Tourist Office Val de Somme

Feel the vibrations of a bagpipe! Located at the top of the Australian National Memorial tower, a bagpiper performs famous and moving tunes to pay tribute to the ANZAC soldiers who fought on our territory.

Dates: April 26, 27, and 28 at 6:00 PM
Duration: About 30 minutes
Free!
In partnership with the Sir John Monash Centre
Meet at the base of the memorial tower.

Every year on April 25th, the Val de Somme honors the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) forces who fell in combat during the First World War.

On this occasion, a Dawn Service is held at the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, located in Fouilloy. Visitors wishing to attend must book their pass online on the Anzac Day services ticketing website.
 

Ceremony Program:
2:30 AM: site opens
4:00 AM: pre-program begins
5:30 AM: ceremony begins
6:30 AM: ceremony ends
9:00 AM: ceremony at the war memorial in Villers-Bretonneux
3:00 PM: French ceremony at the Bullecourt Memorial - war memorial in the city center - Square du Souvenir Français
4:00 PM: Australian ceremony at the "Digger" monument near Bullecourt

To access the site, several options are available to you:
 

• Shuttle service from Villers-Bretonneux

Free shuttles will be available for ceremony participants between Villers-Bretonneux and the Australian National Memorial site. They will depart from the public parking lot at 1 Rue de la Gare in Villers-Bretonneux. The last departure is scheduled for 4:45 AM. After the ceremony, shuttles will be available again to take participants back to the parking lot in Villers-Bretonneux.

These shuttles will also be accessible to people with disabilities and reduced mobility.
 

• Shuttle service from Amiens

On foot from neighboring towns
Two illuminated and secure paths from the surrounding towns will allow participants to reach the ceremony site on foot.

1. From Villers-Bretonneux (45 minutes)
2. From Fouilloy (30 minutes)
 

Schedule
The official ceremony starts at 5:30 AM and ends at 6:30 AM. It will be preceded by a pre-ceremony starting at 4:00 AM, including musical performances, short film screenings, and readings.

Location
The ceremony takes place at the Australian National Memorial, on the Route de Villers-Bretonneux, in Fouilloy, in the Somme.

Go on an adventure with Digger Quest

Take your family on an adventure at the Sir John Monash Centre with the new Digger Quest app!

The entire Sir John Monash Centre team has been working for over a year to develop this fun and educational application. It is aimed at children aged 6 and over. Digger Quest takes children on an adventure to discover Australia's role on the Western Front during the First World War.

They will have to explore the exhibition to find clues and answers with a tablet. They will then be guided through the center's galleries by the various totems, Australian animals, and will be able to complete their quests at their own pace. 

Armed with their tablet, adventurers explore Australia and discover why this young nation fought alongside the Allies in the First World War.

Thanks to stories told by Australian soldiers and nurses, younger visitors can also immerse themselves in the daily lives of Australians in France during the First World War. 

Practical info:

• Available from age 6
• Duration: 45min to 1h
• Free admission