The D-Day Festival NormandyThe 6 June commemorations, fifty metres from the campsite
For about ten days in early June, the coastal towns mark the anniversary of the landings: parades of period jeeps and trucks, 1940s dances, concerts, parachute drops and ceremonies, from Sword 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 in the Calvados and the Manche around 6 June. You come across columns of restored military vehicles, open-air dances to the swing of 1944, fireworks and official ceremonies attended by veterans. The La Capricieuse campsite is fifty metres from Sword Beach, the nearest of the 6 June beaches: the first of these gatherings begins at the end of the lane.
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- 50 mto Sword Beach
- 15 minto Ouistreham
- 35 minto Arromanches
The campsite opens onto Sword Beach, the British sector of 6 June 1944. Juno Beach and Courseulles are ten minutes away, Arromanches and its artificial harbour thirty-five, Omaha Beach and the American cemetery an hour.
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, GMCs, half-tracks, motorbikes — take to the coast road again and stop in the villages. The clubs come from all over Europe, often with their families, in period dress: it is the most striking image of these days, and one of the easiest to see, since all you have to do is stand by the road.
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.
Sleeping in the Sword sector
Luc-sur-Mer lies in the Sword sector, that of the British landing of 6 June 1944 — a coastline inscribed, along with all the landing beaches, on the UNESCO World Heritage List. From the campsite, the beach is less than a minute’s walk away.
It is also a convenient base for the day: Ouistreham and the Atlantic Wall museum a quarter of an hour away, Juno Beach and its Canadian centre ten minutes, Arromanches thirty-five, Bayeux and its British cemetery thirty-five as well.
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
Le Sentier des Arts
Jardifoliz
Les Grandes Mêlées d’Ornavik
The Whale Rafts
The Tribute Fest
Festival Beauregard
Bayeux Medieval Festival
The XSMOZ Festival
The Acadian Week
The Sea Festival
The Langrune float parade
The Sâoticot festival
Rétro Festival in Caen
The Baronnie Festival
The Normandy Beach Race
Les Équidays
Halloween at the campsite
All the events
Your base camp in Normandy
Five-star cottages, a heated water park and the beach fifty metres away, in Luc-sur-Mer.
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