If the official ceremonies of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, scheduled for June 5, 6 and 7 in the presence of around thirty heads of state, government and crowned heads, are actively being prepared, the popular festivities linked to this commemoration has already started. Several dozen festive events, as well as more educational ones, are due to take place until November.
“
While we are expecting, throughout the region, more than 6 million visits for this eightieth anniversary, the idea is to start over time with the arrival of our two million unique visitors between the different sites of the Battle of Normandy
,” explains Nathalie Porte, vice-president in charge of Tourism at the Regional Council. It is therefore advisable to prepare your stay well in advance.
Le Figaro
has selected some events not to be missed.
Avoid official ceremonies
Several dozen events mainly in the departments of Calvados and Manche, but also to a lesser extent in Orne, Eure, even in Seine-Maritime, such as parades in period costumes, fireworks fireworks, balls, but also conferences and even temporary exhibitions, have in fact already been certified.
“
This label meets ethical criteria established with state services such as accessibility to the greatest number of people and to people with disabilities
,” the elected official further specifies. A link, updated in real time as soon as a new event is approved and indicating the dates and locations selected, has also been put online by the region “
to help visitors choose their own program
”.
From Cherbourg to Rouen and Évreux, there is no shortage of events. Screenshot / interactive map of Normandy Region
The major international ceremony in the presence of heads of state is scheduled for June 6 on one of the beaches of Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer in Calvados, Emmanuel Macron being expected the day before in Saint-Lô in the Channel to pay tribute to the 20,000 Norman civilians killed under the bombings and 300,000 others affected. Two days later, on June 7, the Head of State will visit the transatlantic port of Cherbourg, still in the English Channel, which was during the summer of 1944 the leading port in the world in terms of traffic for resupplying the Allied troops.
Suffice to say that these three official ceremonies, between blocked roads and security measures, are not recommended for visitors. It is therefore better to try to come to Normandy before or after these official ceremonies, especially as commercial accommodation for the first half of June is already more than 95% booked.
Fireworks, balls and reenactments
For example, a large popular and festive event is planned for June 1, where fireworks will go off simultaneously from the twenty beaches between Utah Beach in Manche and Sword Beach in Calvados. Various shows, balls and activities will be organized on occasion.
But first, you should know that, as soon as the first rays of sunshine arrive in February or March, particularly in the small towns around the Côte de Nacre in Calvados or Carentan-les-Marais in Manche, there is no It's not uncommon to come across vintage Willis jeeps on departmental roads or parades of "reenactors", these adults who dress up as... US GI's or English Tommies. Around forty reconstituted camps are planned throughout Normandy from the coming weeks.
It is also an opportunity to go and discover or rediscover now, well before the arrival of the peak of visitors expected this summer, the 94 approved memory sites, among which there are 44 museums, 29 necropolises, or even 21 memorials, linked to the Battle of Normandy. In anticipation of the 80th anniversary, most of these museums have revised their scenographies and enriched their collections. The US surplus and other souvenir shops have also been restocked.
Swing, conference and shows
The Manche department, where American paratroopers jumped on Sainte-Mère-Église on the night of June 5 to 6, 1944, before their brothers-in-arms landed on the beaches of Utah Beach in the early morning, thus chose to open the commemorations with a sound and light show which took place from January 10 to 12 in Saint-Lô, a martyr town more than 95% destroyed by Allied bombings.
“
Through these events to commemorate the 80th anniversary, our desire is to involve the entire population and transmit this memory to the youngest
,” observes Catherine Brunaud-Rhyn, vice-president of the departmental council. A new sound and light is thus programmed, still in Saint-Lô, on May 17 and 18.
But before, on March 8, a conference and shows on “women in the Resistance” were organized in Saint-Lô. From May 4 to 11, during the Jazz sous les Pommiers Festival in Coutances (Manche), an American big bang will replay US tunes from the 1940s. While fans of swing and the Andrews Sisters will still be able to see their rock choreography again acrobatic in Lion-sur-Mer from June 6 to 9.
How to come ?
By car
: the RN13 from Paris-Caen is free.
By train
: from Gare Saint Lazare, allow 2 hours for Caen and 2 hours 40 minutes for Carentan.
Some useful links:
-The program of D-Day commemorations in the English Channel
-The essential sites and museums of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy (Normandie Tourisme)
-D-Day Festival Normandy (Caen la mer)
In video -
Tribute to Léon Gautier, last French hero of the D-Day landings