The Whale Festival soon returns for its eighth edition but with a great innovation this year.
This year, the festival dedicated to this great emblematic marine mammal will be preceded by a completely different festival, the Festival de la Nature, which will take place in the capital from tomorrow until May 24. The godfather of the Whale Festival, Julien Lepers, is already within our walls. He will be one of the major players in this Tananarivian festival.
Nature Festival, first edition
Indeed, one of the major values that the Whale Festival is disseminated is awareness of the protection of marine and terrestrial universes. If the actions of this festival supported by the Cetamada and Indri associations were limited to Sainte-Marie Island until then, the festival now targets a larger population. This is how the Whale Festival initiated the Nature Festival which will last 8 days, for awareness actions intended to review human practices, a week of animation distributed on several sites in the capital led by Julien Lepers.
A national quiz
On the program, there will be the nature quiz, led by Julien Lepers who will ask multiple questions about environmental issues and to the opportunities they represent. The national selection will be broadcast simultaneously on the national channel and on Facebook on Sunday, May 18. Participation will also be open to everyone, participants who can respond live on social networks. The final phase of this quiz will take place on Saturday May 24 at the Radisson Blu during the gala evening which will close this Tananarivian festival.
Awareness of young people
Various awareness-raising actions for young audiences will also be undertaken as part of this festival, including the Festival of Green Initiatives organized by the Alliance Française de Tananarive, the screening of marine and terrestrial films or the intervention of specialists for young people, without forgetting the exhibition of photos on the theme “Terre-Mer” in the premises of AFT.
Awareness of entrepreneurs
An Afterwork, led by Julien Lepers, is also scheduled for Thursday, May 22 with the CCIFM business club, the Franco-Malgache business network. Business lunches, every day of the festival, from 13 to Friday, May 23 are also planned. An opportunity to educate the business world about environmental issues and opportunities.
A public film screening
The highlight of this nature festival will be the screening of the film “Oceans” on a giant screen at the Akamasoa center on Wednesday May 21. This film by Jacques Perrin takes spectators in immersion in nature, to discover known marine creatures, unknown or ignored but above all gives to reflect on the imprint that man imposes on wild life.
See you in July
As for the Whales Festival which will take place in Sainte-Marie from July 12 to 20, it will also experience major innovations. Among them, the installation of a village which will now host all the structures of the festival: the sand field, the stands, the podium and the restaurant. This space will bear the name of Yas Village for this 2025 edition. In addition, the activities that have done its notoriety will not change: sports competitions and craft competitions, whale safaris, festive evenings, to name a few. We know, moreover, that the whales have already broken around Madagascar since the beginning of May. They will therefore be there in July.
Hanitra Andria
