It was in 1979 that Prince Rainier III decided to build a new, dedicated sports facility in Fontvieille, to replace the former 13,000-seater Louis II Stadium, which had been demolished to make way for the Fontvieille Shopping Centre, the Prince of Monaco’s classic car collection and the multipurpose Léo Ferré space.
The complex includes sports facilities, offices (including those of 12 national federations!), shops and car parking. The architecture is the work of a Franco-Monegasque team led by Henri Pottier. “The stadium embraces orange hues and is covered with tiles. To counter the building’s imposing mass, the roofs are subdivided into several sections. Finally, large arches were designed to showcase the facility. With their position on the west of the stadium, they enable excellent ventilation of the pitches,” explains Jean-Philippe Hugron, an architecture expert.
The football stadium, which can seat 18,500, is the home of AS Monaco FC. It has a natural pitch, which is unusual in that it is 8.35 metres above street level, with the grass resting on the roof of the car park. A tool, the Mobile Lighting Rig, mimics sunlight to optimise grass quality. Between 1986 and 2012, the pitch played host to UEFA European Super Cup matches, and in 1988 served as the venue for the friendly tournament final, contested by France and Morocco. More recently, the Louis II Stadium was the base from which the French rugby team prepared for the 2023 World Cup, and also hosted the Olympic qualifying matches for the Rugby 7s ahead of the Paris Games in 2024.
The Louis II Stadium, which has hosted the Herculis meeting since 1987, also boasts athletics facilities, including a 400 m track, high jump mats, throwing areas, steeplechase water jumps and long jump pits. Indoors, the Gaston-Médicin Omnisports Hall, located below the stadium stands, offers capacity of 4,700 seats for Roca Team matches or the International Judo Tournament. The international swim meet, Mare Nostrum, is held at the Albert II Water Sports Centre.
The Louis II Stadium has also provided the backdrop for numerous celebratory events. In 2007, the rock group Muse performed a concert there as part of their world tour, and the venue also hosted the iconic Eagles line-up, when they played to mark the wedding of Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock on 1 July 2011.
To celebrate its fortieth anniversary, the stadium is getting a makeover. While the sports facilities have already been renovated, additional works will begin in 2025 to modernise the stands and terraces, as well as the offices of the sporting federation and the catering facilities… even the complex’s famous arches will be renovated.
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