ANZAC Day Ceremonies in Antibes 2019

On the 25th of April, Australians and New Zealanders commemorate the servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. The day of remembrance falls on the anniversary of the 1915 Gallipoli landings in which many Antipodean troops took part. 

In Antibes, with the support of Mayor Jean Leonetti, 2019 will be the 7th consecutive year that the Association ANZAC Antibes has organised bilingual, international and official ANZAC Day ceremonies welcoming all nationalities.

Date: Thursday, 25th April 2019

Time: Dawn Ceremony at 5:30 am; Main Ceremony at 10:00 am

Place: At the foot of “le Poilu” at the Fort Carré in Antibes

Parking: Ample free parking in the Fort Carré and opposite

We have organised a Breakfast and Lunch after each respective ceremony at The Duke, a local Antibes venue. There will be a special ANZAC Day menu with Antipodean food and music. For those who join us for breakfast after the Dawn ceremony, “mate’s rates” will apply for either a full-cooked breakfast with all the trimmings, for toast and Vegemite or French croissants and pains-au-chocolat.

After the Main Ceremony, a Lunch of pies, chips and veg will be accompanied by wine and followed by dessert, ANZAC cookies and coffee. Colgan’s Brewery and The Duke will supply a free keg of beer for lunch for ceremony attendees. “Mate’s rates” will apply for the rest of the day on beer and there will be a Two-Up game organised.

Place: The Duke, 3 avenue Niquet, Antibes (15-minute walk from the Fort Carré)

Time: Breakfast from 6:30 am. Lunch from midday. Beer and Two-up ‘till late.

ANZAC Day commemorates the anniversary of the landing of the Australian and New Zealand troops on the shores of the Gallipoli peninsula in 1915. They were part of a largely British force that also contained troops from France, Ireland, India and Newfoundland. So started an 8-month campaign that can only be described as an unmitigated disaster where over 120,000 soldiers lost their lives and thousands more were injured.

Although the Gallipoli campaign was unsuccessful, every year, on the anniversary of the landing, at dawn, we honour the courage of those who fought in WW1 but also those who have served, fought and lost their lives in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping missions. We also remember those in the armed forces who continue to defend our values today.

The Mayor of Antibes Juan-les-Pins, Jean Leonetti, recognises and supports the large and growing English-speaking community in Antibes and the surrounding region. Numerous elected officials will be present, along with representatives of the many local French Veterans’ Associations. The Royal British Legion will also be represented by retired Royal Navy Commander, Simon Jackson who will lay a wreath in memory of fallen British soldiers.

With the tourist and yachting season starting to get underway, April brings a number of tourists and yachting professionals to the region, who are all very welcome to attend. Going on past years, at the 5:30 am Dawn Ceremony we can expect up to 100 people, which doubles by 10:00 am.

Every year we welcome participants of all nationalities, young and old. The French veterans’ associations will be out in full colour for the pleasure of local expat children, participating, making speeches and raising their flags of origin.

ANZAC in Antibes would not be possible without sponsorship from a myriad of small businesses from Antibes to Nice: The WAKA Bar and Ma Nolan’s Irish Pubs, Riviera CBay, MediaSense, Access Riviera, Créatif Flowers, to name a few.

For more information, visit anzac-antibes.com or the Facebook page, ANZAC Day in Antibes.

*Photo credits: Michel Tolosano courtesy of ANZAC Antibes.