On 19th July 2016, the Grande Parade – an invincible armada of more than 1,000 boats, with around 20,000 sailors parading their uniforms to the sound of dozens of musical performances – will sail from Brest to the pretty mid-19th century fishing harbour of Douarnenez, where the festivities continue for a further six days.
The Temps Fêtes festival is a smaller, more intimate, community event with up to 200,000 visitors, where you can actually climb aboard the boats for a sailing trip, and meet the sailors. Douarnenez’ waterfront will be a hive of activity with Breton artists, musicians from all around the world, films projected onto sails, marine knot demonstrations, traditional Breton games and introduction to traditional sailing being just a small selection of the entertainment. www.tempsfete.com