The inaugural Halifax Fleet Week is coming to town this September as a celebration of the people who make sacrifices for us every day through their service at sea.

Fleet Week will see more than 1,200 sailors from across the world descend on the city, which has a long and storied naval history. Ships from the U.S., the U.K., France, and Germany will make the trip to Halifax as the event coincides with the CUTLASS FURY 2023 naval exercise. As the new NATO base for DIANA, the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, Fleet Week gives Halifax the chance to show the public its significance as a port city and wartime staging ground.

“This is an opportunity for us to open our doors to the communities that support each and every one of us. It allows Halifax to see the work we do, and the people who do it to accomplish the mission of the Royal Canadian Navy, both at home and around the world,” said Rear-Admiral Josée Kurtz, Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic and Joint Task Force Atlantic in a press release.

The event runs from September 7-10, and will feature waterfront concerts from the Stadacona band, an esprit de corps rugby match, ship tours, a ceilidh at the New Scotland Brewing co., all leading up to a parade of ships through the Halifax harbour.