Whether it's celebrating the 500th anniversary of Le Havre, marvelling at Picasso's sculptures in Rouen, enjoying Dior's haute couture in Granville or shopping in Honfleur, there will never be a dull moment in Normandy in 2017.

A Summer in Le Havre 2017: 500th anniversary of the city and port

The city and port of Le Havre will be celebrating its 500th anniversary this year and will be hosting a whole summer of events to celebrate. A key stop-off for sea and river cruises, UNESCO city Le Havre is a fantastic destination for architecture enthusiasts, art lovers and foodies. With festivities taking place from 27 May to 5 November, there's no better time to hop across the Channel!

Your Le Havre events bucket list: 

27 May 2017: A Summer in Le Havre Opening Ceremony

Get ready for a street party on a massive scale, as the opening ceremony of A Summer in Le Havre 2017 will be organised by the Art Point M Collective, founders of the popular annual N.A.M.E electro music festival in Lille.

6-9 July 2017: Royal de Luxe Street Parade

July sees the highly anticipated return of the iconic Nantes-based Royal de Luxe street theatre company and their giant puppets. Famous for their large-scale outdoor performances and their taste for the unorthodox, this free show will take place throughout the city, and is not to be missed.

31 August – 3 September 2017: Final Stage of the Tall Ships Regatta

The Tall Ships Regatta 2017 will stop over in Le Havre for its final stage, bringing together 40 of the largest heritage ships in the world, and will boast free street parades, concerts and fireworks.

http://bit.ly/tallshipsregatta

9 September – 8 October 2017: Impression, Sunrise

Claude Monet's masterpiece Impression, Sunrise returns to the city where it was painted in September, with an exhibition at the André Malraux Modern Art Museum (MuMa) centred on the painting that gave Impressionism its name. www.muma-lehavre.fr/en/exhibitions

14-22 September 2017: Luxury transatlantic cruise to New York on board the Queen Mary 2

The newly remastered Queen Mary 2 is the epitome of a luxury ocean liner. The flagship of the Cunard fleet, which boasts the largest ballroom at sea, will set off from Le Havre in September on an eight-night crossing to New York.

www.cunard.co.uk/m73

8 October 2017: A Summer in Le Havre Closing Ceremony

A huge public get-together and visual spectacle, the closing ceremony of A Summer in Le Havre 2017 will see a new digital installation unveiled as a permanent legacy of 2017's anniversary celebrations.

27 October-5 November 2017: Jacques Vabre Transatlantic Race

The celebrated longest double-handed transatlantic race in the world, known as the Transat Jacques Vabre, has always set sail from Le Havre, and this year it ends in Brazil. Boats will stop over at the port on 27 October before the grand send-off on 5 November.

www.transat-jacques-vabre.com/en 

For more information on A Summer in Le Havre 2017, visit: http://but.ly/asummerinlehavre2017

For the full A Summer in Le Havre 2017 press pack, please visit: http://bit.ly/asummerinlehavre2017presspack

What else is new for 2017?

1 April-11 September: Three major Picasso exhibitions in Rouen

In 1930, Pablo Picasso bought the Château de Boisgeloup in Normandy and built his first sculpture studio there. In 2017, for the first time, the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Musée de la Céramique and the Musée Le Secq des Tournelles in Rouen will be hosting exhibitions focusing on Picasso's works completed during this period of his life.

www.mbarouen.fr/en www.museedelaceramique.fr/en www.museelesecqdestournelles.fr/en

Summer 2017: Celebrate 70 years of Christian Dior in Granville

Next summer marks 70 years since the iconic fashion house of Dior was founded in 1947. To mark the occasion, the Christian Dior Museum, Dior's childhood home in Granville, will host an exhibition dedicated to the designer's 22 collections and lines launched between 1947 and 1957.

www.musee-dior-granville.com

Autumn 2017: Normandy's first designer shopping outlet opens in Honfleur

At the foot of the Pont de Normandie, the Honfleur Normandy Outlet will be the first designer outlet village in western France, with 100 shops selling top brands. Open 365 days of the year with direct access to the A29 motorway, the Honfleur Normandy Outlet is easy to visit if sailing to Le Havre or Caen/Ouistreham.

www.honfleuroutlet.com/en

For the full 2017 Normandy News & Events press pack, please visit:

http://bit.ly/2017normandynewsandeventspresspack

-ENDS-

For more information and photo requests, please contact:

Fran Lambert

UK & Ireland Press Officer for the Normandy Tourist Board

Email: fran.lambert@atout-france.fr

Tel: +44 (0)20 7061 6637 | +44 (0)7801 922 183

Web: www.normandy-tourism.org

Twitter:@NormandyPRUK