The modern shelter houses abandoned and mistreated dogs and cats while staff and volunteers work to prepare them for adoption. Knoell said she wanted the Bal to help draw attention not only to the costs of caring for the animals, but also to the responsibility involved in finding appropriate permanent homes.
“People see a dog online and immediately want to adopt it, but it is important to understand the animal, its history and whether it is suitable for that family,” she said. “The SPA does all of that work. It is not simply feeding the animals and giving them a place to sleep. They have to care for them, understand them and find the right future for them.”
Funds will be raised through the gala’s charity auction, traditionally one of the most closely watched parts of the evening and a significant contributor to the Bal’s philanthropic impact.
Across its first 20 editions, the event has raised more than €2 million for charitable causes.
The Monaco Star returns
The 2026 gala will also see the return of the Monaco Star award, introduced during the Bal’s 20th anniversary last year.
Princess Charlene became its inaugural recipient in recognition of her humanitarian work through the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. The award was presented during the anniversary gala in the Salle Empire, acknowledging more than a decade of work promoting water safety and supporting children through sport.
A new recipient will be announced at this year’s Bal.
“The Monaco Star was created to recognise somebody who has made a real contribution through their work and commitment,” said Knoell. “Princess Charlene was naturally the first person to receive it. This year, the award will return, and we will honour another person, but the identity has to remain a surprise until the evening.”
The award gives the Bal an additional legacy beyond its annual fundraising, creating a platform to recognise people whose public profile is matched by sustained charitable or humanitarian work.
Protecting what makes the Bal special
For Knoell, the challenge after 20 editions is not simply to make each year larger. It is to protect the character that made the event successful in the first place.
The Bal is known for its changing themes, formal setting, carefully assembled audience and theatrical presentation, but she insists its longevity rests on the cause at its centre.
“Of course, people come because it is beautiful and because they want to celebrate Christmas in Monaco,” she said. “But they also know they are there to support something important. The glamour attracts attention, but the charity gives the evening its meaning.”
Despite having spent two decades creating the event, Knoell admits she has never truly experienced it as a guest.
“I always say that I would love to be invited to the Bal de Noël,” she said. “I would like to sit down, enjoy the dinner, watch the show and see what everyone else sees. But I am always working, watching the timing and making sure every detail is right.”
She still refers to the Bal as her “baby” – one that has now reached adulthood and established a firm place alongside Monaco’s best-known annual galas.
“I hope that one day it will continue without me,” Knoell said. “I would love it to become like the Bal de la Rose or the Red Cross Gala – an event that is still here in 100 years. That would be the greatest achievement.”
The 21st Bal de Noël will take place on Friday 11th December 2026 at the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo. The evening will take on the theme of ‘Enchanted’ and feature a haute couture fashion show by Eleonora Martini of ELEM Couture, alongside wines from Italian winery La Scolca and SGC. Long-standing partner Xerjoff, the luxury perfume house, will also support the event.
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Main photo Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene and Sandrine Knoell – founder and organiser of the Bal de Noël. Credit: Michael Alesi, Prince’s Palace