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Peace and sport launches its 2026 WhiteCard campaign

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
25/03/2026

Prince Albert II joined the international organisation Peace and Sport at the Hôtel Metropole on 25th March for the launch of its annual WhiteCard campaign, which calls on people around the world to use sport as a tool for peace. 

Around the world, 251 million children are currently out of school, cut off not only from education but from the skills and opportunities they need to develop. It is for that reason Peace and Sport is calling on athletes, institutions and the public to unite around the message that sport can help build more peaceful and inclusive societies, particularly for young people.

The event was held ahead of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, and it kicks off a series of initiatives building towards the official global WhiteCard day on 6th April, when everyone is invited to share their White Card on social media.

Prince Albert II reaffirmed Monaco’s commitment to the cause. “The sport is a formidable lever for education, inclusion and dialogue between cultures,” he said, adding that the campaign reflects values close to Monaco such as “solidarity, respect and the construction of lasting peace.”

During the launch of the WhiteCard campaign, photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace

JoĂ«l Bouzou, the organisation’s founder and president added: “Peace is not decreed solely at international summits,” he said. “It is also built pragmatically on playing fields, where sport gives rise to ecosystems of micro-peace, founded on shared rules and mutual respect.”

Didier Drogba, Vice-President of Peace and Sport, also underlined the significance of the campaign. “The WhiteCard is not just a symbolic gesture: it is a commitment we share with the world. Every share helps spread a message of peace and inclusion, and shows that sport can unite and inspire.”

During the presentation of the campaign, photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace

What’s coming up

Several initiatives will carry the campaign forward over the coming days and months. French professional rugby players, mobilised through Provale – the union of professional rugby players in France – will back the campaign. The Vuelta cycling race is also set to carry the campaign’s message, with its grand dĂ©part scheduled from 22nd to 23rd August.

Additionally, two of Peace and Sport’s Champions for Peace take the campaign to major international stages. Ivorian Olympic champion Cheick Sallah CissĂ© will speak at the ChangeNOW summit in Paris, while Franco-American skateboarder Julian Agliardi will address the United Nations in New York at a conference marking the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on 6th April.

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Main photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace

Prince Albert II presides over third edition of Monaco’s Ocean Cocktail Competition

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
25/03/2026

Prince Albert II attended the final of this year’s ‘A Cocktail for the Ocean’ competition on March 22nd, where Monaco bartender MaĂ«vah Lorion of Gaia Monte-Carlo beat 12 rivals from across Europe to claim the top prize.

The ceremony took place at Restaurant AmĂą in the Fairmont Monte-Carlo, closing the third edition of the contest organised by Prince Explorer Gin, a Monaco based spirit brand.

Thirteen bar teams, selected from more than 50 candidate establishments across Europe, had competed over the course of the event with entries from Italy, Croatia, France, Malta and Monaco.

MaĂ«vah Lorion took first place with the ‘Okeanos’ cocktail. Second place went to Enzo Pajany of the Bar AmĂ©ricain de l’HĂ´tel de Paris Monte-Carlo with ‘Hirondelle’, and third to Gilda Giovannoni of Amazonico Monte-Carlo with ‘Sky and Shell’.

The Okeanos cocktail, photo credit: Coline Ciais-Soulhat, Prince Explorer

A panel of four industry judges assessed the entries, each of which was required to feature Prince Explorer Gin as a core ingredient

However, ocean conversation sits at the heart of the competition. For every cocktail sold during the contest, Prince Explorer donated €1 to marine conservation projects. “This competition was born from the simple conviction that mixology can carry real purpose,” said Giacomo Frateschi, co-founder of Prince Explorer Gin. “Seeing thirteen teams from across Europe rise to the challenge with such talent and dedication is the clearest proof that our conviction is shared.”

226 bottles, eight months under the sea

Since last November, 226 bottles of Prince Explorer Gin have been lying on the bed of the Mediterranean as part of an underwater ageing experiment the brand calls Operation Explorer. The theory is that the pressure, temperature and movement of the sea alter the spirit in ways that conventional ageing cannot.  The bottles are due to be retrieved on 22nd June, shortly after World Oceans Day.

Monegasque freediver Pierre Frolla, a four time world record holder, will dive to bring up the first bottle. A ceremony will then take place aboard a catamaran moored before Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum, where the bottle will be formally presented to Prince Albert II.

Ten bottles from the limited edition, signed by both Prince and Frolla, are earmarked for international auction, with all proceeds directed to ocean conservation.

