D-Day 2026 – 82nd anniversary of the Normandy Landings

Inauguration of the exhibition "Sergeant Taylor, the cameraman of Omaha Beach"

June 5, 2026 - 18:30 PM

Le Normandy Victory Museum is inaugurating its new exhibition dedicated to Sergeant Taylor, the only cameraman to have filmed the landing on Omaha Beach. A conference, meetings with the project's organizers—including Sergeant Taylor's daughter—and an exceptional preview of the exhibition are being offered to the public.

This year, a unique event sets the tone for the D-Day 2026 commemorations in Normandy.

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The Defense Village: an immersion into the heart of the French army

In collaboration with the CIRFA, the museum hosts the Army in nearly 3000 m² to present to the public the professions of Defence through demonstrations, equipment and exchanges.

For the D-Day 2026 commemorations, the Army is deploying significant resources by transporting heavy, even very heavy, equipment, such as a CAESAR gun, a GRIFFON, a VAB, and many other exceptional vehicles.

Coming from all over France, several historical units, such as the 12th Cuirassier Regiment, present their specialties and share with visitors the journey of their regiment during the Second World War in order to show the evolution of the French army since 1944.

Throughout the weekend of June 6, 2026, several activities will allow visitors to discover firsthand the equipment, techniques and know-how related to the Second World War.

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Demonstration of an Enigma coding machine

With collector Edmond Kern, the public is invited to delve into the secrets of the famous Enigma machine, used by the Germans to encode their messages during the war. Through an interactive demonstration, Edmond explains how this amazing machine works and its strategic role. Visitors, especially children, can even try their hand at coding by encrypting their first name using the Enigma system, on a particularly rare and authentic machine.

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Demonstration of homing pigeons

Antoine Le Moigne invites you to discover the role of carrier pigeons during World War II, used to transmit messages when communications were difficult or impossible. Through several demonstrations, he presents the workings of the American army's mobile pigeon lofts, deployed close to the troops to ensure the transmission of information to the rear.

An activity that is particularly popular with younger people, who can learn how to send coded messages.

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Presentation of US and German equipment

Benoît Lelandais, collector and historian, is at the museum to present visitors with a series of weapons and equipment used by the Americans and Germans during the Battle of Normandy.

Historians, witnesses, and speakers come together to share their passion and provide firsthand accounts. These are special moments for the transmission and exchange of knowledge, and sometimes emotion.

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Lecture by Henriette Leprovost – Enlisting at 17 during the war

Having joined the National Teams at just 17 years old to help disaster victims, Henriette Leprovost served as a first-aider in Le Havre during the 1944 bombings. Now 97 years old, she returns to Normandy Victory Museum to share this testimony and evoke the commitment of an entire generation of young people during wartime.

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Conference – Francophone Veterans

Invited by the association “Ils l'ont vécue” and the group The Jackets, French-speaking veterans come to share their wartime experiences through personal stories marked by commitment, hardship, and memory. They have already been hosted at Normandy Victory MuseumThese encounters offer a rare moment, where history is transmitted directly by those who lived it.

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Conference – US Veterans

Initiated by Florent Plana (WW2 Veterans's Memories), who collected over 800 veterans' testimonies, this gathering gives a voice to American veterans who come to share their experiences of the Second World War. As such witnesses become increasingly rare, these exchanges offer a precious and deeply moving moment, where history is passed on directly by those who lived it.

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Conference “Jean Moulin: Artist, Prefect, Resistance Fighter”

Cécile and Gilbert BENOIT, cousins ​​and heirs of Jean Moulin, present an intimate portrait of the most illustrious of the French resistance fighters during a conference.

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Lecture by Stefan Lewandowski, Resistance fighter and deportee to Mauthausen

At 100 years old, Stefan Lewandowski is one of the last living witnesses of the Second World War. Joining the Resistance in Lorraine at a very young age, he participated in several actions against the German occupiers before being arrested in September 1944 and deported to the Mauthausen concentration camp. Through his exceptional testimony, he recounts his involvement, his deportation, and the liberation of the camps, offering the public a rare moment of remembrance and sharing.

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Conference “The Enigma Myth”

They have already intervened together at Normandy Victory MuseumEdmond Kern and Jacques Wiacek, recognized Enigma specialists, offer a conference dedicated to the origins and development of this encryption machine between 1932 and 1942. Through an in-depth approach, they shed light on a strategic yet little-known aspect of the Second World War, at the heart of intelligence issues.

