The Landing of June 6, 1944 and the Battle of Normandy are engraved in the mind of every Norman. It is part of a common heritage that we have at heart to transmit to you.
See you in 2024 for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.
On June 6, 1944, and in the days that followed, thousands of young men representing fifteen different nations and 177 Frenchmen of the Kieffer Commando landed on the Normandy beaches to liberate us.
Historians consider the D-Day landings to be the largest amphibious and airborne operation of all time.
At dawn on 6 June 1944, an armada of 7,000 ships approached the Normandy coast. On board were 133,000 men preparing to land in the Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword sectors.
A major air and naval bombardment operation preceded the assault.
On the evening of 6 June, more than 156,000 allied soldiers, including 23,000 paratroopers and 20,000 vehicles, were on Normandy soil.
On the evening of D-Day, 10,300 allied soldiers were killed, wounded, taken prisoner or reported missing.
Three months of battles followed to liberate Normandy. Then it was the turn of Paris and finally the whole of Europe.
Even today, these traces of the Second World War are still visible in the remains of the Atlantic Wall, the military cemeteries and the places to visit. Normandy is a land of remembrance and history, welcoming visitors from all countries and all generations to share the memory of those who fought for peace and freedom.
Where will the international ceremony take place in 2024?
Monument les Braves Omaha beach, Anilore Banon, credit M.A Thierry
On 6 June 2024, the international ceremony marking the 80th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy would take place on Omaha Beach, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, on the American sector.
What are the events and highlights ?
Numerous events will be organised in Normandy and, in particular, on the D-Day landing beaches between 1 March and 15 October 2024, with highlights around 6 June 2024.
On the evening of 1 June 2024, a fireworks display will be staged simultaneously on the D-Day landing beaches.
An international ceremony in tribute to the civilian victims and martyred towns will be organised by the Normandy region.
Events to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day in the Coeur de Nacre
On 2 June, the Freedom Marathon will pass through the seaside resorts of the Côte de Nacre in the morning. On the afternoon of 2 June, the Coeur de Nacre seaside resorts will host a parade of military vehicles and bagpipes.
Courseulles-sur-Mer is planning a day of entertainment and a show on 8 June.
Bernières-sur-Mer is planning a programme of events between 1 and 8 June, including a 40s and 50s ball, a picnic, film screenings in the Salle de la Mer, a re-enactment camp with period vehicles on the Islet des Français and a special trail on Canadian war jouralist Marcel Ouimet. La Berniéraise, a sailing and rowing event, will be held on 8 June.
Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer is working on an artistic event with the Luminéoles show on 8 June.
Langrune-sur-Mer will be installing Stolpersteine memorial paving stones in memory of the victims of Nazism; they will be laid at a ceremony on 1 June. Langrune-sur-Mer is also hosting a brass band on 6 June. The Langrune-sur-Mer library is organising a memorial evening with a reading of personal accounts on 31 May and an exhibition on the “reconstruction of Caen” from 28 May to 25 June.
Luc-sur-Mer is organising two festive and moving days on 7 and 8 June, with military vehicles, a brass band, readings of soldiers’ letters and an aperitif concert.
Douvres-la-Délivrande is offering a day of festivities on Saturday 8 June, with a parade of decorated bicycles and vehicles from the Second World War and the bagad Sonerien Lann-Bihoué (bagpipes, drums) and a festive ball. The day before, on 7 June, a concert with the bagad will be given in the church of Saint-Rémi.
Colomby-Anguerny is planning a conference at the end of May on the theme of the Canadian landings and the Resistance. From 8 to 22 June, the village will be hosting an exhibition by the Calvados Archives.
Reviers is working on a festive day with a “guinguette” on 8 June.
The Semaine Acadienne festival returns for its 19th edition from 7 to 15 August 2024. Created to pay tribute to the Acadian soldiers who landed on the beaches of Normandy on 6 June 1944, and to celebrate the vitality of today’s Acadia, this festival, with almost 15,000 participants, is the biggest event dedicated to the whole of Acadia in France, and one of the key events of the summer on the Côte de Nacre. More information.
Each town is in the process of finalising its programme. The list below is not exhaustive and is subject to change without notice. The list of ceremonies and events will be updated here shortly.
Practical information
Looking for accommodation? Would you like to know the list of commemorative ceremonies? Do you need information on traffic restrictions?
Please contact our tourist offices.
You can also visit the region’s website :
The sectors of the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy
Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, these names may remind you of World War II history classes.
What could be better than to come with your family to discover the sites and museums that tell the story of what the soldiers and civilians experienced on June 6, 1944.
The D-Day landing beaches are one of those destinations that you should visit at least once in your life.
Realization : Creacom Bokeh
New at the Juno Beach Centre, Courseulles-sur-Mer
In February 2024, the room dedicated to contemporary Canada will be redone and updated.
Visitors will discover a more immersive, digitalized space in the continuation of the experience of the film In Their Footsteps which is very moving.
This new hall will be officially opened on June 6, 2024.
The Juno Beach Centre is also preparing a new temporary exhibit for 2024 on the theme of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) celebrating its 100th anniversary.
Credit : CJB-Nik
Many other novelties on the side of the museums of the space of the Battle of Normandy will see the day in 2024 to better welcome you.
3 apps to discover the DDAY
Through 3 free web applications and dozens of audio testimonies, archival images and videos, dive into the heart of this historic battle: D-Day.
- In their Footsteps : Their names are Léonard, Thomas or Françoise. They tell their memories of 1944: the occupation, the wait for the landing, the sounds and smells of D-Day, the meeting with the Canadian soldiers…
- Remem’ Bernières : About thirty photos of time on external supports mark out the 2 geolocalized circuits : ” They disembarked ” and ” they liberated our village “. An arrowing in the commune makes it possible to follow step by step the course of the soldiers in Bernières-sur-Mer.
- D-Day App is a free app to visit the Normandy Landing Beaches through thirty points of interest. From Utah Beach to Sword Beach, discover the history of the D-Day with a complete audio guide and a retrospective map.
The D-DAY festival Normandy
Every year since 2007, the D-Day Festival Normandy offers a program of festive events in the context of the anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6th 1944.
The year 2024 will be rich in family events : parachuting, reenactment of military camps, bagpipe parade…
Sources, text: Normandy Region, featured image: brigade-d-infanterie-canadienne-bernieres-gilbert-alexander-milne-canada.-ministere-defense-bibliotheque-et-archives-canada-pa122765
