Veröffentlichungsdatum: 02/07/2024
Brittany, home to major maritime festivities
The events usually take place every 4 years in Brest, and every 2 years in Douarnenez. In the Finistère department, the Fêtes maritimes de Brest and Douarnenez attract thousands of visitors each time, who come to admire the ships or enjoy the atmosphere on the quayside. And it’s not just yesterday: these popular events have been held in the region for almost 40 years, to the delight of maritime enthusiasts.
Home to the first maritime festivals, Brittany has, over the years, established itself as the place to experience the finest festivities. In our opinion, if you appreciate maritime heritage and boats in general, the Brest and Douarnenez festivals are a must!
Fêtes maritimes de Brest
In 2024, the Brest event will open the festivities. As is the case every four years, with the Fêtes maritimes and Fêtes de Brest taking place just a few days apart, the Fêtes maritimes de Brest will be the first to take place. They will invite a large public, common to both events, to the heart of the Finisterian city.
Visit the Marina du Château! This is where you can enjoy 6 days of festivities, from July 12 to 17, 2024. While the health crisis at Covid prevented the event from taking place in 2020, the resumption of the festivities this summer should attract a huge number of enthusiasts. In fact, for the 30th anniversary of the event, the program promises to be exceptional…
The site of the Fêtes maritimes de Brest, or “Brest 2024“, will cover the entire port and part of the military zone. It will be divided into several themed areas, also known as “maritime stopovers”.
Visitors will, of course, be able to visit and admire tall ships, several French Navy vessels, and a number of scientific and research vessels. But beyond the boats present at the event, they can also visit themed villages and enjoy an unprecedented artistic and cultural program.
The 8th edition of the event will feature an open-air cinema, 4 concert stages with big-name acts, several night-time shows, visual and aerial spectacles with hundreds of drones…
Children are, of course, welcome too. They’ll be able to enjoy a huge dedicated area with continuous entertainment and shows.
The traditional parade from Brest to Douarnenez
Between the Fêtes maritimes de Brest and the Fêtes maritimes de Douarnenez, there’s an original event that’s generally very popular with the public: the Grande parade maritime de Brest à Douarnenez.
On one day between the two events, boats invited to the first event are invited to travel to the second, further south. All in all, every year hundreds of boats of all types sail together on a course just under 30 nautical miles long. Every year, the spectacle is as impressive at sea as it is on land…
This year, the Grande Parade Maritime from Brest to Douarnenez will take place on July 18, 2024. For the first time since the beginning of the Fêtes maritimes, the traditional “Passage des Tas de Pois”, between the rocks at the Pointe de Pen Hir and off the Crozon peninsula, will not be part of the program. The organizers of the various festivities have revised the itinerary of the Grande Parade, to ensure the safety of all ships and to preserve the area, which is classified as a Natura 2000 site.
If you don’t have the chance to sail in the Grande Parade Maritime from Brest to Douarnenez on July 18, here are several places in Finistère where you should get a great view of the boats passing by:
- The tip of Pen Hir
- Toulinguet Point
- Goat’s Cape
- The Spanish Point
- Millier Point
Douarnenez maritime festival
Following on from the Fêtes maritimes de Brest and the Grande Parade, the Fêtes maritimes de Douarnenez will take over. And this new event should be just as impressive!
From July 18 to 21, 2024, hundreds of crews and traditional boats are expected at the Port du Rosmeur. According to the Fêtes organization, the theme of this 18th edition of the event is to honor sardine fishing and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1924 workers’ strike in Douarnenez. The festivities will also focus on youth and the future of our maritime heritage. For us, it promises to be an exciting program!
In Douarnenez, too, the festivities will take over the water, the stage and the quays. Visitors will be able to visit traditional boats, admire various nautical parades, embark on sea rides, attend demonstrations or take part in initiations.
At the Fêtes de Douarnenez, as in Brest, the cultural program will be intense: enthusiasts of the sea and maritime heritage will be delighted by a multitude of events, conferences and debates, exhibitions and screenings.
Finally, as usual, the Fêtes maritimes de Douarnenez will offer an eclectic program of music, including world music and sea shanties.
Port Adhoc Paimpol, the ideal starting point for festivities
115 nautical miles from the port of Brest and 126 nautical miles from Douarnenez, Port Adhoc Paimpol is the closest port to the Brest and Douarnenez fêtes maritimes in our network. Whether you’re planning to take part in the first event, the second, or each, Paimpol is the ideal port to set sail from.
We advise you to launch your boat early: at Port Adhoc Paimpol, you can do so between 3 hours before and 3 hours after high tide. Once in the water, you’ll be able to sail straight to the maritime festivities, with no need to lock through!
And if you don’t have a berth in Paimpol or Brittany, but are interested in visiting the festivities by motorboat or sailboat, we recommend that you find out about the area and sailing conditions in Brittany beforehand. Read on: we’ve also prepared an article on the subject!
