The D-Day Festival NormandyThe 6 June commemorations, a few minutes from the campsite
For about ten days in early June, the coastal towns celebrate the anniversary of D-Day: parades of period jeeps and trucks, 1940s dances, concerts, parachute drops and ceremonies, from Omaha Beach to Utah Beach.
The D-Day Festival Normandy is not a festival in the usual sense: it is a constellation of events organised by some twenty towns and villages in Calvados and the Manche, around 6 June. You will come across convoys of restored military vehicles, open-air dances to the swing of 1944, fireworks and official ceremonies attended by veterans. Camping Portland is five kilometres from Omaha Beach, the nearest 6 June beach: the first events take place ten minutes from your cottage.
The dates
Every year- Early Junearound the 6th
- 10 daysor so
- 20 townsalong the coast
The programme, town by town, is published in spring by the tourist offices. The main ceremonies are concentrated on 6 June, while the events spread over about ten days.
Getting there
From the campsite- 5 kmto Omaha Beach
- 15 minto Arromanches
- 20 minto the Pointe du Hoc
Port-en-Bessin lies where the American Omaha sector and the British Gold sector meet. The American Cemetery at Colleville is about ten minutes away, Arromanches and its artificial harbour a quarter of an hour, the Pointe du Hoc twenty minutes.
Useful to know
Before you go- Freefor most of the events
- Busy roadsin early June
- Book earlyaccommodation fully booked
In the first days of June, traffic along the coast is heavy and the car parks at memorial sites fill up from the morning. Set off early, and favour the sites you can reach on foot or by bike from the campsite.
The commemorations, seen from the campsite
Columns of period vehicles along the coast
Every year, hundreds of restored military vehicles (jeeps, GMC trucks, half-tracks, motorbikes) take to the coast road again and stop in the villages. The clubs come from all over Europe, often as families, in period dress: it is the most striking image of these days, and one of the most accessible, since all you need to do is stand by the roadside.
Added to this are open-air dances, concerts, reconstructed encampments, parachute drops over the historic areas and fireworks. Each town organises its own event: the full programme is available from the tourist offices.
Stay between Omaha and Gold
Port-en-Bessin lies between the Omaha and Gold sectors, those of the American and British landings of 6 June 1944. During the festival, you can reach the ceremonies at Omaha Beach and Colleville in about ten minutes, without crossing the whole of Calvados.
It's also a convenient starting point for the day: the Longues-sur-Mer batteries five minutes away, Bayeux and its British cemetery ten, Arromanches a quarter of an hour, the Pointe du Hoc twenty, and the Juno Beach Centre in Courseulles half an hour.
In early June, the coast is fully booked
6 June draws tens of thousands of visitors every year to a coast with little accommodation. Major anniversary years (80th, 85th…) are booked up to a year in advance.
The campsite opens in early April: coming in June means enjoying a coast that is still quiet outside the commemorations, with the heated water park already running and early-season rates.
Frequently asked questions about the D-Day Festival
When does the D-Day Festival Normandy take place?+
Is the campsite close to the D-Day landing beaches?+
Do the events charge admission?+
Do you need to book well in advance?+
The other events
The Bayeux Medieval Festival
The Normandy Beach Race
The Équidays
The Rétro Festival in Caen
The Beauregard Festival
Halloween at the campsite
Your base camp in Normandy
5-star cottages and a 2,020 m² heated water park, in Port-en-Bessin facing the Channel.
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