9th Edition · Rouen · Normandy, France
Free entry to the quays

The fleet returns to the Seine.

For ten days, the world's greatest tall ships drop anchor in the heart of Rouen. The Armada 2027 runs 17–27 June — the largest gathering of sailing ships on earth, and Normandy's defining summer event.

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The Event

One river. Forty tall ships. Six million people.

Born in 1989, the Armada turns the quays of Rouen into a forest of masts every four to five years. Climb aboard the ships for free, watch the fireworks rise over the Seine each night, and join the crowds for the Grande Parade that sends the fleet back out to sea.

Tall ships moored along the quays of the Seine during the Armada The fleet on the Seine · Rouen
17–27
June 2027 — ten full days
40+
Tall ships, naval & training vessels
6M
Visitors expected on the quays
€0
Entry — the quays are free to all

The Armada de Rouen is the largest free gathering of sailing ships in the world. The fleet moors along several kilometres of the Seine in the very centre of Rouen, so you can walk the decks of historic three-masters, naval frigates and international training ships without paying a cent.

Around the ships, the city becomes a festival: open-air concerts with international headliners, a global food village, crew parades, daily fireworks, and quirky traditions like the Grande Pagaille, where teams race homemade rafts into the river.

The finale is the Grande Parade on the closing Sunday — every ship sails downstream toward the sea while millions line the banks to wave the crews goodbye. It is, quite simply, one of Europe's great spectacles.

Dates17–27 Jun 2027
LocationQuais de Seine, Rouen
RegionNormandy, France
EntryFree
Held every4–5 years
First edition1989
FinaleGrande Parade · 27 Jun
From Paris~1h25 by train
Plan Your Trip

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Plan It With Locals

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Hard-to-get hotels, a private boat for the Grande Parade, skip-the-queue ship boarding, day trips arranged end to end. Tell our local team what you want — we handle the rest.

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