A combination of sun, sea, and… kites is a great start to the summer season. And that’s what happens every year on Narbonne Plage when hundreds of colourful kites take over the beach during the kite festival Natur’Ailes. The ninth edition took place last week during the Whitsunday weekend from 7 to 9 June 2025. On the programme: XL kites, creative workshops, a market with local products, and, of course, a kite competition. Luckily, the wind also decided to join the party!
High-Flying Kites
The twins, Chéri and I wanted to go to the beach on this beautiful Sunday, and as I had read about Natur’Ailes, we headed to Narbonne Plage. Being a Whitsunday, lots of people had the same idea, so it took a little while to find a parking spot. We arrived after noon, and instead of following the crowd to the parking lot on Avenue d’Aoste and Avenue du Port, we took a left turn somewhere and parked our car in a residential area. A short stroll toward the high-flying kites brought us straight to the beach, where all the fun was.
Purple Octopus
Natur’Ailes takes place on the Terrasses de la Méditerranée, the central beach in Narbonne Plage. It’s a well-organised beach, with wooden walking paths, nice seating areas, several restaurants, and even showers and toilets. However, we didn’t see much of the boulevard, as the ambience was lively, both on the boulevard and the beach. Slightly overwhelmed by the crowd, our family began our visit by strolling past the giant XXL air sculptures. An enormous purple octopus stood guard, and we spotted some of the kids’ old superheroes. Meanwhile, Benoît Dutherage- the runner-up world champion- was creating a large sand sculpture right on the spot. The path then led us to some tents where children attended workshops (not our teenagers) and a market with local products and crafts.
World Elite
Despite all this fun, we were primarily drawn to the kites, so we quickly headed to the beach for a closer look at the stunning flying artworks. Massive whales and a dolphin danced gracefully in the air alongside other beautiful creatures. Another purple octopus appeared to invade the beach with its impressive tentacles, creating a cinematic scene! In the meantime, a kite competition took place, organised by the city of Narbonne and R-Sky Events. I was surprised to learn that Natur’Ailes is the third biggest kite competition in France, after Berck in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Fréjus in the Var department. It was an opportunity to witness the world’s elite kite runners in action. The family and I enjoyed the rest of the spectacle from a distance with our feet in the water. And we realised that Natur’Ailes is an event for both young and old.
