France is celebrating several major events in 2024. Sports, culture, history, crafts and innovation are key themes for the new year. Normandy will be there for all of them to, once again, showcase its quality of life, vibrant economy and ambitions for the future. Here’s a sneak peek.
Salon du Travail et de la Mobilité professionnelle
January 25th-26th 2024
Grande Halle de la Villette – Paris
120 exhibitors, 50 conferences and workshops and over 180 coaching experiences bring the 2-day event devoted to work and professional relocation. Employment, training, relocation, entrepreneurship and more subjects to prepare for your new adventure! Normandy will make its debut at the trade fair with Normandie Attractivité and the 5 départements. A collective delegation to help future Normans settle into the region.
Salon de l’Agriculture
February 24th-March 2nd 2024
Paris Expo – Porte de Versailles
The Salon de l’Agriculture farm show puts the spotlight on Normandy with a tribute to the Oreillette cow bred with pride in Orne. The event celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2024 and promises to be unforgettable. It pays tribute to previous farm shows but with a focus on the future (innovation, sustainability… and indulgence!) with themes exploring innovation and sustainability. Several exhibitors from Normandy will attend alongside AREA, Normandie Fraicheur Mer, CRC Normandie Mer du Nord and the Normandy Region. Excitement and experiences galore!
80th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy
March 1st-October 15th 2024
International commemorations attended by heads of state, epic fireworks displays, concerts, parachute displays, dances and more. 2024 is going to be emotional as it marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The international ceremony will take place in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer on Omaha Beach on June 6th.
The Normandy D-Day festival, June 1st-16th, will see over 100 social events celebrate the freedom the entire coast, from Sainte-Mère-Eglise to Ouistreham, regained. Juno Beach in Calvados will highlight the Canadians’ role in the liberation of Normandy. The British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer will be the place to remember and pay our respects to the young British soldiers who also fell in battle.
There will be several major events in Manche: in Saint-Lô to commemorate the civilian victims at the town’s stud farm and in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin which played a key role as the world’s biggest port in terms of traffic. Dieppe and Saint-Jouin-Bruneval are the place to be in Seine-Maritime to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the Dieppe and Bruneval Raids.
Normandie Impressionniste
March 22nd-September 22nd 2024
Let’s celebrate 150 years of Impressionism in 2024!
Normandie Impressionniste is THE biggest cultural event in Normandy and France. The schedule is jam-packed with exhibitions that bring artistic heritage together with contemporary innovation throughout the land. We have two VIP guests: the famous British artist and adopted Norman, David Hockney, and the famous theatre director and visual artist, Robert Wilson. The former will unveil never-before-seen paintings whilst the latter will stage a sound and light show at Rouen Cathedral in collaboration with the actress Isabelle Huppert. A few miles away in Paris, the Musée d’Orsay will also host an exhibition and immersive experience called “Tonight with the Impressionists” to take you back to Nadar’s studio in Paris, 1874. So impressive!
Viva Technology
May 22nd-25th 2024
Paris Expo – Porte de Versailles
The biggest European tech and start-up fair is all about artificial intelligence in 2024. Budding businesses, technology leaders, major companies and investors from all over the world will get together at Porte de Versailles. With the Olympics fast approaching, sport is also on the agenda with e-sport and gaming in the spotlight. A Normandy delegation called ”We Are Normandy” made up of 18 regional companies will attend the trade fair among 300 exhibitors: 12,000 start-ups are expected to attend with 180 countries represented.
Paris Olympics 2024
July 26th-August 11th 2024
The Olympic Torch was made by Degrenne in Vire and will make its way through Normandy: Calvados and Machine on May 30th and 31st then Seine-Maritime and Eure on July 5th and 6th. Several Olympic teams will make Normandy their home a few weeks before the event: Bayeux will host the refugee team, the Canadian swimming team will be in Caen, the Chinese are staying in Deauville, the French judo team will be in Houlgate and the Moroccan gymnasts will stop in Elbeuf. The opening ceremony on July 26th on the Seine will be staged by Thomas Jolly, the famous artistic director from Rouen.
Several athletes from Normandy will be vying for a medal at the Olympics: Margaux Bailleul (rowing), Kévin Campion (race walking), Eric Delaunay (archery) and Jérémie Mion (sailing) are all members of Team Normandy. Florian Merrien (table tennis), Alexandra Saint-Pierre (table tennis) and Alexis Hanquinquant (para triathlon) from Normandy are all favourites in the Paralympics between August 28th and September 8th.
Deauville American Film Festival
September 6th-15th 2024
Centre International de Deauville, Cinéma du Casino Barrière et Cinéma le Morny
The famous film festival is turning 50 in 2024!
The biggest Hollywood stars will walk the red carpet for the 10-day event screening 60 films. The world-renowned annual festival is another opportunity to strengthen the bond between our two countries in a land with shared history: Normandy.
World Calvados Day
October 20th 2024
This is THE event for Normans around the world! Norman expats and their friends get together in bars, restaurants or at home to share their love for Calvados wherever they are, be it New York, London, Shanghai, Dakar or Tokyo. The day celebrating Normandy’s signature spirit brings the world together around Normandy!
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