What to See & Do in Paris on Bastille Day

La Fête Nationale celebrating the 1789 French Revolution is one of the biggest holidays in France, with a popular military parade and flyover on the Champs-Elysées and an evening of fireworks and music at the Eiffel Tower. But there are many more events taking place throughout the city to celebrate, and most of them are free!

The Military Parade on the Avenue des Champs Elysées

The Bastille Day military parade returns to the Champs-Élysées on July 14th, 2025, after relocating to Avenue Foch in 2024 due to the Olympic Games. As always, spectators can expect an impressive show of military might, featuring thousands of troops, armored vehicles, cavalry, and a flyover of aircraft and helicopters. The two-hour parade from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde begins at 10am. With road closures and security checkpoints, it’s best to arrive early—many metro stations around the Champs-Élysées will be closed from 6:30am. For everyone else, you can watch it live streaming on French TV (France 2).

This year’s event opens with a solemn ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Committee of the Flame, which has maintained the eternal flame over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier since 1925. President Macron will attend alongside military leaders and youth representatives, with a special musical piece—Tout feu, tout flamme—composed for the occasion. After the tribute, the president will descend the avenue by command vehicle, reviewing the assembled troops before reaching the official tribune at Place de la Concorde.

The popular flyover begins at approximately 10:25am with the Patrouille de France tracing their bleu-blanc-rouge plumes across the skies of Paris in an eight-aircraft formation, followed by 63 aircraft representing the French armed forces and allied nations including the UK, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland. You can see them from any location in Paris that gives you a clear view of the skies above the city as they pass west to east (any bridges or quays along the Seine from Pont Alexander III to Pont d’Austerlitz are a pretty sure bet).

Note: If you can’t make the parade (or hate crowds), you might catch the practice flyovers and processions in the days leading up to Bastille Day on July 9th from 2:30-4:30pm at Place de la Concorde and along the Avenue des Champs Elysées.

Once the planes pass overhead, the parade continues with marching troops, beginning with military schools and followed by operational units. Indonesia is the guest of honor for 2025, with Indonesian troops and possibly aircraft participating in the parade alongside French forces. This year’s spotlight includes a Franco-Finnish joint force, a mine-clearing flotilla, troops from New Caledonia and the French military’s volunteer service, as well as a space-focused air base. Among the parade’s new highlights is the debut of the Gendarmerie’s “Centaure” armored intervention vehicles.

The mounted Republican Guard, with 196 horses and a full regimental band, closes the parade, followed by a coordinated performance marking the centenary of the Bleuet de France (the blue cornflower represents France’s remembrance for war victims, veterans, and survivors of terrorism), held all along the Champs-Élysées: Place de la Concorde, the roundabout at Place Clemenceau, and the Arc de Triomphe. This public tribute includes youth cadets from national service programs and a musical finale featuring former gendarmes-turned-musicians Yvard and Eloïz, who will sing La Marseillaise and “On sera là” (We’ll be there), the anthem of the Bleuet de France, accompanied by the Marine Troops Band:

A Somber Side Note
If you’ve seen the Bastille Day Parade before, be prepared for a slight change from tradition: according to the official press release, this year’s parade will strongly emphasize “operational readiness” over ceremony, with many soldiers marching in full combat gear instead of dress uniforms. The 7th Armored Brigade will parade both on foot and aboard its armored vehicles, including Leclerc tanks, Caesar self-propelled guns, and the Scorpion line of military vehicles. This is supposedly meant to show that the 2025 parade is more than a patriotic ritual showing how nicely they can march in unison, but is instead intended to show France’s ability to rapidly deploy a full combat brigade anywhere in the world in response to new global threats. For Europeans, Ukraine is not that far away.

