Established in 1980 and the largest of its kind in the world, the Dieppe International Kite Festival unites more than a thousand professionals from five continents on Normandy’s beautiful Alabaster Coast in France.
Given its international representation, the event is considered to be the biggest kite festival in the world.
This popular event attracts half a million visitors with something here for everyone – including children and disabled visitors. Wander around the exhibitions, try a kite-making workshop and watch demos of different types of kite in action, from sports to traditional.
Around forty countries are invited to the event and this year, Cambodia is the festival’s guest of honour, hosting a grand parade as well as traditional music, dancing and street theatre.
What is the Dieppe International Kite Festival?
Every two years, eight hectares of lawn between the city and the sea open up to kite flyers and the general public.
This exceptional area forms a kind of natural amphitheatre as hundred of people descend for the colour festival.
Among the 300 biggest world events in the kiting world, this festival is attended by all the best teams and acrobatic kite pilots, the best creative artists, and also a wide range of more traditional kites.
Thanks to the festival’s many free activities, visitors can take part in kite-making workshops and kite-flying sessions.
There are also a range of activities specially organised for children, school groups and the disabled.
This festival is also a perfect platform for world artists and multicultural artistic works, from sculpting and painting to music.
Dieppe is easily reachable from the UK by ferry from Newhaven in East Sussex, direct to Dieppe with DFDS Seaways.