Remembering Michael Jackson's 1996 Monaco concert
By Laurent Duval, MonacoViews Editorial
A chorus member who shared the Salle des Étoiles stage with Michael Jackson in May 1996 recalls a perfectionist, kind, and quietly shy performer.
On 8 May 1996, Michael Jackson took to the stage at the Salle des Étoiles in the Sporting Monte-Carlo, performing alongside a choir of local teenagers in what remains one of the more memorable international concerts the Principality has hosted. For Fabienne Poggi, who was among those young performers that night, it was an experience that has stayed with her.
Poggi remembers Jackson as a perfectionist in his craft, yet gentle and notably shy in person — a contrast to the enormous stage presence he commanded in front of an audience. As a fan herself, the encounter carried particular weight, and her recollections paint a portrait of the artist quite apart from the spectacle surrounding him.
The Salle des Étoiles, with its retractable roof and seafront setting at the Sporting d'Été, has long been the venue of choice for major international performers visiting Monaco. Nearly three decades on, that May evening continues to resonate with those who were part of it.