Dieppe International Kite Festival

Of all the memories of afternoons at the beach, there are those of a fun game of racketball, a fishing session with a net, a sandcastle workshop and those of high-flying with our trusty kite. You know, that classic monofilament kite, recognisable by its diamond shape and rainbow colour. With a few exceptions, we’ve all been there!

Sometimes, this childhood hobby turns into a real passion for some people. More than just trying to drive them with excellence, they design them from A to Z for a fabulous, even unusual final result.

To witness this, there’s the perfect event in France: the Dieppe International Kite Festival. A dance of charming UFOs floating in the wind, it’s a colourful spectacle for young and old alike!

1. All the colours of the world in Dieppe

Many people don’t know it, but in France, kite flying is a discipline that is widely practised by a veritable fan club of amateurs and professionals. Children, but also adults! Their favourite playground is of course the beaches, which they invade when the wind is up or when a festival is dedicated to their ancestral activity.

On that last note, we can’t resist mentioning the Dieppe International Kite Festival. Ring a bell?

Spotlight on kites!

Held over 10 days in September, in even-numbered years only, this Dieppe event is the biggest gathering of kite flyers in the world. Yes, you read that right, in the world!

So that there’s no shortage of space, either on the ground or in the air, the 8 hectares of lawn between the seafront and the château, as well as the long pebble beaches nearby, are requisitioned for the occasion. This way, the thousands of visitors and participants can peacefully get on with their work. Dreaming for some and making others dream!

International in scope, the festival brings together an average of forty different nationalities, some of them close by, such as the Finns, the English and the Moroccans, and others from further afield, such as the Senegalese, Canadians and Cambodians. Great enthusiasts from the 4 corners of the globe united around the same passion and the same goal: to highlight (or rather, to highlight in colour) the world’s cervical heritage and all the know-how that goes with it.

Launch, chronology and fame

It was in 1980 that the very first kites at the festival took to the skies over Dieppe like a gigantic open-air playground. At the time, as with any new programme, there were only half a dozen European countries taking part. A rather timid score, but it didn’t matter, the event was held every two years.

While the 4th edition (1986) opened the way to more distant delegations such as China and Thailand, the 5th edition (1988) ranked as “the biggest event of its kind in Europe”. Could this be the start of a long-awaited success story? Yes, it was!

In 1990, the festival attracted 120,000 visitors and 400 kite flyers from 21 different countries. 2 years later, for the 7th edition, 30,000 visitors and 100 kite flyers of 22 different nationalities made the trip. In 1994, the event was declared “the largest of its kind in Europe” and in 1996 the consecration was in full swing. With 300,000 spectators and more than 1,100 performers from 30 nations on all continents, Dieppe was put on the international stage.

Edition after edition, the festival’s fervour took off and never let up. On its 30th anniversary in 2010, the event even made it into the top 300 of the world’s biggest events! That’s what happens when you reach the top…

2. A carefully thought-out flight

Programming: In the air, but not just!

In just two years of preparation and ten days of celebration, the Dieppe Kite Festival has put everything in order in terms of programming to make sure it’s a sight to behold. And the least we can say is that every year, the sky and the ground are filled with a sense of wonder and escape.

Here’s how the festivities usually unfold:

Days 1 and 2 (1st weekend):

• Opening of the village with music
• The inauguration of the festival, with a presentation and flight commentary by the invited delegations
• The parade through the town centre, usually starting at Quai Henri IV. Hundreds of guests parade in traditional costume, presenting their most original and colourful models to an admiring crowd.
• The wind design competition

Day 3: Children’s day (with fun and original workshops such as kite-building and introductory kite-flying lessons).

Day 4: Companies from the Dieppe area take to the skies

Day 5 (2nd weekend):

• The World Kite Fighting Cup* at the Rouxmesnil-Bouteilles racecourse
• The competition to create artistic kites. There’s something for everyone, from giant animal kites to unique hand-painted kites made from recyclable materials.
• Night flying with sound and light for a magical atmosphere (subject to weather conditions)

* In the kite fights, the aim is to cut your opponents’ line of flight using special coverings.

The round of themes

One of the strengths and successes of this festival is undoubtedly its diversity. In all its forms! Here’s the proof!

For one thing, there’s the multitude of kites in mismatched but harmonious colours and fanciful but singular designs. Secondly, the presence of international guests who are so proud to share their culture with us through this aerial discipline and beyond.

And thirdly, our ongoing commitment to linking each new edition to a very specific theme as the common thread running through the festivities. Since 2000, some of these themes have been considered ‘strong’, contemporary, original and exotic, and have left their mark on the history of the festival.

In 2004, the theme was “Women”. Two years later, the theme was “Fauna and Flora”, with the support of the Nicolas Hulot Foundation, and focused on environmental protection issues.

In 2008, the many traditions and cultures of Latin America took over the Dieppe coastline, against a backdrop of traditional music and kites flying the colours of these nations across the Atlantic. 8 years later, Mayan, Aboriginal and Amerindian arts paid tribute to the theme of “primitive arts”.

And in 2021, after a 4-year absence following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Dieppe International Kite Festival couldn’t have chosen a better subject than… “Protecting the planet”! A way of raising public awareness of one of the most pressing issues of our time.

3. Preparing your visit

Whether the next edition of the festival is in a few weeks, months or 2 years’ time, you can be sure of one thing: you’ll be there. But if your head is in the clouds, will you be there as a participant or a spectator?

Green light to be a participant

Kite flying holds almost no secrets for you, and you want to show off the model(s) you’ve carefully crafted. Now it’s time to get down to business.

The procedure is simple. All you have to do is go to the festival’s official website, fill in the online registration form (taking into account the information provided) and provide the documents required for the events in which you wish to compete. Child’s play, isn’t it?

Please note: All applications to take part are individual.

Green light to be a spectator

Ever since you were a little kid, you’ve loved kites, or you’re just curious at the thought of seeing hundreds of them sweep across the sky before your astonished eyes… What can we say except that Dieppe, in September, is waiting for you.

Beyond the emblematic shows, acrobatic ballets and strategic kite fights, the Dieppe International Kite Festival is above all a popular event that’s not only open to all ages, it’s also FREE!

And if you suddenly get the urge to fly a kite, there’s a special area on the lawn for amateurs to try it out. So get out there!

Did you know?

When kites were first invented, well before the 4th century, in China, Indonesia or somewhere else in Asia, they were more associated with regimentation than fun. In fact, the military used them to transmit messages, give a signal, and even carry a man into the air for scouting missions. That’s how long the kite has been in our innocent hands.