An evening of extraordinary purpose unfolded at the Port of Monaco — and the Principality rose to meet it.
€580,000
Raised at the Hall of Champions · Port of Monaco
In support of life-changing surgical care across sub-Saharan Africa
There are galas, and then there are evenings that redefine what a gathering in Monaco can mean. On the 2nd of June 2026, the Hall of Champions — that storied venue overlooking the shimmering waters of the Port of Monaco — became the setting for something quietly magnificent: the annual Mercy Ships Monaco Gala, which this year raised a landmark €580,000 in support of life-changing surgical care across sub-Saharan Africa.
It was, by any measure, an evening of the Principality at its finest. Not merely the spectacle of Monaco — the candlelight, the couture, the champagne — but Monaco as it most wishes to be seen: generous, globally minded, and alive to its capacity to do good in the world.
The Evening
An Affair of Distinction
Hosted by the charismatic Pietro Polidori, the gala drew philanthropists, partners, and members of Monaco’s international community into an atmosphere of warmth and shared purpose. The evening moved between performances by the internationally renowned French Twins and live entertainment from Terence James and DJ Ollie — a programme that kept the energy luminous from aperitif to the final notes of the night.
Guests arrived not merely to be seen, but to be part of something. That distinction matters here. In a season rich with philanthropic evenings along the Riviera, the Mercy Ships Gala carries a particular moral clarity: every euro raised translates directly into free, life-altering surgeries for patients in communities where safe surgical care remains devastatingly out of reach.
“A beautiful night and a consequential one had become exactly the same thing.“
The Organization
The Mission Behind the Movement
For more than four decades, Mercy Ships has operated hospital ships that function as floating centres of surgical excellence, delivering expert care — at no cost — to those living in regions where millions lack access to even the most basic healthcare. The organisation’s two vessels, the Africa Mercy® and the Global Mercy™, are the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ships.
Beyond surgery, Mercy Ships invests in lasting transformation: training local healthcare professionals, supporting the construction of in-country medical infrastructure, and building systems that endure long after the ships have sailed. It is development work of the most elegant kind — not charity bestowed, but capacity built.
2,500+
Volunteer professionals per year
70+
Countries represented on board
1978
Year Mercy Ships was founded
The Principality
Monaco’s Role in a Larger World
What makes the Mercy Ships Gala resonate in the context of Monaco’s philanthropic landscape is precisely its scale of ambition. The Principality has long understood that privilege carries obligation — that the beauty of life on the Riviera is most fully realised when it extends, however indirectly, to those for whom life is considerably harder.
The €580,000 raised this June is not an abstraction. It is operations performed. It is sight restored, tumours removed, cleft palates repaired. It is children returned to school and parents returned to their families. It is, in the most literal sense, life given back.
The Monaco Gala continues to play a vital role in raising both awareness and support for Mercy Ships’ humanitarian mission — uniting individuals and organizations committed to expanding access to quality healthcare where it is needed most.
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