The Herculis EBS races are back in July and, this year, the roster is filled with world record holding athletes looking to better their times at the Stade Louis II.
Every summer, the Herculis EBS races attract some of the world’s biggest track and field names to the Stade Louis II to compete, often for world records. Here are just a few of the standout runners expected at this summer’s event.
FAITH KIPYEGON
The 1,500m women’s race is Kenyan Faith Kipyegon’s for the taking. Last year at Herculis, she missed out on the world record by a slim, and heart-breaking, three-tenths of a second. She will have her chance at redemption this summer as she looks to beat her own personal best for the year as well as perhaps take over that world record spot.
EMMANUEL KORIR
Another Kenyan, Emmanuel Korir, has established himself as the King of the 800m, having taken home the gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the World Championships in Oregon the following year. He is no stranger to the Monaco track, having raced in the 800m and 1,000m in the last two editions. Hopes are high for his success this summer.
5,000M HAS STIFF COMPETITION
In the 5,000m, the competition will be stiff, but a few names stand out. One is Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, who became World Champion last February and is looking to cross the finish line first again. He will get a serious run for his money from Ethiopian Behiru Aregawi, a world record holder in the 5,000m and the winner of the Wanda Diamond League in 2021 for the 5,000m. Also one to watch is France’s Jimmy Gressier, who has twice been European record holder in the 5,000m, in 2020 and 2023.
In addition to these races, there are also other exciting track and field events like the javelin throw, long jump, high jump, pole jump and lots of other running races.
The Herculis EBS is being held on 21st July and tickets are going for as low as €15. To reserve a spot or for more information, please click here.
Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.
Monte-Carlo Fashion Week’s 10th edition has come and gone with international fashion insiders, exciting local designers and top buyers all coming together to focus on creativity and sustainability.
True to the ethos of the Principality, Monte-Carlo Fashion Week (MCFW) presents not just gorgeous designer clothing and accessories, but ones that have sustainable, ethical and environmental standards at their hearts.
The 10th edition of the event, which was first created in 2013 by the president and founder of the Monegasque Chamber of Fashion, Federica Nardoni Spinetta, was a stand-out example.
Under the High Patronage of Princess Charlene and supported by the Monaco mairie, government and Tourism and Congress Department, it welcomed a plethora of high profile designers and speakers that included the likes of Benoît-Louis Vuitton, Corporate Director of Louis Vuitton, and Carlo D’Amario, CEO of Vivienne Westwood, who also walked away with the MCFW Ethical Business Award.
In addition to players in the fashion world, the event, which ran from 17th to 21st May, also had a bit of star power in the form of American actress Kelly Rutherford, best known for her role as Lily Van Der Woodsen in the hit series Gossip Girl, who attended the awards ceremony at the end of MCFW.
Runaways at The Prince of Monaco’s Car Collection
All throughout, runway shows of designers’ latest collections were held at HSH The Prince of Monaco’s Car Collection.
Simone Guidarelli opened MCFW with his exclusive collection, followed by Nardoni Spinetta’s own brand Beach & Cashmere Monaco, which was accompanied by shoes from Von Lowenstein. Other Monegasque names such as Marlea Monte-Carlo, FITME Monte-Carlo and Crisoni also presented their latest creations.
MCFW attracted a number of international designers and artists too, amongst them Laura Spreti and Collini Milano from Italy, British brand Velvet Pink Banana, India’s Runa Ray in collaboration with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Japanese Mami Okano and Brazilian artist Marcos Marin and Diana Mara.
Italian brand Genny, led by Sara Cavazza Facchini, closed the catwalk with a grande finale under the Grande Verrière du Grimaldi Forum.
Yacht Club de Monaco: a hub for discussion and pop-ups
Down on Port Hercules, the Yacht Club de Monaco hosted various conferences and pop-up boutiques from brands such as Thalie Paris, Flavia Fleming, Nicolò Tonetto, Ika Butoni, Ushak, Hemcael, Inessa Creations and Leslie Monte-Carlo, as well as several of the labels that featured in the catwalk shows.
The winners of MCFW 2023
The final night revealed the winners of this year’s MCFW accolades and seven exceptional companies were recognised for their achievements.
