Monaco will implement significant traffic disruptions and pedestrian management measures on Monday 26th January for the annual Sainte Dévote celebrations, with authorities establishing two secured zones and specific routing requirements.

Various circulation restrictions have been put in place to manage crowd flow and ensure public safety during the evening’s festivities.

Two secured pedestrian zones

From 5:30pm, two secured zones will be established with controlled access:

The first zone encompasses the Parvis of Sainte-Dévote Church, while the second covers Quai Albert Ier at the level of the swimming pool. Both areas will restrict general traffic and pedestrian movement outside designated entry points.

Critical routing requirement

The most important traffic measure concerns movement between the two zones. Members of the public attending ceremonies at Sainte-Dévote Church who wish to move to Quai Albert Ier for later events must use only the underground corridor located at the bottom of Rue Grimaldi, to the left of the church.

For security reasons, this corridor will be reserved primarily for those who attended the ceremony at the church parvis. This means surface-level pedestrian routes between the two zones will be restricted or closed entirely.

Attempting to navigate between zones via alternative surface routes may result in denied access or significant delays.

Accessibility accommodations

Two designated zones for persons with reduced mobility will be established on the church parvis and on Quai Albert Ier. These areas may have separate access arrangements from general pedestrian zones.

Timeline of restrictions

Disruptions will begin from 5:30pm when secured zones open, with the evening’s programme running from 6:30pm through approximately 8:30pm when the final drone show concludes.

Residents and visitors planning to travel through the affected areas should expect significant pedestrian congestion and road closures during these hours. Alternative routes should be considered for those not attending the celebrations.

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Photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Monaco Communications Department