Overview
This free event, the Festival La Citadelle en Bordées, has been held in Dunkirk in Northern France since 1991, organised by “Les Amis de la Citadelle.” It regularly attracts audiences of over 10,000. A number of French regional, national, but also Dutch, Belgian, English or Galois groups perform on 10 stages (including 5 platforms plus cafes, restaurants, clubs or sailors’ homes..)
The Citadel is surrounded by basins and can only be accessed by bridges, so it is a kind of small “island” that has a soul and is still dedicated to the sea and to the economy of the port. This festival therefore resonates with sailors’ songs, but also includes folk, Celtic groups, blues and French chansons, sometimes offbeat and humorous.
The 33rd Citadelle en Bordées festival took place on June 27th 2025, but with fewer maritime performers after having been faced with funding issues in recent years.