Fausto Puglisi from Roberto Cavalli was the recipient of the Legacy Award, whilst Sara Cavazza Facchini, Artistic Director at Genny, took home the Made-in-Italy Award, and Matteo Ward, CEEO and co-founder of WRAD, was granted the Positive Change Award.
Carlo d’Amario, CEO of Vivienne Westwood, was presented with the Ethical Business Award, Fashion Channel came away with the Visionary Award, Soya Chartier clinched the Made-in-Monaco Award, and finally, Beste was handed the Ethical Circularity Award.
“We are very satisfied with the course of Fashion Week and [are] proud to support international designers and fashion personalities by offering them the Principality of Monaco as a prestigious showcase to the world to present their collections and to give them a platform to discuss the importance of sustainable and circular fashion,” said MCFW’s founder, Nardoni Spinetta, after the closure of this year’s stellar event.
In memory of art lover Prince Rainier III, a special Chemin des Sculptures bearing his name is set to open in Monaco at the end of this month.
As of 31st May, a date that will mark the centenary of Prince Rainier III’s birth in 1923, Monaco’s Direction des Affaires Culturelles will officially open the Chemin des Sculptures Rainier III. The cross-Principality route will feature some 150 works collected by the Builder Prince throughout his lifetime, but particularly between 1987 and 2004 via the Festival International de Sculpture de Monte-Carlo.
Prince Rainier III, the father of current sovereign Prince Albert II, was a well-known supporter of the arts and artists, and it was his long-time wish to create an outdoor museum where the public could discover and appreciate some of the sculptures he loved most.
Amongst those set to be displayed are works by the likes of César, Arman, Fernando Botero, Jean-Michel Folon, Anish Kapoor and Giorgio de Chirico (pictured above). The story behind each piece will be made available to the public thanks to a QR code situated at the bottom of or close by the sculpture.
A website allowing visitors to plan their route will also be launched on 31st May. Although not fully operational quite yet, the website can be found here.
The final day of May is set to be an important one in Monaco, with vast celebrations planned to mark what would have been Prince Rainier III’s 100th birthday.
Travelling in and out of the Principality during the Monaco Grand Prix can be relatively seamless, if planned ahead.
The Grand Prix is the biggest event of the year hosted in Monaco, closing off roads and car parks and limiting access in certain areas of the Principality. For motorsports fans and businesses in Monaco, it’s a small price to pay for welcoming such an emblematic and iconic race.
But there are some knock-on effects for travel. Even getting into the Principality can be difficult during the event, so here’s our advice on how to achieve a smooth arrival and departure from this headline occasion.
Flying in
Taking just seven minutes from helipad to helipad, flying into the Principality via one of the many helicopter services available from Nice Côte d’Azur is without doubt the quickest and most stress-free way to get to the action.
It can take as long as two hours to cover the same distance by car or taxi during the Grand Prix so swapping traffic jams for scenic views is a great option if you’ve got the cash. Single seats start at around €350, but do increase in price for the big race day on Sunday 28th May, and even more so if you choose to charter your own private flight.
Taking public transport
Travelling in by train or bus is the preferred option for many motorsports pilgrims.
The train journey from Nice to Monaco takes around 20 minutes. On Sunday 28th May, trains will depart every 15 minutes for so and cost less than €5. But queues on the platforms aren’t uncommon, so make sure to give yourself plenty of time on either side to reach your destination on time.
The last train back to Nice on the nights of Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th May is scheduled for 11.53pm: ideal if you decide to stay late in the Principality to soak up the atmosphere.
While the bus might take longer than the train, especially given the extra vehicles and congestion on the road during the event, it is still a viable alternative to driving in yourself and struggling to find a parking space.
There are a variety of routes available, such as the Ligne Express 80 from Nice Airport, the 602 from the Vauban bus station in Nice to the Casino in Monaco or the 607 from Nice’s Square Normandie Niemen to Place d’Armes. There’s also a night bus, the 601, which runs between Menton and Nice via the Principality. This service runs from Thursday through to Saturday, but there is unfortunately no such service on Sunday.
Taxis and similar services
Travelling to and from Monaco via a taxi or similar ride-hailing service like Uber or Bolt is another option, but is perhaps not as straightforward as one might think.
As it stands, Monaco-registered taxis are only able to pick up passengers from within the Principality. There is no agreement in place allowing them to collect passengers from French territory. Drivers from over the border in France are permitted to collect and drop off passengers inside Monaco, but only if they have obtained an official vignette. Just 320 of these exist currently, putting the taxi and similar services system under high demand, with prices that reflect those pressures.
