Set sail for the maritime weekend!
On June 27, 28 and 29, the Millénaire celebrates the MARITIME and port character of Caen and Caen la mer.
On the program: a grand weekend of visits, discoveries and events, both alongside the quay and on the water. Exceptional sailing ships join the event, including le Belem, le Phoenix and la Granvillaise.
Dates to remember:
⛵ Thursday June 26: ships arrive from 10am to 4pm
⛵ Friday June 27 and Saturday June 28: free daytime tours
⛵ Sunday June 29: the thousand-year-old fleet will sail down the Caen Canal to the sea, from 10am to 1:30pm.
On foot, by bike, on rollerblades or scooters (and looking straight ahead) you'll be able to greet and accompany the crews all along the greenway. The boats will then sail past the beaches of the Côte de Nacre before taking to the open sea.
Sailboats in the spotlight
The highlight of the show? An exceptional fleet of 48 boats, brought together to symbolize the 48 communes of Caen la mer.
Among them:
- The Belem, a majestic three-masted ship listed as a historic monument
- The Granvillaise, a typical Channel lugger
- The Phoenix, galleon replica
- The Milpat, former patrol boat
- The Nebula, vintage tuna boat
And many more: sloops, barques, canoes, old riggings and contemporary vessels, brought together by collectors and associations passionate about Normandy's maritime heritage.
Three venues, one festival: Bassin Saint-Pierre, Canal de Caen à la mer and the Presqu'île
The heart of the weekend will beat around Bassin Saint-Pierre, on the quais Gaston-Lamy and de Normandie, and will stretch across the entire Presqu'île.
These emblematic sites become open stages, boarding places, meeting points for maritime history, music, arts, sport and discovery.
- The Bassin Saint-Pierre will host the largest sailing ships and musical stages.
- The Presqu'île will be transformed into an open-air museum with monumental works.
- The Canal de Caen à la mer will be the lively arteries of the weekend, with entertainment all the way to Ouistreham.
Monumental works by Olivier Grossetête
A key artist for major popular events, Olivier Grossetête invests the maritime weekend with 4 monumental cardboard works created with over 1,000 volunteers.
🛠️ These collaborative constructions (each weighing over a ton!) will be mounted in public:
- Monumental lighthouse - Thursday June 26, in front of the Alexis-de-Tocqueville library
- Floating bridge on the canal - Friday June 27, at the same location
- Fishing pavilion inspired by Bénouville castle - Friday June 27, in Bénouville
- Swedish House of Reconstruction - Saturday June 28, in Hérouville-Saint-Clair
💥 Sunday June 29, 3pm-7pm: festive collective demolition session on all sites. A moment as joyful as it is unexpected!
Weekend stopovers
🎶 Escales musicales
- Friday June 27
- 1pm: 1,001 children sing the 1,000 years of Caen - Quai Gaston-Lamy
- 7pm: Big Band des conservatoires - swing and brass bands
Saturday June 28
- 11am-2pm: concerts at the Polaris bandstand and aboard Le Biche
- 3pm-10.30pm: Musique En Plaine - Quai Gaston-Lamy
Sunday June 29
- 10am-12pm: Choir on board La Recouvrance
🎬 Escales culturelles
- Open-air cinema - Quai Gaston-Lamy
- Friday 10:30pm: Oceans + INA archives
- Saturday 10:30pm: Jaws + INA archives
Conferences - Bibliothèque Alexis-de-Tocqueville
- Saturday afternoon: 3 lectures on Caen's maritime history
- Visits & testimonials - Société navale caennaise, Saturday from 2pm
🏄 Escales sportives
- Swimming across Caen - Saturday June 28, 8am-2pm
- Nautical encounters - Saturday June 28, 10am-6pm: rowing, sailing, paddle, kayak...
- Guided nature walks
- Friday: departures at 9:15am, 2:15pm, 5:45pm
- Saturday: departures at 9:15 am and 2:15 pm
🔗 Stopovers along the canal: between Caen and the sea
Several communes along the canal are offering events to echo the festival:
- Naval model-making exhibition - June 27 & 28, Quai Gaston-Lamy
- "B-eau" show - Sunday June 29 in Ouistreham, 10:45am, 2pm, 4pm
- Giant picnic in Blainville-sur-Orne - Sunday at noon
Concert-choir "Caen demain nous enchante"
- June 27 in Ouistreham, 8:30 pm
- June 29 in Caen, 5:30 pm
- Monumental water fountains - Pont Victor-Hugo, June 27 to August 31
- Sound work "Divagations" - Listen to it along the Orne all weekend
June 27 and 28, the Débord(i)ons opening weekend!
On the occasion of the Maritime Millennium weekend, Débordions opens its course with two days of festivities on Friday June 27 and Saturday June 28. On the program: meetings with artists, residency restitutions, theatrical tours, festive evenings at the Bazarnaom...
Programming and practical info: https://presquile-creative.fr/programme/