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Book signings: Jacques Wiacek, The Time of the Precursors

Following the conference, Jacques Wiacek will hold a book signing for his work, Enigma, le temps des précurseurs (Enigma, the Time of the Precursors). This will be a valuable opportunity to continue the discussion and delve deeper into the topics raised during the conference.

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Book signing: Denis Van Den Brink, The 101st Airborne in France

Author and historian specializing in the 101st Airborne Division, Denis van den Brink will be signing his book about the experiences of American paratroopers in France during World War II. This is a special opportunity to discuss his research and discoveries with the author.

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Book signing: Stéphane Carpentier, aka Wallace - D-Day Stories - Manga

Screenwriter and teacher Stéphane Carpentier, also known as Wallace, will be signing copies of his manga, D-Day Stories. Through the lives of four young men from the same Norman family, but serving in different countries, the author immerses readers in the heart of the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy. This original work blends fiction, family history, and the memory of the Second World War.

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Book signing: Nicolas Ancellin, On the Front

Journalist and military history enthusiast Nicolas Ancellin will be signing copies of his book, *On the Front*, dedicated to the American cartoonist Bill Mauldin. Through the drawings and accounts of this privileged witness to World War II, the book reveals the daily lives of GIs on the European front, far removed from propaganda images. It offers an original, often humorous, and sometimes biting perspective on the reality of war as experienced by American soldiers.

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Book signings: Jean-Blaise Djian for his series  Normandy, June 44

Screenwriter Jean-Blaise Djian signs his comic books Normandy, June 44A successful series, translated into several languages, in which the author recounts the major events of the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy. Historical graphic novels are a format enjoyed by many enthusiasts, making history accessible to a wider audience. A great opportunity to engage with a passionate and approachable author.

Besides the French army military camp, the exteriors of the Normandy Victory Museum come alive during the 82nd D-Day with activities, the passage of reenactors, collectors, enthusiasts.

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Carentan Liberty March Halt

Approximately 200 participants in the Carentan Liberty March stopped at Normandy Victory MuseumThis immersive commemorative walk follows the traces of the 1944 battles, bringing together history enthusiasts who come to relive, with respect and authenticity, the journey of the soldiers involved in the liberation of Carentan.
Upon their arrival at the museum, a presentation will be offered to the public before their break, providing a moment for visitors and participants of this memorial walk to meet.

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Rest stop on the Freedom Trail

Nearly 250 cyclists from several European and North American countries will stop at Normandy Victory MuseumThis commemorative hike follows the historic route of General Patton's Third Army after the D-Day landings. More than a sporting challenge, it perpetuates a message of remembrance, peace, and friendship between peoples.

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Retro fashion and vintage car parade

Following the success of previous editions, the association “Les Voyageurs du Passé” is renewing its 40s fashion show. Men, women and children bring back to life the silhouettes of the era, between elegance, creativity and everyday styles.

This year, vintage civilian vehicles accompany the parade, for an even more complete immersion in the atmosphere of the 40s, between living history and spectacle.

Beyond the battles, the Second World War was also marked by moments of music, creativity, and sharing. Between remembrance and the celebration of newfound freedom, these concerts and events invite us to rediscover the atmosphere of the 40s through its sounds, rhythms, and emotions.

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Swing Melodies Orchestra Concerts

The Swing Melodies Orchestra group takes over the terrace of the A10 Canteen for a concert with swing and jazz sounds, in the atmosphere of the 40s. As the pieces unfold, the music that accompanied soldiers and civilians during the Liberation brings back the atmosphere of the time, for an evening under the sign of nostalgia and sharing.

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Choral and instrumental concert - CANCELED !

Cancelled due to weather conditions.
Two music schools and their choirs (Valognes and Carentan) bring together nearly 130 musicians and singers for a concert featuring repertoire from the Second World War and the 40s. Film scores, iconic songs and popular tunes, from the Song of the Partisans to Lily Marlene, via Amazing Grace, make up a varied and accessible program that resonates with collective memory.

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Concert for Peace, a musical immersion into the heart of memory

The Concert for Peace brings together some sixty musicians around a program blending music from the Second World War, cinema, and the Liberation. Through a repertoire combining iconic film scores (Band of Brothers, The Longest Day, It's a Wonderful Life) and popular tunes of the era (Moonlight Serenade…), this immersive concert, accompanied by readings, creates a dialogue between music and history in a powerful moment, marked by remembrance and emotion.

The exhibitors present

To experience during the event

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