There are 18 corners on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit, some treacherous, some notorious and some quirky. But together, they make up the most celebrated racetrack in the history of Formula 1. Here’s the story of how they came to be known by their unique set of names.
It’s one of the motorsport world’s most iconic and glamourous racing circuits, and the Monaco Grand Prix’s fabled urban track has been dazzling drivers and fans alike since 1929. This coming weekend, it will celebrate its 80th edition and prove that it can still capture the imagination of any and all who love the sport.
Die-hard fans will probably know the name of each of the 18 corners of the race, but few know why and how they earned them. Monaco Life is here to fill in the gaps on the turns that turned into legends.
THE FIRST STRETCH
Let’s start at the start: Sainte Dévote. Named for the chapel of the same name that represents the patron saint of Monaco, the Sainte Dévote corner is part devil, part angel. This section is known for its exit barrier, which has seen quite a bit of action over the years as drivers have underestimated the turn and found themselves in the small tiled courtyard in front of the chapel. Some have been able to save themselves and continue with the race. Divine intervention? Perhaps, but misjudging Sainte Dévote is something few do twice.
Next up is Beau Rivage, which isn’t exactly a corner as much as a bend in the road leading up from Sainte Dévote. Beau rivage means beautiful shore, and the view from this spot is a certainly a stellar one… Not that the drivers have time to notice such things.
Turn three is Massenet, named after French composer Jules Massenet. The sweeping left-hand corner passes the Opera House, where a bust of the man himself is perched. It should be a quick corner, except that it leads into Casino Square, which requires a slower pace. Many drivers underrate it, leaving a goodly share of dents on the barriers edging Massenet.
Speeding through Massenet to Casino Square. Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Centre
Casino Square follows and it’s a heck of a spot. Boasting some of Monaco’s most instantly recognised landmarks, like the Casino and the Hôtel de Paris, racers blow by in seconds, but not before slowing down just a bit to take this not-so-easy turn, which has seen its fair share of crashes, not least of which involved the son of racing legend Michael Schumacher, Mick Schumacher, while racing F3 in 2021.
Drivers will then find themselves approaching Mirabeau Haute. It was named after the old Mirabeau Hotel, which was torn down to build apartments, and is – shall we say – complicated. Before the braking area, there is a hump in the road that drivers have had to manoeuvre around for years, passing by everyone’s favourite 3am nightcap spot of Tip Top before heading downhill to the right with significant camber. The inside angle was used in days of yore, but is so steep that today’s cars would likely end up on three wheels if they tried. Nico Rosberg got a yellow flag in this spot whilst qualifying in 2014, though it didn’t hurt him as he already was in P1.
THE NEXT TRANCHE
This next turn has had more names than a divorcee on a marrying spree. Originally called the Station Hairpin, as it was the site of the old train station, it was then renamed the Loews Hairpin after the hotel built on the site. It got more confusing as the hotel changed hands, and the corner became the Grand, Sun Casino and then Fairmont Hairpin in succession. It’s one of the few that keeps changing names, despite it also being one of the most recognisable turns on the circuit. It’s incredibly tight and F1 pilots have been known to try all kind of fancy tricks to get around it faster. The typical speed in modern F1 cars for the turn is 65kmph and the odd driver does try to overtake here, though it usually ends badly.
After that comes Mirabeau Bas. It wasn’t that organisers liked the name so much they used it twice, it is simply the twin of Mirabeau Haute, but at a lower elevation.
Next comes Portier, a quartier once known as Le Portier, but is now slowly becoming Mareterra. This turn has a sea view to die for, but can be deceptively treacherous. It’s known for Ayrton Senna’s 1988 crash that ended his chances of a win, handing it over to his teammate – and foe – Alain Prost.
The Tunnel is a bit of a misnomer as it’s not really a corner at all, but is problematic as the lighting is a nightmare and the aerodynamic conditions are completely different to the rest of the track. The really cool thing about the tunnel is that the exit is one of the best places to see an overtake in the race.
