Stade Louis II celebrates 40th anniversary with Prince Albert II in attendance
Prince Albert II and Sylvie Bertrand, Director of the Stade Louis II, 4 February 2025 © Communication department - Stéphane Danna
Inaugurated on 25 January 1985 by Prince Rainier III, the Stade Louis II quickly became an institution in Monaco.
Built over four years in the Fontvieille district, at an estimated cost of 594 million francs, the multi-sports facility, with its nine emblematic arches, saw AS Monaco win its very first match against RC Lens the day after its inauguration. It was the first goal from the penalty spot, scored by Bernard Genghini.
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A look back at forty years of history, with the Sovereign in attendance
An official ceremony was held in the Salon d’Honneur at the Stade Louis II on 4 February, to look back at the start of the project, from its conception in 1979 to its inauguration in 1985.
The event was attended by Prince Albert II, Sylvie Bertrand, the Stadium’s Director, and key figures such as Dmitry Rybolovlev, President of AS Monaco, Aleksei Fedorychev, President of AS Monaco Basket, Bernard Fautrier, former Government Councillor for Public Works, Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, the acting Minister of State, and Lionel Beffre, Minister of the Interior, and provided an opportunity to retrace the facility’s history and fundamental role in Monegasque life.
The sports federations and clubs that have used the stadium’s facilities over the years were also invited to celebrate the stadium’s four decades.
At the end of the ceremony, a commemorative plaque was signed by Prince Albert II, along with the stadium’s director, Sylvie Bertrand.
An exhibition in April 2025
At the same time, an immersive exhibition entitled “Once upon a time” will be inaugurated in April 2025 in the renovated inner pedestrian concourse.
The retrospective was conceived with the help of scenographer Ahmad Reshad and journalist and exhibition curator Gérard Holtz, who told TV Monaco: “When I came here in previous weeks to prepare the exhibition, I saw children running on the athletics track, a track where there have been world records, and that’s one of the great features of this stadium.”
The exhibition, featuring archive material, photos and posters, will showcase the key moments that have shaped the stadium’s identity: from the first football match to the first records, by way of the first competitions and the first concerts and galas. “For me, Monaco is one of the most sporting cities in the world!” Gérard Holtz also told Monaco Info.
A commemorative stamp, to be issued on 18 March 2025, will give collectors a unique souvenir of these forty years.
An almost completely renovated stadium
Currently undergoing renovation work, the Stade Louis II is constantly being modernised. Sylvie Bertrand, Director of the Stade Louis II, also took the opportunity to talk about the development projects planned between 2025 and 2027, including the emblematic replacement of the yellow seats. “It’s the most emblematic building in Monaco, one of the Principality’s biggest public buildings,” she told Monaco Info.
Speaking to TV Monaco, she explained: “We’ve already renovated the water sports centre and the Gaston Médecin hall, and from September 2025, at the football stadium, we’re going to change the famous yellow chairs and renovate the stands, refreshment areas and toilets.”
