Monaco is preparing to mark a major milestone in its modern history with a celebration honouring the 20th anniversary of Prince Albert II’s reign. Scheduled for Saturday, July 19, the event will take place at Place du Palais from 18:30 to 22:30 and is reserved exclusively for Monegasque citizens. To accommodate the scale of the festivities, the Principality will implement a range of traffic and pedestrian measures throughout the day.

From 12 noon, Place du Palais will be closed to general traffic and declared a secure pedestrian zone. Motor vehicle access will be limited until 16:00, with entry to Monaco-Ville only possible via the Rampe Major. Vehicles will still be able to reach businesses at the far ends of Rue Basse, Rue Comte Félix Gastaldi and Rue Emile de Loth. After 16:00, only vehicles with prior authorisation will be allowed into the square. Pedestrian access will also be restricted to badge holders, with control points in place.

Guests attending the evening celebration will be permitted to approach checkpoints between 17:30 and 18:30. These will be positioned at the top of the Rampe Major and at the three alleyways leading into Place du Palais. Admittance will require an invitation card, a Monegasque identity card or, for spouses of Monegasques, a valid residency card.

Public transport will continue to operate, with Avenue de la Porte-Neuve remaining open to authorised vehicles. The CAM bus network will run as normal and be entirely free for the day. The Oceanographic Museum and the Chemin des Pêcheurs car park will stay open, and the Petit Train will run shuttles to the Rock between 17:30 and 18:00.

Special access arrangements have been made for people with reduced mobility, who may request an access pass for vehicle drop-off before 18:00 by contacting Monaco Town Hall via email or phone.

In light of the preparations, visits to the Prince’s Palace will be suspended from Thursday, July 17 to Sunday, July 20 between 17:00 and 23:00. Additionally, the traditional Changing of the Guard ceremony will not take place between Tuesday, July 15 and Sunday, July 20. The measures reflect both the importance and the scale of this anniversary, a moment of national pride for the Principality and a rare opportunity for Monegasques to celebrate two decades of their Sovereign’s reign.

Image by Jack Brodie