Arcachon: a big party to celebrate the new seafront

The Arcachon municipality is inaugurating the new seafront between the Thiers and Lataillade jetties this Saturday, July 5th. Construction took a year and a half to complete. Festivities, shows, concerts, and entertainment will continue from noon to 11 p.m.

It took a year and a half of work and a budget of 5 million euros to transform the Arcachon seafront , between the Thiers and Lataillade jetties, over a length of 400 meters and 10,000 m² of surface area. It has been refurbished... and almost finished. In recent days, workers have been busy completing this major renovation designed by landscaper Paul Trouillot, from the Trouillot et Hermel agency in Cenon. It was requested by the municipality and its mayor Yves Foulon. A few days before the official inauguration, this Saturday, July 5, "we feel proud and we want to share this with the population, because everyone goes to this seafront, it is the showcase of the Basin," he explains.

To celebrate this new waterfront, the municipal services have planned a major celebration. It is scheduled from noon until 11 p.m. this Saturday. The public who haven't been to the waterfront for some time will be able to discover a cycle path, widened and clearly separated from pedestrians. A promenade area has also been enlarged, and long stone benches have been built for seating. The project also incorporated significant vegetation: trees and nearly 290 shrubs have been planted, more than 600 bulbs for year-round flowering, and planters have been enlarged and connected to create cool spots.

The materials laid on the ground have warm hues and rounded shapes. Other new features of this seafront are steps with terraces set up on each side of the promenade, as well as three belvedere-like promontories of approximately 18 m² for stopping and admiring the landscape without obstructing pedestrians' paths. Finally, the lifeguard station has been completely rebuilt. All this will be recalled in the inauguration speech, which will begin at noon this Saturday at Place Thiers.

But this institutional moment will be quickly followed by a first new animation, a show more precisely, which can be discovered at 12:45 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. These are giant dolls, truly immense, dressed in round crinoline dresses, who will wander among the crowd. They present themselves as "giant divas" who will sing all sorts of tunes, well-known songs and original compositions, accompanied by a troupe of drummers to the rhythm of the stroll.

And then at 3 p.m., the start of the 18 Hours of Arcachon, the famous sailing race, will be given, also offering a panorama of sailboats throughout the afternoon. The most spectacular moment will certainly be that of Nathan Paulin, an extreme tightrope walker who will perform, at 5 p.m., a spectacular aerial crossing on a cable between the Thiers and Lataillade jetties. He holds several world records for high crossings, including those of the Eiffel Tower and Mont Saint-Michel.

Those are the highlights. But almost constant musical entertainment is also offered from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. along the entire seafront, with bands like Melting Pot, Saults, The Yellbows, and Les Incognitos. The public will also be able to discover Mega Unity, a famous dance company, crowned French champion several times. It was revealed to the general public by winning "La France a un incroyable talent" (2023) and reaching the finals of "America's Got Talent."