Archive images of early Bal de la Rose editions
Princess Grace attended her last ball, the Bal de 'la Rose des sables' (Desert Rose Ball) a few months before her death in 1982. To her right is André Levasseur, who decorated many editions of the Ball. © Robert Oggero / Monte-Carlo SBM archives
Created in 1954, the Bal de la Rose will have its 68th edition on Saturday, March 23. These archive images show us the illustrious Monegasque event through the years.
It is one of the key events in the Principality’s social calendar, as leading figures from Monaco and elsewhere gather to party for the evening. In the prestigious Salle des Étoiles at the Sporting Monte-Carlo, the Bal de la Rose became a charity event in 1964, following the creation of the Princess Grace Foundation. Every year, all the funds raised by the sale of tickets and raffles organised on the night are donated to the charity.
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Right from the outset, the social event attracted leading figures from all walks of life. They come to party in a glamorous and elegant setting that only the Principality can offer, alongside Monaco’s Princely Family. At first there was no specific theme every year, but that soon changed. In 1957, the evening was themed ‘Mimi la rose’.
The room was decorated entirely in white and gold, with over 10,000 roses. André Levasseur created the decor and the entertainment was provided by the 100-member string orchestra conducted by Maestro Louis Frosio (see photo below), the former SBM Conductor who died in 2013.
For a few years now, designer Christian Louboutin has been in charge of the event’s decor, with specific themes, such as 2022’s “The Roaring Twenties” or the 100% Bollywood edition in 2023. On Saturday, for its 68th edition, the Bal de la Rose will be all about Disco. Shangela and Chad Michaels, two drag queens “right out of the 80s”, will perform hits by two Disco icons: Donna Summer and Cher. The choreographer Sadeck Berrabah and his 48 dancers will put on a great show with the biggest hits of the 80s, before handing over to Gloria Gaynor! Through her hits I Will Survive or Never Can Say Goodbye, the American singer also embodies the disco era, and will bring the show to a close.