Saint-Malo's Village Départ for the Route du Rhum, Destination Guadeloupe, opens on Tuesday 20 October at midday, and for the first time the celebrations will spill well beyond the dock gates.
Across thirteen days, the 118 competing boats and 150 exhibitors will occupy more than 70,000 square metres of waterfront. The event is built around cultural happenings, family activities, themed days and the sight of boats passing through the locks, alongside the sailing itself.
Four years ago the event drew more than 1.2 million visitors. This edition adds a new element called the "Off du Rhum", run by the city of Saint-Malo and the surrounding communes, pushing festivities out into the streets and neighbourhoods rather than confining them to the dockside village.
Skippers will be visible throughout the thirteen days, on the quays, at scheduled village events, and on the main stage.
Sunday 25 October from 5pm is the key date. All 118 skippers will gather on the main stage for the official skippers' presentation, and each day between 5.30pm and 6.30pm there's a "Journal de La Route du Rhum" session where sailors share news and impressions ahead of the start.
The lock passages remain a signature spectacle. After proving popular in 2022, the viewing setup has been expanded for 2026 to hold up to 2,000 spectators.
A new area called Rhum Park will sit near the Louis Martin entrance, with a big wheel offering views over the basins and the old town, plus a giant zip line nicknamed the "Charalienne". Art Explora, the event's first Arts & Culture partner, brings a museum ship and programming exploring maritime culture and the imagination of the sea.
La Maison Hector returns to run the Brasserie du Rhum, the village's social hub on the Saint-Malo quays, with a live music programme running from opening through to late evening.
Guadeloupe, the race's finishing destination, again gets its own pavilion. This year it has been designed as a fully immersive space showcasing the culture, history and heritage of the islands.
Among the Off du Rhum highlights is an exhibition titled "La Route de la Victoire, Maquettes des bateaux de légende", a free display of models of the race's legendary yachts at the Chapelle de la Victoire within the old walled city, open from Tuesday 20 to Saturday 31 October, 10am to 6pm.
Organisers have also worked on crowd flow through the village, building on changes made in 2022. New exits have been added to improve access into the walled city, and a fresh website interface lets visitors filter the programme by Village, Off du Rhum or Guadeloupe content, by interest, time or location. The Saint-Malo Tourist Office will also staff a physical information point at the village entrance.
Organisers are encouraging public transport and low-impact travel for those attending. SNCF, the race's official rail partner, will run extra services to Saint-Malo from Brittany and Paris.
Accessibility has had specific attention too. Two dedicated parking areas for people with reduced mobility will be set up at Place de la Distillerie and Place de Rocabey, and a "quiet hour" from 12.30pm to 1.30pm each day will lower the noise level around the village, with a rest zone near the main stage. A themed inclusion day on 22 October, run in partnership with Café Joyeux, will include a round-table discussion and related activities.
The village opens 20 October at midday and closes 1 November at 5pm, open daily from 10am. Exhibitor areas run until 8pm, extending to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, while bars and food areas stay open until 1am.
Lock entries begin with the Vintage Multi and Ocean Fifty classes on Tuesday 20 October, 12.45pm to 2.45pm, followed by the IMOCA fleet on Wednesday 21 October, 2pm to 4pm. Class40 and Vintage Mono boats pass through on Friday 23 October, 8.30am to 3.30pm.
Lock exits are scheduled for Friday 30, Saturday 31 October and early on Sunday 1 November. Two grandstands flank the Naye lock, with public viewing on the south side and the north stand reserved for accredited guests and those with reduced mobility. Selected sequences will be broadcast live on France 3 Bretagne and the France TV website.
Three paid visitor car parks, totalling 3,900 spaces, will operate at Hippodrome/Féval, La Houssaye and ex-Seifel/DPC, with free shuttles to the village running every 15 minutes from 8am to 11pm.
