If you love magical events that make you feel like you've stepped out of everyday life, mark your calendars for the dates from June 5 to 7. The Water Festivals are back in the towns along the Deûle and the Lys, bringing a truly enchanting program. With monumental street performances, boat rides, lively brass bands, and family activities, this weekend promises to be particularly poetic.
Giant luminous foxes will take over Wambrechies
This is likely one of the most anticipated highlights of this edition. On Friday, June 5 at 9:30 PM, the city center of Wambrechies will host Les Légendaires, a spectacular parade imagined as a journey between dream and reality. Among the streets, enormous luminous foxes will appear alongside dancers, acrobats, and light bearers. It's a procession that is as strange as it is fascinating, sure to leave many in awe.
e têtes vers le ciel.See this post on Instagram
A monumental show by the water
The next day, it's off to Verlinghem for Dreams of Lights. Starting at 9:15 PM, the Fort Leisure Park will transform into a theater where water, wind, and fire come together. Giant silk silhouettes, aerial creatures, light shows, and an almost surreal atmosphere await you!it: it's hard not to think of a modern fairy tale when looking at the first images of this creation.
Set sail on a cruise like no other
Because a water festival without a boat would be a bit of a shame, several themed cruises will also be offered throughout the weekend. Departing from Wambrechies, Marquette-lez-Lille, Quesnoy-sur-Deûle, Deûlémont, or even Warneton on the Belgian side, you’ll have the chance to discover the area in a whole new way. Some trips highlight the local heritage, others focus on nature, humor, or even the pirate universe for families. Expect to pay between €2.50 and €8 depending on the routes.
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Parades, concerts, and free activities
The rest of the program also holds some lovely surprises! The wild brass band Parquet Sauvage will be parading through Marquette-lez-Lille, Saint-André-lez-Lille, Quesnoy-sur-Deûle, and Deûlémont, while several towns will host concerts, exhibitions, artisan markets, canoe baptisms, family activities, and fun for the kids.
Wambrechies, Verlinghem, Quesnoy-sur-Deûle, Deûlémont, Saint-André-lez-Lille, Marquette-lez-Lille, and even Warneton will join in this grand water festival celebrating both the river heritage and the gentle warmth of beautiful days. And between us, watching giant glowing foxes pass by along the Deûle on a June evening isn't exactly an activity you tick off your to-do list every weekend!
The Water Festivals
Several towns along the Deûle and Lys (Wambrechies, Marquette-lez-Lille, Verlinghem, Quesnoy-sur-Deûle, Deûlémont, Saint-André-lez-Lille, Warneton...)
From June 5 to 7, 2026
Full program and ticketing here