A Festival for Nature Lovers, Kite Enthusiasts, and Beautiful Encounters
The “A Tout Vent festival” in Notre Dame de Monts promises an unforgettable experience for nature lovers, kite enthusiasts, and those seeking beautiful encounters. This festival marks the grand opening of the summer season in the Pays de Saint Jean de Monts. From day to night, the skies and central beach of Notre Dame de Monts are adorned with a thousand colours thanks to the magic of kites. Join us from 28th to 30th June 2024 for the 21st edition.
A Ballet of Majestic Kites
Crafted by imaginative inventors with expert technical knowledge, these kites become marvellous dream machines. For nearly 20 years, kite enthusiasts from around the world have come to showcase their most beautiful creations. Here are some highlights:
- Giant Static Structures: These impressive kites meet in the air, forming extraordinary and whimsical pairs like octopuses and dragons, whales and cartoon characters, or mermaids and imps.
- Performance Kites: These kites steal the show in the skies of Monts. Single-line, two-line, or four-line kites perform breathtaking and vigorous ballets thanks to the skilful fingers of their pilots. Teams practice all year to deliver a perfectly choreographed performance. At dusk, over 20 illuminated kites dance together in the salty summer air. Asian hexagonal kites, called rokkakus, engage in battles to cut the opponent’s line, with the last kite flying declared the victor.
- A Feast for the Eyes on the Beach: The spectacle continues on the beach, where colourful and poetic wind gardens delight visitors. Regular festival-goers will fondly remember the poppies, dancing hearts, and energetic ladybirds. The beach also features large spinning bowls, which showcase the strength of the wind while children enjoy their gentle caresses.
Four Days in the Rhythm of Aeolus
Throughout the weekend, the entire Esplanade de la Mer in Notre Dame de Monts is alive from midday until midnight. Mornings start gently as stalls and festival-goers awaken with the horizon as their backdrop.
Days of Discovery, Wonder, and Sharing
By noon, visitors explore the Village of the Wind, where they can:
- Make and decorate their own kites
- Play with whimsical structures
- Enjoy an ice cream
- Buy a beautiful windmill or their first kite—an ideal souvenir from the event.
Why not take this opportunity to try some water sports? Sand yachting sessions are available to experience the thrill of gliding.
Various food trucks offer lunch while enjoying the spectacle, and many nearby restaurants in Avenue de la Mer provide a chance to (re)discover local cuisine and its delights.
In the afternoon, nature walks between the beach and forest reveal the incredible biodiversity of our coastal environment.
Workshops for kite making and decorating, board games, sand yachting (from 8 years old), and paddleboarding (from 12 years old) are also available.
Kite flyers, with sun-kissed faces and dreams in their eyes, tire from spending the day trying to tame the God of Wind.
Evening magic
As night falls, the magic continues. The promenade lights up, offering a whole new festival experience. Starting at 7 pm on Friday and Saturday (10 pm on Sunday), a DJ sets the mood under the Bar à Vent marquee. At 10 pm, the Esplanade de la Mer comes alive with artistic performances that surprise and move the audience. Kites take flight from the beach against the backdrop of the ocean and setting sun, creating a stunning display. Despite their exhaustion, kite flyers muster their energy to deliver a magical evening for spectators.
More Than an Event, a Memory Factory
A Tout Vent captivates all ages. Children gaze wide-eyed at the multicoloured sky as they stroll down Avenue de la Mer. Nature lovers enjoy the activities and walks, sports enthusiasts embrace new challenges with sand yachting and kite-flying lessons, and night owls revel in the successful evening events. Adults rediscover their inner child for a few hours or days. There is no age limit for dreaming.
A Unique Atmosphere
Notre Dame de Monts, the “daughter of the wind,” is a place where learning and fun go hand in hand. The festival reflects this spirit. Kite flyers engage with curious onlookers, children love making and decorating their kites, and novices try stand-up paddleboarding, sometimes resulting in delightful spills. Giant instruments scattered along the promenade allow everyone to explore and experiment with their ingenuity, filling the air with a joyful cacophony of clinks and musical notes.
The Festival’s Sky-High Story
In 2003, a few kite enthusiasts gathered in the marshes of Notre Dame de Monts for 48 hours of wind-taming fun. This meeting grew into the magnificent A Tout Vent festival we know today. In 2005, the event moved from the marshes to the seafront, where it has flourished ever since. The creation of several flight zones, the Village of the Wind, wind gardens, the Bar à Vent, and the stage have elevated it to one of the most beautiful kite festivals in France. The event attracts over 200 kite enthusiasts from France and abroad, and 70,000 visitors annually.
A Community Affair
The festival thrives thanks to the municipality of Notre Dame de Monts and its cultural and technical services, as well as the dedicated efforts of local volunteers. Over 200 people contribute to security, catering, the bar, welcoming guests, and accommodating festival-goers and their families. This event, which highlights Notre Dame de Monts far beyond Vendée, is a proud moment for many locals who wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Discover all the major events Notre Dame de Monts: The Daughter of the Wind
As Gilbert Cesbron wrote, “Notre Dame de Monts… where the lavish betrothal of the sun and wind is celebrated daily,” was destined to host the beautiful A Tout Vent festival. The God Aeolus is truly honoured in this charming Vendée seaside resort, where many try to master the wind daily. Whether aboard a sand yacht or catamaran from the Pôle nautique or in the bubbles and mists of the Jardin du Vent, both sports enthusiasts and dreamers will find joy. Learning through fun is the motto of this family-friendly resort, where simple pleasures and nature abound.
You might also like