The next two turns make up the Nouvelle Chicane, renamed in 1986 from Chicane du Port. It’s another potential overtaking spot, but it isn’t ideal as the drivers emerge from the tunnel into blinding sun just as they hit top speeds. The downhill grade is tricky as braking is difficult here and the gradient changes partway through the drop, which can cause the terrifying possibility of seeing these hugely expensive cars get accidentally airborne. Numerous crashes have occurred in this very spot, making it one of the most dangerous parts of the race.
The drop down into Port Hercules is one of the most dramatic sections on the track. Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Centre
This next one is slightly comical and very French. The corner is called, quite simply, Tabac after the small tobacconist that has resided in the crook of the turn for as long as most people can remember. The turn is not that memorable, but the owner of the tabacmust get his money’s worth renting out that space year after year.
THE FINAL CORNERS
The next corner is really four, making up the collective known as the Swimming Pool. Until 1973, there was a straight run from Tabac to the final corner. Clearly that wasn’t fun enough so, when the Stade Nautique was built, the organisers decided to take the opportunity to use the space as part of the track.
Now, there are two chicanes that take the cars around the pool, the first of which is called the Virage Louis Chiron, named after the local F1 driver who captured the bronze at the first F1 championship in Monaco in 1950. The best drivers tend to love this section, as it’s fast and hard to negotiate, weeding the wheat from the chaff.
Exiting the Swimming Pool sector en route to La Rascasse. Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Centre
Then there is La Rascasse, named after the bar of the same name that sits on the corner. The bar has been transformed over the years from an old fisherman’s hangout to a grungy live music bar to the sleek nightspot it is today. It’s an amazing place to catch the race and an even better one to catch some après-race fun.
Last up is Virage Anthony Noghes. It used to be a hairpin called Gazometre until the 1970s, when it was redesigned in a tribute to the founder of the Monaco Grand Prix, Anthony Noghes. Michael Schumacher passed Fernando Alonso on this corner on the last lap in 2010. The race was still under a safety car, although it had pulled into the pits, giving Schumacher a 20-second penalty and landing him in a disappointing 12th place.
In an effort to increase revenue from the Monaco Grand Prix, the Automobile Club of Monaco will be charging a new fee of up to €300 per yacht guest; a move that will likely generate millions in extra revenue for the owners of F1.
The future of the Monaco Grand Prix very publicly hung in the balance until August 2022, when it was confirmed that the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) had signed a three-year deal to remain on the Formula One calendar until 2025.
Among the reported issues was the excessive fees demanded by Liberty Media Corporation, an American mass media company that acquired the Formula One Group in 2016 and has spearheaded newcomers like the Las Vegas Grand Prix and the Miami Grand Prix.
Now, in an effort to boost revenues from the Monaco Grand Prix and meet its contract renewal obligations, the ACM is targeting Monaco’s luxury yachting sector.
In an official communication by the ACM, seen by Monaco Life, organisers of events on yachts have been informed that: “For the 2023 and future editions of the F1 Grand Prix de Monaco and Formula E, the terms of the new F1 Promoter Agreement and the rising client demand, particularly from the F1 Teams and F1 Global Partners, have obliged ACM Direction to introduce a much stricter approach to the Port Access/Viewing Pass.”
New fees being applied at the Monaco Grand Prix
With the iconic Monaco Grand Prix circuit located right next to the water, a defining aspect of this prestigious race are the superyachts that line the harbour. Given their locations, however, most yachts do not provide direct views of the F1 race track.
Previously, only grandstand tickets were required for people leaving the yachts and entering the circuit to view the race. A significant berth fee also applies to the vessels.
Now, each vessel allocated a berth in the port during the Grand Prix must apply additionally for viewing passes for each of their registered guests during the racing period. Crew and suppliers must also have passes, however these will be free.
Different wrist bands will be allocated for hospitality “day” guests on each day of the event.
In Zone 1, the fee is 310€ per person, in Zone 2, the fee is 200€.
Monaco is home to some of most sought-after berths in the world. Considering the number of yachts that Monaco can accommodate during the GP, the revenue generated from this new system is likely to be significant.
As reported by Monaco Life, the largest yacht this year will be Octopus, the 126-metre behemoth formerly owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
Increased checks
According to the ACM, “port checks will be made systematically during the event to ensure all guests are in possession of an ACM Access/Viewing pass. Security checks will be operational all around the circuit.”
The Monaco Grand Prix will be held from Friday 25th to Sunday 28th May.