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Main photo credit: Coline Ciais-Soulhat, Prince Explorer

Monaco’s Kamil Art Gallery launches Contemporary Art Forum to the Indian Ocean

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
25/03/2026

From April 7th to May 20th, the Caudan Arts Centre in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, will host the inaugural edition of the Contemporary Art Forum, a new cultural event conceived and organised by the Kamil Art Gallery in Monaco.

Built around the theme ‘Lines and Colours of Hope’, the forum brings together eight artists spanning painting, sculpture, drawing and photography for over six weeks of exhibitions, workshops and public talks.

The event was created by Kamil and his sister Caroline Jelmoni, director of the gallery and secretary general of Monaco Art Week, and will operate under the High Patronage of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco.

The artists selected include: French painter Jordane Saget, Franco-German artist Eric Massholder, Spanish painter and visual artist Quim Bou Serrano, Spanish painter and draughtsman Sabala, painter and draughtsman Fernando Martinez Garcia, Monégasque sculptor and painter Stéphane Chavanis, American photographer Jordan Matter and Monégasque street artist Anthony Alberti, better known as Mr One Teas.

They were chosen for both their creative range and their following. “I want to make noise,” said Caroline Jelmoni, noting that artists like Matter and Saget bring substantial international audiences with them.

Workshops, talks and live global audience

The forum isn’t just a traditional exhibition, but it also incorporates a programme of workshops, which will see students and members of the public work alongside the artists.

Additionally, two curator-led roundtable discussions will be streamed live online. The academic conversations, led by Dr Fereshte Moosavi of Goldsmiths, University of London, and Dr Fanny Curtat of the UniversitĂ© du QuĂ©bec Ă  MontrĂ©al, will explore connections between the artists’ practices and broader themes of ecology and creative responsibility.

At the heart of the project lies a partnership with Fight Aids Monaco and its supported centre, Chrysalide, a refuge for women and children affected by domestic violence in Mauritius.

The forum will stage two charity gold tournaments, tombolas and auction events to raise funds for the association, with proceeds supporting Chrysalide’s psychological, legal and social reintegration programmes.

Across several workshop sessions running throughout the event, two collective artworks will take shape: one through a series of sessions bringing together Jordane Saget and the women of Chrysalide, and a second led by Mr One Teas with local students. Both will be unveiled at the Caudan Arts Centre during the run of the show.

Describing his approach, Mr One Teas said the piece would be made “by them, with them” — an artwork that honours the country through “a communion between us”.

The exhibition opens to the public on April 10th, with the vernissage the evening before.

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Main photo credit: Monaco Life

Monaco Women Forum honours scientists shaping the future of ageing

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
24/03/2026

The Monaco Women Forum closed its 9th edition with a gala ceremony presenting awards to two scientists whose work focuses on ageing and long-term health. 

The Monte-Carlo Woman of the Year Award went to Professor Maria Blasco and Professor Sarah Berry, both recognised for research that is opening new avenues in longevity science.

Professor Blasco has spent her career studying the biology of cellular ageing, with a particular focus on telomeres – the protective caps at the ends of DNA strands. Her work, spanning over 280 published studies, has pointed to new ways of tackling age-related diseases and placed ageing biology at the heart of modern medicine.

During the forum’s discussions, photo credit: Monaco Women Forum

Professor Sarah Berry received the Social Award for her research into diet, the gut microbiome and heart health. She has also worked on bringing personalised nutrition tools within reach of a wider public, helping people better understand how their bodies respond to what they eat.

A broader conversation

The Forum, which opened with remarks from Monaco’s Finance Minister Pierre-AndrĂ© Chiappori, covered a wide range of topics. Panels addressed crypto regulation (including the EU’S MICA framework), space governance and digital healthcare.

During Mr Chiappori’s remarks, photo credit: Monaco Women Forum 

The longevity session brought these threads together, combining the latest science on telomeres and nutrition with a presentation by Dr Hélène Ceruti, a cardiologist at the Monaco Cardiothoracic Center. Dr Ceruti spoke about how disease presents differently in women, an issue that speaks to a broader gap in medical research, where studies have historically been concentrated on men, often leaving women under-diagnosed or mistreated as a result.

In her closing remarks, founder and president Cinzia Sgambati Colman described the current moment as “a turning point” requiring collective action and diverse perspectives. She also confirmed that artificial intelligence will be the focus of a dedicated panel at the 2027 edition.

Cinzia Sgambati Colman – Founder and President and Valentina Colman – Vice President, photo credit: Monaco Women Forum 

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Main photo credit: Monaco Women Forum 

Monaco PropTech Symposia: how technology is reshaping the property market

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
23/03/2026

Nearly 300 investors, entrepreneurs and policymakers gathered at the Yacht Club de Monaco on 19th March for the fifth edition of the Monaco PropTech Symposia, an annual forum organised by Monaco’s government to track how technology is transforming the global property industry.

