(VIDEO) Monaco’s Bal de la Rose 2023

This year, HRH the Princess of Hanover, President of the Princess Grace Foundation, chose the theme “Bollywood” for the 2023 Bal de la Rose and gave her friend Christian Louboutin carte blanche to imagine it.

A key fashion figure, shoe designer Christian Louboutin immediately responded favourably to this friendly invitation to imagine this Bollywood ball: “For this Bal de la Rose 2023, it seemed natural to me to combine the aesthetics of the Pink City of Jaipur, Rajasthan, with the extravagance and magnificence of Bollywood.”

The Salle des Etoiles du Sporting has been transformed into a film studio in which Bollywood dancers (a contraction of Bombay and Hollywood) will take you on a journey of song and dance telling the story of Beauty, a young Indian woman, invited to participate in the Bal de la Rose for the first time.

Here are a few figures to demonstrate the extent of the means used to enchant the guests and generous donors of this exceptional evening:

• 12,000 roses
• 6,000 French marigolds and carnations
• 1,500 glasses
• 920 m of gold satin tablecloth printed with Indian motifs

And a troupe of 31 Bollywood dancers.

The Ambiance

For this exceptional evening, the Salle des Etoiles was transformed into the stage set of a Bollywood film with touches of fantasy. 

Inspired by Indian saris, the tablecloths take on the shimmering colours of southern India.  In the centre of each table are hammered bronze containers from Indian craftsmanship, with pink and red roses, French marigolds and garlands of jasmine.

The history

Le Bal de la Rose was established in 1954 to launch the party season in the Principality of Monaco. As of 1957, Princess Grace gave a particular international dimension to this event. Assisted, in particular, by decorator André Levasseur, she had the idea of connecting the event each year with a Rose, a Show and a Country and then mirroring this theme in the décor, the colours and symbols.

When the Princess Grace Foundation was created in 1964, the Princess decided to also make Le Bal de la Rose a charity event, of which the profits would be donated to the Foundation bearing her name.

Hosted by Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, this Spring Spectacular has become a not-to-be-missed event over the years. Since 1983, appointed by Prince Rainier III, H.S.H., the Princess of Hanover has presided over the Princess Grace Foundation and Le Bal de la Rose. Under her leadership, the Foundation has developed in new sectors. 

In 1994, with the idea of giving it a new, more contemporary spirit, the Princess of Hanover asked Françoise Dumas and Anne Roustang, in collaboration with François Marcadé, to work closely with her. 

Thus a real collaboration was started 25 years ago for both the Foundation and for the hosting of Le Bal de la Rose. Together they choose the themes and artists, shake up traditions, change codes to create an exceptional one-off moment, an assertive artistic approach in the spirit of the Principality, which has always welcomed every kind of talent.