Art Festivals & Fairs in Monaco: 2023 Guide

Updated: MAY 15, 2023

Monaco has, in recent years, introduced several art festivals held every spring and summer. This has helped Monaco become a fixture on the international art scene. Here are all the 2023 details about Monaco’s many arts festivals:

Monaco Art Week

Monaco galleries and auction houses are joining forces to present a series of exhibitions and artistic events at their respective venues. A forum for synergies and exchanges, these cultural encounters are an opportunity to showcase the artistic and creative talent that resides within Monaco.

Specialists in ancient, modern and contemporary art, the originality of Monaco Art Week lies in the dialogue and resonance between different artistic genres and eras.

Event Details: July 2023

artmonte-carlo Art Fair

artmonte-carlo is distinguished by a small, select group of leading international galleries, showcased in a meticulously designed exhibition space, enriched by a programme of special exhibitions that encourage dialogue between the market and the institutional world.

Curated art shows will welcome visitors at the entrance of the Salon in the luminous Verrière of the Grimaldi Forum, where a unique and select number of galleries will show their collection of paintings, sculptures, and digital designs. Exhibits also take place outside the Grimaldi Forum, allowing artworks to be shown throughout Monaco at Villa Sauber, at SBM hotels, and at Tunnel Riva.

Complementing the gallery space, artmonte-carlo / forum is an international platform dedicated to thought production, collaborations and exchanges, which brings together art professionals and thinkers to discuss and imagine common projects. This space invites people to share ideas, socialize and network, whilst enjoying the view on the Mediterranean Sea.

For breaks and refreshments, the ‘Partner’s Lounge’ is hosted at the chic 1000m2 bistro ‘Indigo’ (in the Grimaldi Forum), whose 220m2 terrace overlooks the sea. Here, you will be able to enjoy Ruinart champagne and a menu of fresh and sophisticated tasting dishes.

Event Details: July 2023

Transportation: View our Monaco transportation guide for more info and transit booking details.

Similar Events: For more art events, check out our complete Monaco & the French Riviera events calendar.

art3f Art Fair

art3f is a 4250 m² art fair in Fontvieille. Walk around Monaco’s art3f and you might run into a re-visitation of an Al Pacino picture or one of Jeff Koon’s famous balloon dogs. Over 3,000 works are on display at Monaco’s Espace Fontvieille during art3f, ranging from abstract and figurative paintings, to sculptures, ceramics, and even a stained-glass artist. 

It’s a mix of both Coup de Coeur and affordable art. Most of the artists on show in Monaco have been selected by the fair’s committee: you will find both rising talents and long-established names. Art galleries will also be amongst the exhibitors.

art3f shifts the lines of the traditional contemporary art trade shows, giving these cultural events a human and warm side: for this first Monegasque edition, a restaurant/terrace outside the marquees for gourmet breaks, a frankly warm and relaxed atmosphere, and real exchanges with the artists.

Art lovers and collectors alike will have the opportunity to meet and share their love of art with artists. Among these talented artists (painters, sculptors, photographers, ceramists), art3f’s discoveries and the young international contemporary guard, there will also be installed artists and prestigious art works.

Event Details: August 2023

Location: art3f is hosted in the Espace Fontvieille tent/marquis, by the sea near the border of Monaco and Cap d’Ail (also near helicopter transportation).

Transportation: View our Monaco transportation guide for more info and transit booking details.

Similar Events: For more art events, check out our complete Monaco & the French Riviera events calendar.

UPAINT Street Art Festival

Every year, in the center of Monte Carlo, world-renowned street-art artists meet for the UPAINT event, where they create art — live, while spectators watch. The public will be able to get their hands on the spray paint, thanks in particular to the return of the free-expression wall. 

With the “Junior Challenge”, young aspiring artists from Monegasque schools will do graffiti alongside the 14 artists who will have made the trip. Their mission? Transform the city into an open-air museum and raise public awareness of this art in its own right.

At the end of the live performances, the art pieces are sold during a live auction, followed by an online auction (open until October 15^th) of the pieces that remain. The net proceeds go to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation to support projects that preserve our planet for a better future. Proceeds from this sale will go to the Foundation’s Human – Wildlife Initiative, which aims to protect wildlife in rural and mountain areas neighboring the South of France.

Event Details: June 2023

Exhibitors: Around 15 professional street artists, plus student artists and the public

Social Media: You can find UPAINT information via their Facebook Page and their Instagram. #UPAINTmonaco

Website: Official UPAINT website and the charity online art auction

Location: UPAINT is hosted at Les Terrasses du Soleil in Casino Square in the center of Monte Carlo.

Transportation: View our Monaco transportation guide for more info and transit booking details.

Similar Events: For more art events, check out our complete Monaco & the French Riviera events calendar.

Monaco Artist’s Forum

The Monaco Artist’s Forum brings together nearly 80 visual artists, Monegasques or residents of the Principality, amateurs and professionals, who are presenting their works of painting, sculpture and photography.

The Public Prize will be an opportunity for the public to vote for the work they prefer. Voting is open from June 16 to 30 and the winner will be honored at the event.

You can see local artists on the Directory of Artists of Monaco website, which offers the possibility for artists and cultural associations of the Principality to present their work and background.

Event Details: July 2024

Location: The Monaco Artist’s Forum is hosted in the Espace Léo Ferré in Monaco.

Transportation: View our Monaco transportation guide for more info and transit booking details.

Similar Events: For more art events, check out our complete Monaco & the French Riviera events calendar.

Performing Arts Festival

This is a performing arts festival, for audiences of all ages. This unique event includes a number of concerts, lectures, performances and master classes in the Principality’s iconic venues. Its program includes first-class concerts and master classes. You can also meet with maestros, composers, and young talents from music academies.

The Monte-Carlo Spring Arts Festival (Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo) was inspired by Princess Grace in 1970. Princess Caroline of Hanover has been its president since 1984.

Event Details: March 2023

Want More?

We’ve made a list of the best art museums, art galleries and other places to see art in Monaco. We’ve also compiled a guide to the best art museums on the French Riviera.