National Holiday Festivities kick off tomorrow across Luxembourg

Tomorrow will kick start this year's National Holiday festivities across Luxembourg.

Celebrations will take place across the Grand Duchy this 22 and 23 June with parades and other activities in Luxembourg City, Larochette and Esch-sur-Alzette, where the popular Escher Volleksfest festival will also take place.

The festivities for the National Holiday will begin tomorrow, Friday 22 June, at 16:00 in front of the Grand Ducal Palace with the changing of the guard, in which an honorary detachment of the Luxembourg Army will participate under the command of First Lieutenant Fabien Kieffer.

At 21:20, following a concert played by the Luxembourg-Rollingergrund Municipal Band leading up to the arrival of the Grand Ducal couple, the traditional torchlight procession will be held, featuring firefighters, various associations and local companies from the capital as well as guides and scouts and percussion groups. Fireworks released from Pont Adolphe, accompanied by a musical composition by Jacques Neuen, at 23:00 will close the official programme of the 22 June festivities.

On 23 June, an official ceremony will be held at the Philharmonie Luxembourg, bringing together members of the Grand Ducal family and the government. On this occasion, HRH the Grand Duke, Mars Di Bartolomeo and Xavier Bettel will give a speech and proceed to the presentation of honorary awards to civilians. Musical supervision will be provided by the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chamber Choir and the Pueri Cantores of the Conservatoire de la Ville de Luxembourg as well as the choir of the Luxembourg European Choral Institute (INECC).

After the official ceremony, the traditional 21-gun salute will be held at Fetschenhaff followed by the taking up of arms on  Avenue de la Liberté, under the command of Colonel Yves Kalmes. It will be composed of army and police detachments as well as civilian detachments. After the establishment of the detachments, the Chief of Staff of the army, General Alain Duschène, Director General of the Luxembourg Police, Philippe Schrantz, and Deputy Prime Minister Étienne Schneider will successively review the troops. At noon, HRH the Grand Duke will also review the troops. This will be followed by a parade.

Finally, a solemn Te Deum will be celebrated in the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Luxembourg in the presence of members of the Grand-Ducal family.