Overview
Oostende voor Anker is the Festival of Maritime Heritage in Belgium and the Maritime Past of Ostend.
The mix of unique ships, musical performances, lectures, events and all that the nautical world has to offer, attracted an impressive 200,000 visitors during the previous year.
The Festival runs from the 28th to the 31st May 2026.
Each year, the festival chooses a different theme, with that for 2026 being, “Caring for the Sea.”
Our North Sea is under pressure. Pollution, climate change, overfishing and underwater noise are affecting marine life, while indigenous species are losing ground to invasive newcomers.
At Oostende voor Anker we show not only the challenges, but above all the solutions. Under the motto “The Sea takes care of us. Who takes care of our sea?” We bring together inspiring initiatives and show how companies, organisations and visitors can help build a healthy sea.
Oostende Voor Anker (English: Oostende at Anchor)
23-26 May, 2024
From 1 to 4 June 2023, Ostend hosted the maritime festival Ostend at Anchor. The mix of unique ships, music performances, animation and everything the nautical world has to offer, attracted an impressive 200,000 visitors this year. In addition to the authentic ships and crafts, the Blue Innovation Village was also able to inform many interested parties about the innovations in and around the North Sea.
The Ostend at Anchor event has been a crowd puller in Ostend since 2000. This year the theme was Venetian Shipyards with a unique visit of typical gondolas and craftsmen who build them. In addition, you had the successful ingredients that thousands of visitors enjoy every year. You can go to stands with typical products from maritime items, antiques, clothing and memorabilia to artists who exhibit their works.
Curated History
When checked in the USA on 18 May 2026 the published website for this festival did not propagate: https://www.oostendevooranker.be/. It successfully propagated in Europe!