On 28 and 29 June 2025 the Battlefield of Waterloo (BE) celebrated the 210ᵉ anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo through a historical re-enactment.
On 28 and 29 June 2025, the Battle of Waterloo Estate organised a re-enactment to celebrate the 210ᵉ anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, hosted by Stéphane Bern (radio presenter of programmes devoted to history). For the occasion, more than 2,000 re-enactors in uniform, accompanied by 100 horses and 25 cannons, came together to bring the famous battle to life. Historic bivouacs and a civilian village, featuring craftsmen, workshops and entertainment, plunged visitors into the final days of the Napoleonic era.
On 18 June 1815, on the plains of Waterloo, the fate of Europe was decided. After his return from the island of Elba, Napoleon Bonaparte attempted a final coup: to confront the coalition armies of the Duke of Wellington and Marshal Blücher before they could regroup. During this decisive day, more than 180,000 men faced each other in a fierce ten-hour battle, punctuated by cavalry charges, cannon fire and infantry manoeuvres. The battle ended in defeat for the Emperor and marked the definitive end of the First Empire. Since then, Waterloo has become a place of universal remembrance.