Full Video of Last Year’s Parade

Bastille Day Official Parade Schedule

Only the military would give these precise timings, I know I’ll be ready with the stopwatch! 😉

• 9:30am: Completion of the positioning of the foot and motorized troops at Place Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile (Arc de Triomphe) and inspection of the troops by the general officers.
• 9:55am: Arrival of the President Macron at the Arc de Triomphe, welcomed by Army General Thierry Burkhard (Chief of the Defense Staff), Lieutenant General Loïc Mizon (Military Governor of Paris), and Retired Lieutenant General Christophe de Saint Chamas (President of the Flame Committee under the Arc de Triomphe).
• 10:07-10:17am: Presidential review of the troops and his descent down the Champs-Elysées to the Place de la Concorde, where he’s received by the 1st and 2nd infantry regiments of the Republican Guard.
• 10:25am: Aerial parade of 63 military planes (everyone’s favorite part!)
• 10:35am: Parade of foot troops, beginning with this year’s Guest of Honor (Indonesia) and cadets of the French military schools, followed by 5618 men and women of the French armed services.
• 11:22am: Aerial parade of 33 helicopters.
• 11:26am: Beginning of the parade of motorized troops (155 vehicles and 92 motorcycles). These go so slow (also seem to get stuck in traffic jams, lol) you have plenty of time for pics.
• 11:42am: Beginning of the parade of 200 horseback troops of the Republican Guard.
• 11:46am: Final performance celebrating 100 years of the Bleuet de France and La Marseillaise
• 12:00pm: Departure of the President.

Tips for Attending the Parade

About 25,000 people will be allowed into the “corrals” along the Champs Elysées to watch in person, so get there no later than 9am if you want to get access (and be prepared to stand). The police will funnel everyone through several checkpoints, so don’t bring anything like umbrellas, glass bottles, pocket knives, etc, which will be confiscated by security before you’re allowed to access the areas reserved for spectators. Alcohol is also prohibited in any container.

All of the troops and motorized vehicles start at the Arc de Triomphe and finish at Place de la Concorde. There can often be long periods of time where the parade is standing still (especially if you’re at the top end closer to Arc de Triomphe). Supposedly the best spot to watch from the ground is as close to Place de la Concorde as you can get along the Champs-Elysées, for example in the “garden” area near the Petit Palais. If you absolutely want to be right up against the barricades for the best photo ops, you’ll need to get there by 7:30am!

Many metro and RER stations in the area are closed for the entire morning and through 2pm, so expect massive bottlenecks on side streets as everyone tries to walk from the few open metro stations to the Champs-Elysées itself (Miromesnil on the north side of the Champs-Elysées and Alma-Marceau on the south side are popular). Vélib bike stations are locked in the area, and you may encounter large crowds blocking the streets if you come on your own bike. Note that it’s usually impossible to cross the Champs-Elysées, so plan accordingly. In any case, be prepared for long walks and wear a big hat for the sun or rain!

You can get an inside peek of what’s it like in this Secrets of Paris Community members-only article, “Secrets of Paris Bastille Day Recap.”

Meet the French Military at Invalides

From 10am to 7:30pm, the public is invited to the Hôtel des Invalides for Les Français à la rencontre de leur armée (“The French meet their armed forces”), a massive open-house event where the public can meet French service members, explore military equipment up close, and discover cutting-edge innovations in defense. The entire site—including the Cour d’Honneur, the gardens, the moats, and the esplanade of Les Invalides will be filled with exhibitions, demonstrations, and interactive experiences.

Visitors can explore dozens of military vehicles, including helicopters, armored vehicles, and boats from all branches of the French military. The Defense Innovation Agency will present sixty new technologies in the Cour d’Honneur, covering themes like engagement, support, training, space, and protection. In the surrounding gardens and moats, there will be drone zones, re-enactments, and interactive workshops—including a chance to make Bleuet de France remembrance flowers. Younger visitors can try obstacle courses and physical challenges, while recruitment booths and historic displays round out the program.

Live demonstrations will take place throughout the day, featuring military working dogs, close-combat training, VR simulators, and fire safety drills. On the Esplanade, a recreated military base will showcase ten helicopters and a range of combat vehicles, while a Mirage 2000 and Alpha Jet will be on view nearby. For those less interested in the war machines, there will be a field bakery selling pastries and music provided by bands from the Foreign Legion, the Marine Troops, and traditional Breton pipers. Inside the historic Turenne Hall, a blood donation drive organized by the Army’s transfusion center will also be open to the public (you need to be fluent in French for the medical interview to participate).

