Visit Ostend at Anchor and dive into the blue economy
From 22 to 25 May, you can once again take part in the largest maritime festival on the North Sea. This year, Ostend at Anchor is all about “working at sea”. Wim Opbrouck will be playing the role of captain, fisherman, offshore employee and diver especially for this occasion
Over a period of four days, you can admire more than one hundred and fifty historic and authentic ships and take a trip to sea. During the festival, you can also sample various crafts by, for example, tying knots or knitting a fishing net, or visiting the blacksmith.
However, Ostend at Anchor also looks ahead to the future of shipping and developments at sea. Many companies and other organisations are happy to explain what they do in and around the Belgian part of the North Sea.
Blue Innovation Village
In 2025, you can find the Blue Innovation Village on Sint-Petrus- en Paulusplein (right in front of the church). This year's programme includes:
- Enthusiastic exhibitors who are happy to tell you more about their products, services and projects in the blue economy;
- Fascinating discussions with experts on various themes linked to the sea;
- Demonstrations of various innovative products and services;
- Special activities for children.
Other novelties
This year, several new elements have been added to the Oostende voor Anker programme, including:
- Sail on an authentic sailing ship: embark on an unforgettable maritime adventure;
- Ostend food village: get to know typical Ostend dishes linked to the North Sea;
- Maritime passport: interactive quest with ten assignments for the little ones.
Members and partners
Several members and partners of Blue Cluster are involved in the organisation of this year's edition of Ostend at Anchor. We gladly put them in the spotlight below:
- Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services / VLOOT
- Antwerp Maritime Academy
- DEME
- Elia
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO)
GeoXYZ - I-care
- Institute of Research on the Wonders of the Sea (IOBZ)
- Jan De Nul
- KU Leuven
- MULTI.engineering
- Provincial Development Agency of West Flanders (POM West-Vlaanderen)
- University of Antwerp
Practical information
Ostend at Anchor is a free and publicly accessible event. For certain activities, the number of participants is nevertheless limited and it is advisable to register in advance. You can find all relevant information in this regard on the Ostend at Anchor website.
The festival is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm. Traditionally, Saturday and Sunday are the most crowded. If you want to explore Ostend at Anchor in a more relaxed way, we recommend that you visit the festival on Thursday or Friday.
Background
Oostende voor Anker is the largest maritime festival along the North Sea. You will find a maritime market and numerous authentic ships from all over the world. Last year, the event attracted 200,000 visitors and featured more than 150 ships.
The focus of the event is traditionally on the maritime past. In recent years, the festival has also focused on the future of shipping and developments at sea, including through the Blue Innovation Village. The organizers thus emphasize that the sea will continue to play an important role in our economic system in the future.
