Christmas Village Spitsbergen style – end of year festivities

A ferris wheel, creative workshops, food stalls, fireworks… a festive December is in store in Monaco.

Monaco Town Hall is going all out for Christmas, with many activities throughout the month of December in the port of Monaco. Princess Charlene, Hereditary Prince Jacques, Princess Gabriella and Charlotte Casiraghi were there to inaugurate the Christmas Village on Friday last.

This year, the Christmas market takes visitors on a journey to Spitzbergen, a large Norwegian island in the Arctic Ocean, which Prince Albert I knew very well because of his many scientific expeditions there. Walruses, narwals, polar bears and penguins are all part of the magical, snowy atmosphere of Spitsbergen. Prince Albert I, in the shape of a huge 6-metre statue, will watch over the Christmas celebrations.

A festive village

The Quai Albert I will be hosting 21 food stalls, 21 chalet shops, fairground rides and also concerts every Friday, until January 2, 2023. The Ferris wheel is making a comeback and is the best way to discover the Principality from a new perspective.

From 17 December onwards, the village will host different themed parades every afternoon. Creative workshops will be organised every weekend so you can soak up the Christmas atmosphere and create your own beautiful decorations. On 31 December, the Town Hall is organising a ‘Grande soirée Réveillon’ (Big New Year’s Eve Party) with a concert by the group Benty Brothers Music and a big fireworks display at midnight.

SEE ALSO: All you need to know about the Christmas roller track 

Honouring its environmental commitments, the village’s 800 Christmas trees will be made into compost and the cigarette butts in the eco-ashtrays will be recycled.

The Village is open from 11am to 10pm every day of the week and until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as throughout the school holidays.

More details: Monaco town hall