For over 30 years now, end June or early July has seen Bayeux magically transported back to the Middle Ages! For three days straight, this picturesque town buzzes with all the sights and sounds of medieval festivities, from live entertainment in costume to market stalls and taverns.
With nearly 60,000 visitors each year, the Médiévales de Bayeux is the third largest medieval festival in France!
The Grand Parade on the first evening of the festival sets the tone as over 500 participants turn up to walk the streets of Bayeux. Feast your eyes on a procession of stilt-walkers in costume, performers, dancers and fire-eaters, as these extraordinary artists will get you dancing to their pipes and percussive rhythms.
These medieval street performances and musical entertainment continue throughout the weekend. Visit a medieval masonry yard and workshop, listen to storytelling over a pint of mead in the taverns, or join in with a whole lot of games you probably have never heard of!
From 10 of the clock ye Saturday morning, plunge into the atmosphere of the medieval world with free themed workshops and shops (from the old French word échoppe), all divided into medieval encampments! Children in particular will love the Deanery courtyard opposite the cathedral, where they can play games and enjoy medieval performances.
The medieval market around the cathedral walls is the perfect place to marvel at the talent and know-how of over 150 artisans who from all across France and Europe. Here you can enjoy their craftsmanship in action and pick up that special piece of jewellery, that pot, that sculpture, maybe even that doll you never knew you needed until now?
Venture beyond the brouhaha and taverns and you’ll find the quieter Place du Général de Gaulle, home to another highlight of this medieval festival, the Medieval Book Fair. Each year, avid readers gather to attend readings, conferences and round table discussions hosted by authors whose work is set in the Middle Ages. Young and old alike will enjoy this one-of-a-kind fair, so don’t miss it!
The programme of events
- The medieval market with its 150 stalls! Designers, craftsmen and producers gather around the cathedral for a medieval market that’s a joy to stroll through
- The big parade with over 500 participants (companies, acrobats, artists, etc.)
- Concerts in the town
- Medieval games for children
- Demonstrations by re-enactors and master craftsmen (glassmakers, blacksmiths, potters, wax makers and founders) in the courtyard of the Hôtel du Doyen and Place de Gaulle.
A weekend in Bayeux
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