The XSMOZ FestivalA day of sailing and music, four kilometres from the campsite
On a Saturday in early August, the Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer sailing club opens its craft to the public in the afternoon — free of charge — before making way in the evening for an open-air stage: indie, pop, dub, electronica and reggae, facing the Channel.
The XSMOZ Festival is put together by an association of young people from the Côte de Nacre whose purpose fits in one sentence: to make the sea and watersports accessible to everyone. The result is a day in two halves — free introductions to sailing and board sports at the sailing club in the afternoon, then open-air concerts late into the night, with a line-up that brings artists from all over France. Camping La Capricieuse is four kilometres away, on the same stretch of coast.
How the day unfolds
Every year- Early Augustone Saturday
- In the afternoonwatersports
- In the eveningopen-air concerts
The festival is held at the Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer sailing club. The date, the line-up and evening ticketing are announced each summer by the organising association.
Getting there
From the campsite- 4 kmto Saint-Aubin
- 8 minby car
- By bikealong the seafront
Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer is two towns along the coast from Luc-sur-Mer. By bike, along the seafront and the coast road, you are there in a quarter of an hour, without hunting for a parking space on a concert night.
Useful to know
Before you go- Freethe watersports afternoon
- Ticketsfor the evening
- Open airfacing the sea
The afternoon watersports sessions are offered free of charge, subject to availability. The evening concerts are ticketed online, with sales opening a few weeks before the festival.
The festival, seen from the campsite
The sea first, free of charge
The association was born around watersports: on the afternoon of the festival, the sailing club opens its craft to the public — taster sessions, trials, discovery — at no charge, with a DJ set on the beach and a bar for those who would rather watch.
For holidaymakers staying a few kilometres away it is a chance to get the children onto the water in a supervised setting, and then stay on for the rest.
A stage facing the Channel
At nightfall the day swings over to music: several bands and DJs follow one another on the stage set up by the sea, between indie, pop, dub, electronica and reggae, with artists from all over France.
The atmosphere remains that of a community festival on a human scale, where you meet as many local families as festival-goers who came for the line-up.
Early August, in high season
The beginning of August is the busiest period of the year on the Côte de Nacre: for a family cottage at that time you need to book several months ahead.
The campsite is fifty metres from the beach and four kilometres from the festival: the day can be done without a car, by bike along the coast, and the evening ends without any worry about getting back.
Frequently asked questions about the XSMOZ Festival
When does the XSMOZ Festival take place?+
Is there an admission charge?+
Where does the festival take place?+
Can you go as a family?+
Illustrative photograph: Marie de Gouville — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
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The Acadian Week
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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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