Top Marques, the show where supercars make their debut by the beach

Monaco’s relationship with the car doesn’t quite make sense until you see a show like this. Top Marques is a fair where supercars aren’t viewed from behind a barrier, they’re right in front of you, with the engineers alongside and the sea outside. I see it as very much a niche event, so here’s who it’s worth it for and who it isn’t.

2027 dates and venue

The 22nd edition runs from 5 to 9 May 2027 at the Grimaldi Forum, Larvotto’s exhibition centre on the seafront. The 2026 show was held from 6 to 10 May, so it keeps to the first half of May. If you don’t know the building, I introduce it in the Grimaldi Forum.

Day tickets for 2027 go on sale in November 2026, according to the organisers, and at the end of September there were still no prices. I’ve seen the 2026 prices quoted in the press but not on the official site, so I’d rather not repeat them. I’d wait for November and buy directly from the show’s website.

What’s inside

Cars are the heart of it, supercars and classics, but not the whole story. There are motorbikes, a tuners’ hall that VisitMonaco says was a hit in 2026, big names in watchmaking and jewellery and, out on the esplanade, superyachts. The 2027 exhibitor list hasn’t been released yet.

What sets Top Marques apart from other shows is the launches. Since 2004 more than a hundred models have made their debut here. VisitMonaco mentions the Audi RS6 GTO concept in 2023, the Laffite LM1 in 2024 and the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante in 2025. The tourist board also talks about flying motorbikes and cars, lunar rovers and electric submarines, which gives you a feel for the tone.

Is it worth going?

My honest view. If you’re passionate about cars, yes, because it’s one of the few places an enthusiast can see launches up close and talk to the brands. If you just want to gawp at expensive metal, I wouldn’t pay. In Monaco supercars are free to look at any day of the year, lined up by the Casino steps and the grand hotel opposite, as I explain in Casino Square.

For history, the perfect companion is the Prince’s car collection at Port Hercule, with nearly a hundred cars from the early 20th century to Formula 1. Top Marques is the future and the collection is the past, and seeing both on one trip is great fun.

May, Monaco’s motoring month

Top Marques doesn’t sit alone in the calendar. A few weeks later comes the Formula 1 Grand Prix, from 4 to 6 June in 2027. That has a practical side, because Monaco’s hotel prices start rising in May. If you’re coming for the show, I’d book as soon as your dates are fixed. Everything about the race is in the Monaco Grand Prix.

What’s around the Grimaldi Forum

One advantage of the show is its setting. The Grimaldi Forum sits in Larvotto, Monaco’s beach district, so the sea is two minutes from the exit. Larvotto beach is mostly public, open all year and backed by a promenade of about 300 metres, according to VisitMonaco. In May the water is still bracing for a swim, but a lunchtime stroll along the front is a real pleasure.

Right beside the building is the Japanese Garden, free and open daily, the perfect place to shake off the noise of the halls. A little further on starts Mareterra, the new district built on land reclaimed from the sea, with its waterfront promenade. The whole neighbourhood is in Larvotto, Monaco’s beach district.

For a British visitor there’s one more practical point. Mid-May is a lovely time to be on the Riviera, warm without the summer crowds, so if the show is your excuse, it’s worth adding a day or two for Èze or Menton along the coast.

How I’d plan it

I’d go on a weekend morning and spend the afternoon in Larvotto, with the beach and the Japanese Garden right beside the Grimaldi Forum. The next day, the car collection in the morning and a walk round the circuit in the afternoon, which you can do for free any day. For a motoring fan, that two-day combination is the most satisfying thing Monaco offers in May, and the rest of the year is in Monaco’s events calendar.