The event, held under the theme ‘PropTech: Accelerator of Innovation & Growth in Real Estate’, brought together some of the sector’s leading voices to assess both where the market stands and where it is heading.

While previous editions had largely celebrated the arrival of new technologies, this time, the conversation was about real world impact. The main question was: how are these tools now actively changing how property is built, bought and managed?

Nearly $45 billion and counting

Real estate technology attracted $44.81 billion in global investment in the 2024–25 financial year, according to the annual Real Estate Tech Barometer produced in partnership with ESCP Business School.

To put that in context, the entire sector raised less than $10 billion a year before 2018.

Artificial Intelligence featured heavily in discussions, with speakers pointing to practical applications already in use: tools that can predict property values with high accuracy, software that automates buffing management, and platforms that speed up mortgage approvals from weeks to hours.

During the conference, photo credit: Monaco Life

A new way to spot opportunities

One of the centrepieces of this year’s Barometer is a new analytical tool: the Real Estate Tech Market Penetration Opportunity Index, developed by the ESCP team in Monaco.

Professor Jaime Luque, who directs the Monaco Real Estate Tech Innovation program, explained to Monaco Life what it offers. “You pick a technology, pick a country, and I will tell you the opportunity for your company to penetrate that market — in terms of competitors, the industry, innovation. We have already incorporated around 200 technology niches, and next year it’s going to be the whole world.”

In plain terms, the index helps investors understand whether a given technology in a given country is still wide open or already crowded. For example, early findings point to France and Germany as strong opportunities for AI-driven property valuation, while France and the UK lead for digital mortgage platforms.

The symposium was organised by Monaco’s Interministerial Delegation for Digital Transition. Speakers included Miguel Nigorra, Partner and Head of Europe at Fifth Wall, one of the most active real estate technology investors globally, alongside Ahmed Mahil, chief executive of construction technology firm LUYTEN 3D, and Jesse Witkowski, founder of DFX.

The event was opened by Ludmilla Raconnat Le Goff, the delegate responsible for attractiveness at the Minister of State’s office, who framed innovation as central to Monaco’s appeal to international business. Pascal Rouison, head of the digital transition delegation, closed proceedings

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Main photo credit: StĂ©phane Danna, Communication’s Department 

Princess Akiko joins Prince Albert and Princess Charlene to open Japan Day in Monaco

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
23/03/2026

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene, joined by Princess Akiko of Mikasa, officially opened Japan Day in Monaco on Saturday morning, marking 20 years of diplomatic relations between the Principality and Japan. 

The ceremony took place at 11 am on the esplanade of the Grimaldi Forum, where a large crowd of officials, guests and members of the public gathered to watch the celebrations unfold.

On arrival, a bouquet was presented to Princess Charlene, followed by a second bouquet to Princess Akiko, before the official speeches got underway.

Twenty years of friendship

Prince Albert II spoke in French, while Princess Akiko addressed the crowd in Japanese, with translators on hand for both.

The Prince talked about the closeness of the two nations, noting that throughout 2026, a series of events are set to take place in both Monaco and Tokyo, spanning the arts, food, culture and music, as well as deeper exchanges at a diplomatic level.

Prince Albert II during his speech, photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace

He also pointed to the 1.5 million Japanese visitors Monaco has welcomed as a testament to the affection the two peoples share, and expressed his personal gratitude to Princess Akiko for making the journey to the Principality.

On her part, Princess Akiko spoke warmly of the ties between the two countries, and drew attention to the Japanese Garden as a symbol of that friendship. Special mention was also made to Prince Rainier III, who built the garden with stones and materials brought directly from Japan.

Princess Akiko during her speech, photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace

After the speeches, the esplanade came alive with a powerful taiko drumming performance by Wako Rising Sun, followed by a poetic choreography from Mimoza Koike, principal dancer with the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, performed to live taiko accompaniment.

During the spectacle, photo credit: Monaco Life

Into the Japanese Garden

When the spectacle wrapped up, Princess Akiko walked through the Japanese Garden with members of the public, as the rest of the day’s programme including craft exhibitions, Washi-Sakura workshops and a second taiko performance continued across the garden and the Grimaldi Forum esplanade until 5pm.

The event was organised by the Embassy of Monaco in Japan, the Embassy of Japan in Monaco, and the Monaco Friends of Japan Association.

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Main photo credit: Sarah Steck, Prince’s Palace