This major anniversary promises to be exceptional, celebrated by around 200 cultural events. It may well be the last major anniversary to be celebrated with the veterans. It will therefore be one of the last rare opportunities to pay tribute to these men and women who fought for freedom, in their presence. It can sometimes be difficult to make sense of this very rich programme of events of all kinds: re-enactments, parades, exhibitions… Here’s a foretaste of the various D-Day events that await you in Normandy for 2024:
WARNING !
To mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, the Calvados Prefecture will be introducing a restricted traffic zone on 6 June 2024. Find out all about it on the official website!
The official ceremony:
It’s the first question everyone asks before a D-Day anniversary: where will the official D-Day ceremony take place? The venue chosen for the international ceremony celebrating the 80th anniversary of D-Day is Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, otherwise known as Omaha Beach. As with every major anniversary, many heads of state and personalities from around the world will be present to celebrate peace between peoples.
Museums to visit:
As always, the museums will remain open. However, expect heavy crowds and difficult traffic conditions.
A visit to the Caen Memorial is a good way to start. For an insight into the daily lives of French civilians during the war, the Falaise Memorial is ideal. The Musée du Débarquement at Arromanches is a great place to learn more about the ingenuity of artificial harbours. Arromanches 360° offers a magnificent view of the ‘Phoenix caissons’, the remains of the Mulberry B.
The Musée Mémorial de la Bataille de Normandie in Bayeux is ideally situated opposite the British Military Cemetery in Bayeux, a town that has been miraculously saved. The Pegasus Memorial Museum in Ranville, where you can visit the first liberated village in mainland France. The Overlord Museum at Omaha Beach is perfect for enthusiasts.
The Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer is an essential place to remember the immense sacrifice of the Canadians.
The Merville-Franceville and Longues-sur-Mer Batteries and the Pointe du Hoc site provide an opportunity to immerse yourself in the events of D-Day. The Grand Bunker at Ouistreham, the fortified Hillman site at Colleville-Montgomery and the Radar 44 station at Dover are ideal places for the more experienced.
The American Military Cemetery at Colleville sur Mer and the German Military Cemetery at La Cambe are a call to remembrance and peace.
Camps and re-enactments
For guaranteed immersion in the D-Day atmosphere, the re-enactment camps are perfect. These camps, each more faithful than the last, are the work of dedicated enthusiasts. From the outfits to the vehicles and weapons, attention is paid to every detail. Here is an initial list of the various Camps:
—From 17th to 19th May 2024
Crossbow’ re-enactment camp – Stade, 50690 Virandeville
Day: re-enactment of an American military camp. Free admission.
Organised by ANCM 44.
—From 31st May to 9th June 2024
Military Classic Centre – ZA Synergie, Grandcamp-Maisy (Calvados)
Daytime: exhibition open to the public, featuring numerous vehicles and objects from the Second World War and the Battle of Normandy. Information: +33 (0)2.33.44.44.44.
—From 1st to 10th June 2024
As always, Camp Geronimo will be welcoming you to Sainte-Mère-Église, but also to a series of associated events
Sunday 2nd June:
4 pm-5 pm: Parade of civilians and Resistance fighters from the 1940s on foot, by bike or on horseback.
8.30-10 pm: Philippe Esvelin lecture + book signing
Monday 3rd June:
10 am – 12 pm: Vehicle exhibition [place de l’église].
8-9.30 pm: Philippe Esvelin lecture + autographs
Tuesday 4th June:
10 am-12 pm: Car show [church square]
2:30 pm- 3 pm: Demonstration para boarding [place de l’église] [church square
3:15 pm-3:45 pm [time to be reconfirmed]: Glider demonstration [place de l’église] [church square
5:30 pm: Harley WLA-WLC-Indian exhibition [on the Camp].
Wednesday 5th June:
10 am-12 pm: Vehicle exhibition [place de l’église].
11 am: Parade of historic allied military vehicles
3 pm-3:30 pm: Para embarkation demonstration [place de l’église].
3:45 pm-4:15 pm: Glider demonstration [church square] [schedule to be confirmed] 11:30 pm: Demonstration of two searchlights [place de l’église].
Thursday 6th June:
10 am-12 pm: Vehicle exhibition [church square]
2:15 pm-2:45 pm: Glider demonstration [church square]
3 pm-3:30 pm: Para demonstration – 1st fights [church square]
Friday 7th June:
10 am-12 pm: Vehicle exhibition [church square]
2:15 pm-2:45 pm: Pathfinder demonstration [church square]
15 h-3:30 pm: Para demonstration – 1st fights [place de l’église] [church square
3:45 pm-4:15 pm: Glider demonstration [church square]
Sunday 9 th June:
Parachuting – La Fière: subject to weather conditions
7 pm: Historic US parade with armoured and dismounted troops
—From 1st June to 9th June 2024
Dog Green” re-enactment camp — 14710 Vierville-sur-Mer
Day: Second World War allied camp, period vehicles, vehicle baptisms, commemorations, convoys, parades, etc.
Organised by: UNIVEM.
—From 3rd to 8th June 2024
Advanced first-aid post – Château Franquetot, 50480 Sainte-Mère-Église
10 a.m.-12 p.m.-2 p.m.-5 p.m.: Reconstruction of an advanced first-aid post and a marshalling yard of the 4 th [US] Infantry Division. Free admission. Also suitable for young visitors.
—From 6th to 7th July 2024
Camp Patton — Rue de la belle Manière, 50390 Néhou
Day: Reconstruction in the orchard of the US headquarters of the 3rd Army.
Programme:
—A unique exhibition on General Patton
—Special meetings with Helen Patton
—Exhibition of many period vehicles
—Creation of a guinguette
—Concerts
—An open-air cinema on Saturday evening.
Organised by: Association souvenir du Général Patton.
Evening shows
—Saturday 1st June: Freedom Concert Evening
To launch the festivities surrounding the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy, Isigny-Omaha Intercom is organising a festive evening on Omaha Beach. On the programme: the traditional giant picnic, exceptional concerts and a blaze of fireworks along the coast, co-hosted with the Normandy Region.
—From 5th to 8th June 2024
To mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, the Merville Battery Museum will be presenting a major historical fresco every evening, entitled ‘They didn’t know it was impossible…’. A sound and light show featuring extras from the attack on the Merville Battery.
—Saturday 8th June
Concert for reconciliation at Utah Beach
—Saturday 27th July
Cinétarmac’ open-air screening at Bréville-sur-Mer airfield
—Friday 2nd August
Grand Ball for the Liberation of La Manche at Percy-en-Normandie
Paris 2024
Let’s not forget that 2024 will also be marked by the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. To mark the occasion, Normandy will see the Olympic flame pass through on Thursday 30 May 2024. The torch relay in Calvados will involve around 100 individual torchbearers and will take place in 7 stages: Omaha Beach, Lisieux, Cabourg/Dives/Houlgate, Honfleur, Bayeux, Falaise and finally Caen, which will be the stopover town.
Cécile BELLAND
