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.
© ADRT80-ACarrier
© ADRT80-ACarrier
© ADRT80-ACarrier
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.
From 24 to 27 April, bookings are required to visit the Sir John Monash Centre. Please contact info@sjmc.gov.au or call +33 3 60 62 01 40.
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.
With the shuttles, a part of ticket purchases will be donated to the Somme Battlefields for Peace fund. To learn more, click here ! 
©ADRT80-Céline François
©SommeTourisme
©ACarrierThe Somme Tourisme shuttles are now fully booked!
The AT7 taxi company (member of the Somme Battlefields' Partner network) is taking over* to take you to Villers-Bretonneux: contact@taxis-at7.fr
* Somme Tourisme does not manage bookings but only provides contact details.
Other events on the territory :
- 19/03 to 20/04 : Exhibition "Australian on the Western Front" at the Val de Somme Tourist Office.
- 19/04 to 12/05: Exhibition "Vignacourt 14/18, the back front in the Great War" at the Amiens Métropole Tourist Office.
- Saturday 20/04 (11.30am): Commemoration of Anzac Day at the Vignacourt British Cemetery, followed by a friendly drink at the Vignacourt 14/18 centre.
- Saturday 20/04 (3pm) : Guided tour of the Australian National Memorial with the Val de Somme Tourist Office (Reservations on + 33 3 22 96 95 76)
- Sunday 21/04 (9.30 am and 10.15 am) : Anzac Run at Vignacourt: 5km and 10km run, click here for bookings.
- From Monday 22/04 to Sunday 28/04 : "Anzac Week" at the Underground City of Naours : Special guided tours of Graffiti from the Great War (more information: contact@citesouterrainedenaours.fr).
- From Monday 22/04 to Wednesday 24/04 : The guides at the Val de Somme Tourist Office are offering you the chance to spend a quarter of an hour learning how to decrypt a Commonwealth tomb.
- Wednesday 24/04 : Inauguration of the Bailey Bridge at 3.30pm (Next to the Amiens Botanical Gardens).
- Thursday 25/04 (2pm) : Footy demonstration for children (Stade Timmerman, Villers-Bretonneux).
- Thursday 25/04 (7.30pm to 10pm): Concert by "The Samarobriva Pipes and Drums" at the Lys d'Or (28 Place Parmentier, 80 000 Amiens).
- From Friday 26/04 to Sunday 28/04 (5.30pm) : At the top of the Australian National Memorial, a piper will play melodies to pay tribute to the soldiers of the Anzac.
- From Saturday 27/04 to Sunday 28/04 : Weekend re-enactment at the Underground City of Naours with Australian and New Zealand soldiers.
Saturday 27/04 at Villers-Bretonneux:
- 11.40am and 1.45pm : Women's and then men's match (Australian football teams) at the Timmerman stadium, Villers-Bretonneux.
- 3.30 pm to 4.30pm : The Chantefique choir, all the way from Brisbane, will be at the Sir John Monash Centre on 27 April for an exceptional performance. From "Waltzing Matilda" to "Le Temps des Cerises", come and enjoy some classics, with your friends and family!
- 5.30 pm : Inauguration at the RD1029 roundabout of Villers-Bretonneux.
- 6.30 pm : Twinning anniversary ceremony between the towns of Villers-Bretonneux and Robinvale
- 9pm : Concert by Nadav TABAK (internationally renowned New Zealand guitarist) at the Covered Market.
Sunday 28/04 (9am) : Commemorative walk (Place Général de Gaulle, Villers-Bretonneux).
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.
Information about the
Ceremony
- The ceremony will be held on Tuesday, 25 April 2023
- 3:00am: Australian National Memorial site opens
4:00am: Pre-service program commences
5:30am: Official Anzac Day Dawn Service commences - Register your attendance to attend the ceremony
- Check your visa requirements
- Learn more about this Anzac Day Dawn Service
How to get to
Villers-Bretonneux
- 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. - By train
Trains operate between Amiens and Villers-Bretonneux. Check out tickets and dates on the French National Railway Company website. - 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
- Find the best hotel during your stay in Amiens.
- Looking for French warmth and friendliness ? Check out the guest houses of the Somme Battlefields' Partner network.
- All can't-miss places in the Diggers' footsteps
- Discover the cultural heritage of Amiens
You'll like too
Museums and places of interest
Centre d'interprétation Vignacourt 14-18
Hotel-restaurant
L'Auberge Fleurie
Archaeology, cave