ANZAC Day 2023, Villers-Bretonneux
You are here
2024Anzac Day
©Fabien Milhaud

Anzac Day 2024

  • 25April
  • 3,500people
  • 5:30am

Anzac Day

25 April 2024

Australians and New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) in remembrance of their servicemen and women who have served in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.

This year on 25 April 2024  the Anzac Day Dawn Service will be held at 5:30 am at the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, Northern France. In addition to the Anzac Day Dawn Service, a week of commemorative events will take place in Villers-Bretonneux including sportive events, concerts, walks of remembrance.

A shuttle service will operate between Amiens and Villers-Bretonneux for the Anzac Day Dawn Service.

mémorial.jpg© ADRT80-ACarrier
armée.jpg© ADRT80-ACarrier
cimetière.jpg© ADRT80-ACarrier
villers_bretonneux_digger.jpg

Useful Information

The ceremony will be held on Thursday 25 April 2024, at the Australian National Memorial just north of the village of Villers-Bretonneux in Northern France.

2:30am: Australian National Memorial site opens
4:00am: Pre-service program commences
5:30am: Official Anzac Day Dawn Service commences
6.30am : Conclusion of the service
9.00am : Villers-Bretonneux Town Service (French Service)
3.00pm : Bullecourt Town Service (French Service) in the village centre - Square du Souvenir Français
4.00pm : Australian Service at the Digger Memorial - on the outskirts of Bullecourt

Check your visa requirements and register to attend the Anzac Day Dawn Service. Please bring your ID upon arrival.

Please note: The Anzac Day ceremony takes place at dawn and outdoors, so please be prepared to face the climatic conditions (cold, rain) of April.

For Anzac Day 2024, Somme Tourisme sets up shuttles from Amiens to the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, in order to attend the Dawn Service ceremony at 5:30 a.m.

Two types of shuttle service are available:

- "Short journey": departs Amiens station (in front of the Tour Perret) at 2.30am for the Australian National Memorial (Fouilloy). Return to Amiens around 8am.

- "Long route": Depart Amiens station (in front of the Tour Perret) at 2.30am for the Australian National Memorial (Fouilloy) for the Anzac Day ceremony, then transport to the Villers-Bretonneux war memorial for the 9am ceremony. Return to Amiens around 11.30am.

If one of the shuttles is full, please send an email to accueil@somme-tourisme.com to let us know when a new shuttle will be available.

With the shuttles, a part of ticket purchases will be donated to the Somme Battlefields for Peace fund. To learn more, click here

Set behind the Australian National Memorial and just next to Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, the Sir John Monash Centre is a key site on the Australian Remembrance Trail on the Western Front.
Villers Bretonneux Anzac Day, Somme©ADRT80-Céline François
Centre Sir John Monash, Somme©SommeTourisme
plan.jpg©ACarrier

Somme Tourisme is organising shuttle buses for Anzac Day 2024. Book now.
 

 

Other events on the territory :

 

- 22/04 to 28/04 : "Anzac Week" at the Underground City of Naours : Special guided tours of Graffiti from the Great War (more information: contact@citesouterrainedenaours.fr).

- Sunday 21/04: Anzac Run at Vignacourt: 5km and 10km run, click here for bookings.

- 24/04 : Inauguration of the Peace Garden "Garden of Dreams" at the entrance to the Amiens Citadel at 2.30pm and inauguration of the Bailey Bridge at 3.30pm.

- 27/04 and 28/04: Weekend re-enactment at the Underground City of Naours with Australian and New Zealand soldiers.

 

Prohibited items

The following items are prohibited at the commemorative services :

  • Dangerous or hazardous items of any kind including fireworks, flares, lasers and smoke canisters
  • Advertising or marketing messages
  • Large backpacks or luggage (day-packs, e.g. aircraft cabin bag sized are acceptable)
  • Furniture or camping equipment including tents, folding chairs and stretchers
  • Alcohol of any kind
  • Opened bottles of liquid
  • Glass containers and cans of any kind
  • Flammable liquids
  • Weapons or sharp objects, including umbrellas (a poncho will be issued if required)
  • Large objects
  • Musical instruments of any kind and any other object that may be used to cause a disturbance including air horns and vuvuzelas
  • Hiking poles (medical aids, such as walkers and walking sticks will be permitted subject to medical need)
  • Large flags or banners
  • Professional photographic equipment (e.g. large zoom lenses, audio visual or cinematographic devices apart from accredited media)
  • ‘Selfie’ sticks and large camera tripods
  • Drones and remote-control devices
  • Any other item that might compromise public safety or enjoyment of the Commemoration or that is illegal under the laws of Australia or the host country.
  • Smoking and the consumption of alcohol is prohibited within the Commemoration site.
  • No animals are permitted to the Commemoration(s), other than guide dogs for the blind, hearing dogs for the deaf or assistance dogs for attendees requiring accessible assistance.

In order to preserve the solemnity of the commemoration, and as this service will be broadcast live, roaming by the general public to take photos during the service is not permitted. Accredited media will also be restricted to a media zone area.
These items must be left on your coach or vehicle. Visitors to the commemorative services are screened by security personnel upon entry to the sites and bags are scanned or checked. Prohibited items will be confiscated upon entry to the site and may be destroyed.

In the Digger's footsteps

On the Western Front
 

The Somme Battlefields will forever hold an important place in Australian and New Zealand memory. A poignant Anzac Day Service is held every year at the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux in Northern France.

After their baptism of fire in Galipolli, 1915, the Anzacs were deployed to the Western Front, where they played an important role in the Somme in 1918.

A century ago, these quiet towns, villages and fields of Northern France witnessed the triumphs, tragedy and unimaginable loss of Australia's forces.

Today, reminders of their great sacrifice can be seen across the Western Front. No family was left untouched by the devastation this war caused, and today a journey to the battlefields of the Somme is always a very poignant experience.

Somme

Battlefields for Peace

Fundraising

For meaningful tourism

Make a donation

Information about the

Ceremony

  1. The ceremony will be held on Tuesday, 25 April 2023
  2. 3:00am: Australian National Memorial site opens
    4:00am: Pre-service program commences
    5:30am: Official Anzac Day Dawn Service commences
  3. Register your attendance to attend the ceremony
  4. Check your visa requirements
  5. Learn more about this Anzac Day Dawn Service

How to get to

Villers-Bretonneux

  1. By bus/shuttle
    A shuttle service will be organized by the Somme Tourist Board between the train station of Amiens and the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux.
  2. By train
    Trains operate between Amiens and Villers-Bretonneux. Check out tickets and dates on the French National Railway Company website.
  3. By car
    Villers-Bretonneux is 30 min away from Amiens.

Useful

Information

It's easy to plan a trip to the Somme Battlefields ! Different types of accommodation, in the city of Amiens, or other villages and towns close to the battlefields, can be booked on this website.

You can also find information about our official Somme Battlefield guides, who can arrange standard or tailor-made tours of the battlefields just for you.

  • Staying in/near Amiens
  1. Find the best hotel during your stay in Amiens.
  2. Looking for French warmth and friendliness ? Check out the guest houses of the Somme Battlefields' Partner network.