D-Day Memorial Parade and Ceremony

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For More Information

Web: DDayParade.org

Email: Chris Meeker, Associate Producer

Mail: 7255 E. Hampton Avenue, Suite 127, Mesa, AZ 85209

Phone: 800-626-8590

If you're interested in entering your band in the D-Day Memorial Parade and Ceremony, please request an application from Chris Meeker at the contact info above.

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Remembering D-Day — Celebrating Liberation

Step into history and join thousands of spectators in Normandy, France, for the D-Day Memorial Parade and Ceremony in Sainte-Mère-Église. Held each year in commemoration of the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, this special event honors the soldiers who fought and sacrificed for freedom while celebrating the enduring friendship between the United States, France, and the nations that helped liberate Europe.

Sainte-Mère-Église holds a special place in D-Day history. The historic village was among the first places liberated by American paratroopers in the early hours of June 6, 1944. Today, its streets and town square provide a remarkable setting for a living commemoration of that historic day.

The D-Day Memorial Parade brings together marching bands, military units, veterans, civic organizations, cultural groups, and dignitaries from the United States and abroad. Participants march through historic streets once traveled by American troops during the liberation of Normandy. For performing groups, it is a rare opportunity to use music to honor the Greatest Generation and serve as musical ambassadors for the United States.

The event is more than a parade — It is a living memorial.

Memorial ceremonies and wreath-laying observances throughout Normandy remember the men and women who gave their lives during D-Day and the campaign that followed. The commemoration also features the Concert de Libèration, a musical salute celebrating the liberation of France. Performing groups can share their music with French audiences in the historic town square before joining the parade through the village.

For students and directors, this is an experience unlike any other marching-band event. Performers are not simply visiting a historic battlefield — they are participating in an international remembrance alongside veterans, French citizens, military representatives, and fellow musicians. The warm welcome from the people of Normandy creates a meaningful connection between today's young musicians and the generation that fought for Europe's liberation.

The D-Day Memorial Parade and Ceremony is an experience of a lifetime for a performing group. March through the heart of Sainte-Mère-Église, perform in a village forever connected to D-Day, and help carry the memory of those who served to a new generation.

• All American D-Day Band, USA
• Belaire H.S. Royal Wave, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Herndon H.S. Band, Virginia
• Jacksonville State University Marching Southerners, Alabama
• NYPD Pipes and Drums, New York
• The Ohio State University Alumni Band, Columbus, Ohio
• Park City H.S. Band, Utah
• St. Augustine H.S. Marching 100, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas
• University of Texas Alumni Band, Texas

Bands traveling to France for the D-Day Memorial Parade and Ceremony can take advantage of many educational and recreational opportunities available in the region, such as:

• Arromanches
• Mont St. Michel
• Notre Dame Cathedral
• Eiffel Tower
• Palace of Versailles
• American Cemetery at Omaha Beach
• Sainte-Mère-Église
• Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur Basilica

Saturday, June 5, 2027
Saturday, June 3, 2028
Saturday, June 2, 2029
(Parade held annually on the Saturday closest to D-Day, June 6)

Web: DDayParade.org

Email: Chris Meeker, Associate Producer
Mail: 7255 E. Hampton Avenue, Suite 127, Mesa, AZ 85209
Phone: 800-626-8590

If you're interested in entering your band in the D-Day Memorial Parade and Ceremony, please request an application from Chris Meeker at the contact info above.