Mary Anne2025 is a big year for Caen as the city celebrates its Millennium in grand style. In 1025 Caen in Normandy was beginning to grow as the small port opened its trade to the world. It was still a small town but was about to become a significant player in Europe. And why? William the Conqueror of course.
Why choose 2025? Well any year might have been chosen. But 1025 marks the first written mention of Cadumus, a major settlement dating back to the Romans.
1,000 Years of History at the Caen Millennium 2025
The Caen Vigils
The Caen Millennium celebrations began a year ago with the Caen Vigils. From March 21, 2024 to March 20, 2025, local participants watch over Caen for one hour at sunrise and sunset. Each one drew or wrote about their impressions of seeing the sun rise and set over the old buildings. Their work will be available later.
Main Caen Millennium Events
Caen Château Events
The celebrations begin on March 20 with two days of discovery. It’s about more than the celebration: on March 20, Caen Château reopens after two years of renovations. There’s entertainment and a spectacular fire and fireworks event, orchestrated by La Machine company from Nantes which makes grand objects like the fire-breathing Calais Dragon.
Each evening from 19.50 to 23.00 a monumental fresco is projected onto the outer walls of the castle.
Caen Castle Inauguration
History Days
March 21-28, 2025: Les Journées de l’Histoire. Find out more about Caen’s long history with exhibitions, visits, ateliers open to the public, films, walks and more. They take place at the Château, l’Abbaye-aux-Dames and l’Université, and all are free.
In the park of l’Abbaye aux dames, a reconstructed medieval village takes you back to the days of Richard II. See how people lived in the past. And of course, there’s a diorama of the conquest of England at the Battle of Hastings.
Caen Château offers an immersive experience in the former Exchequer Office, built between 1098 and 1122, taking you through Caen’s history to today.
Caen Millennium Parade
May 9, 2025: This ambitious parade has a 5km trail that takes you through five stations, each symbolising a period of Caen’s history or key events like the city’s construction. At each one, a poetics troupe of 100 participants tell the story. It starts at 7.30pm.
Maritime Weekend
Jun 27-29, 2025: Le Week-end Maritime from Caen to the sea. Look at those great ships of the past at Caen port and la Presqu’île. For two days you can go on board to discover more about the different ships like le Belem, le Phoenix, le Milpat, la Granvillaise and la Nébuleuse. There are concerts, projections, activities and more before the major parade on June 29.
The flotilla will move to Le Havre for the Tall Ships Race July 4-7.
June 27-29, 2025: Ephemeral Objects. Constructed by the artist Olivier Grossetête and his team, four works made from strengthened cardboard astonish Caen. There’s a lighthouse, a Swedish house, a fishing lodge inspired by the château de Bénouville and a bridge floating on the canal.
Débordions
Débordions (which approximately translates as ‘overflowing’) starts on the weekend of June 27 to 29 then continues to October. Caen’s Presqu’île is transformed into a living art-science-society laboratory via a trail that, in true French fashion, invites you to discover, reflect and marvel. Here you’ll find six giant zootropes that you interact with to show images and films.
Le Tour de France
While not part of the Caen Millennium, the Tour de France visits Caen on July 11. Stage 5 is an individual time trial over 33km.
Aquanauts
September 19-21, 2025: Aquanauts promises to be something spectacular. This aquatic and aerial ballet by the Swedish company Cirkus Cirkör takes place in Saint-Pierre. 40 circus artists and swimmers blend together to take your eye, and imagination, to the skies and beyond.
More about Normandy
Normandy Travel Guide
Normandy and Impressionism
D-Day Landing Beaches from Utah to Sword
How to get to Caen
Brittany Ferries unveils the Guillaume de Normandie, one of its two new hybrid ferries that operates between Portsmouth and Caen. Starting in April, it’s an important feature of France’s eco credentials, operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and battery power.