What happens in Monaco each month, from the January Rally to Christmas at the harbour

Monaco has an odd calendar for its size. A country this small fits in a Formula 1 race, a Formula E race, a world championship rally, a Masters tennis tournament and a superyacht show, and nearly all of it falls in the first half of the year. Here it is by month, with what I would do about each event and the 2027 dates already published.

When is the Monte-Carlo Rally, and why is January worth it?

The 95th Monte-Carlo Rally runs from Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 January 2027 and debuts the new WRC27 cars. The official start is on the 21st at 13:45 from Port Hercule, and the prize-giving on Sunday at 17:00 at the same harbour. The rest takes place in the mountains, over 18 timed stages, the last between La Bollène-Vésubie and Moulinet over the Col de Turini. In Monaco itself what you see is the start and the finish.

That same week the Monte-Carlo Circus Festival begins, from 22 to 31 January 2027, at the Espace Fontvieille. It has two selection programmes from the 22nd to the 24th, the gala and awards on Tuesday the 26th at 19:30 and the winners’ show from the 27th to the 31st. And on the 26th and 27th comes Sainte Dévote, the patron saint, with Mass in Monegasque at her church, a procession, the boat the Prince burns in the harbour and, the next day, a pontifical Mass in Monaco Cathedral. That is why I say January is the most Monegasque month of the year.

March to June, when engines and tennis take over

Spring begins with music. The 2027 Printemps des Arts, its “opus 2”, runs from 3 to 28 March, and in 2026 it brought together 26 concerts in 24 venues across Monaco and Nice.

Then come the big names. The 2027 Masters tennis is played from 3 to 11 April, although at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, in France, something I explain in my guide to the Monte-Carlo Masters. The Historic Grand Prix, raced only in even years, is not due until 2028, since the last edition was in April 2026. The Formula E E-Prix moves forward to 1 and 2 May in 2027, on the full Formula 1 circuit. And the Formula 1 Grand Prix closes the motor-racing season from 4 to 6 June 2027, and for the first time with a Sprint race. In between, in May 2026 the Grimaldi Forum hosted Top Marques Monaco, the supercar show, from the 6th to the 10th, with 2027 set for 5 to 9 May. For prices and grandstands, see my page on the Monaco Grand Prix.

What hardly anyone mentions is that these races occupy the city for months. The 2026 builds were in the streets from late February to mid-July, and the harbour quay was closed to cars the whole time. If you want to see the layout clear, the best moment is outside those dates, and walking it is covered in the Monaco circuit on foot.

Summer, with fireworks at the harbour

In summer the calendar turns quieter and cheaper. The one date I’d flag for sports fans is the Monaco Diamond League meeting at the Stade Louis II, held on 10 July in 2026. In 2026 there were fireworks on two Saturdays, 25 July at 22:00 and 1 August at 21:30, launched from the Quai Albert Ier and organised by the town hall, with children’s activities from 18:00. The Exotic Garden opened from 19:30 on those nights so you could watch from up high, which is where I would watch them. If you prefer the quay, I would get there early, because the children’s activities start hours before and the Quai Albert Ier is the same promenade the locals use to watch. What the garden is like is covered in the Exotic Garden.

September, the month of the yachts

The 2026 Monaco Yacht Show took place from 23 to 26 September at Port Hercule, with more than 120 superyachts and over 560 exhibitors. It opened at 10:00 on all four days and closed at 18:30, except Saturday, when it shut half an hour earlier. It is no event for the merely curious, because a one-day pass cost €700 and the Wednesday pass €400, sold online only. To see yachts without paying, the harbour gives you plenty the rest of the year, as I explain in Port Hercule. If you’d rather get out on the water, see yacht charter in Monaco.

November and December, National Day and Christmas

Monaco National Day falls on 19 November and is also called the Fête du Prince. On the eve there is a free fireworks and music show at Port Hercule, and on the 19th the Condamine market serves Monegasque dishes to try from 9:00 to 14:00, with a giant stockfish at midday and music in the evening. The 2026 programme has not been published yet, so I would not fix times until it is.

That same month the Monte-Carlo Opera season begins, from 7 November 2026, and the Salle Garnier hosts the Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival, celebrating its 20th edition from 18 to 29 November 2026. The line-up published by Visit Monaco takes in Gregory Porter, Melody Gardot, Selah Sue, Marillion and Thomas Dutronc and closes with the Soweto Gospel Choir, with tickets from €15 for the film night and €70 or €80 for concerts. If I had to pick one night, it would be the 21st, with Melody Gardot.

December belongs to the Christmas village, and what opens and closes over the festive season is in Monaco at Christmas. In 2025-2026 it ran from 5 December to 4 January on the Quai Albert Ier, with free entry, food and gift stalls, a carousel and a big wheel, while the ice rink at Monaco’s harbour swimming pool stayed open until 1 March. For 2026-2027 the dates are already out, 4 December to 3 January.