Whether you’re into military shows or not, I highly recommend checking it out. There’s so much to see and do — always something surprising each year I’ve attended — and it’s 100% free. And even when there are a lot of people, you’ll see more up close than you can during the parade. Click on the photos to see them full-size with captions:

There Will Be Fireworks! The Big Bastille Day Show at the Eiffel Tower

La Fête Nationale is celebrated in style every year with a live Concert de Paris on the Champ-de-Mars at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, followed by a grand fireworks show. Bastille Day always has a theme, but in 2025 there will be three of them(!): The Seine River, 10 Years of the Paris Agreement, and Brazil (as part of the six-month Brazil-France cultural season). The official description: “In the Parisian sky, colors evoking Brazil, Belém and the Amazon will take us on a journey… before returning to Paris by the Seine, a living artery connecting the banks of history before concluding with a sequence dedicated to love, friendship and solidarity. A popular celebration punctuated by songs of all genres and all generations!’

Hosted as always by Stéphane Bern (who always has a great outfit for the occasion), the Concert de Paris begins at 9pm with classical music performed by the Orchestre National de France, the Radio France Choir, and various international soloists. The nearly two-hour concert finishes strong with an enthusiastic rendition of La Marseillaise for the finale. Outsode of sporting events, you’ll never see as many patriotic French people as you’ll see singing along on the Champ-de-Mars. It could also be from the sheer excitement of knowing what’s coming next!

The fireworks show above the Eiffel Tower — supplemented by a thousand tiny drones that fly in formation — starts at 11pm and last for about 35 minutes, with synchronized recorded music that you can hear if you’re on-site or watching on TV. The entire evening is broadcast live starting at 8pm (for the pre-show chatter) on France 2 and France Inter. Here’s the recording of the 2020 fireworks show:

Bastille Day Picnic and Party Rules on the Champ-de-Mars

Plan on watching in person? People used to camp out on the Champ de Mars and Trocadéro all day long to have a front-row seat, but because of security reasons, that’s no longer possible. Here’s what I learned at the City Hall’s press conference on July 7th about this year’s security measures, but they also wanted to emphasize that the Préfecture de Police can change these directives at any given moment (I will update here as I get new info).

The entire perimeter from Trocadéro to the Ecole Militaire, including the Pont d’Iéna, will be closed off starting at about 2pm (it could be earlier in some sections) to start setting up the fireworks and the stage, and to take the bomb-sniffing dogs on a complete sweep of the public “zones”.

The viewing zones at Trocadéro are only accessible by invitation from the Mairie de Paris, so cross that off your list. The Pont d’Iéna will be used to stage the fleet of mini-drones, and will remain closed the rest of the day and evening. Nearby bridges will also be closed for security reasons during the event, so if you need to cross the Seine on foot, do it as early as possible.

The section of the Champ-de-Mars directly in front of the Eiffel Tower is where the concert stage will be set up. The east end of the Champ-de-Mars will be condoned off to welcome 60,000 people starting at 5pm with six food stands, toilets (they didn’t specify how many), and a special viewing platform for those with reduced mobility. Everyone has to pass through one of the four entrance zones where you will be frisked and your bags searched for banned items (there will be huge posters showing what you can’t take in):

• Knives, pocketknives, corkscrews, metal forks, scissors (try wooden cutlery for your picnic)
• All alcohol of any kind, glass bottles of any kind, aluminum cans (only plastic or reusable water bottles are allowed)
• Helmets (motorcycle and bike helmets), bicycles, trottinettes, and suitcases
• Parasols, umbrellas (except for compact, foldable ones), folding chairs or tables (cushions are okay; sunglasses and big hat recommended for the sun, which doesn’t set until 10:30pm!)
• Fireworks, sparklers, flares (the Prefect of Police has banned the “acquisition, possession and use” of firecrackers and fireworks by anyone except professionals in Paris and the surrounding Petite Couronne suburbs from July 4th until July 15th).
• It’s a public park, so smoking is no longer allowed since July 1st (vapes are usually okay, but they couldn’t confirm that)

If you can make it through that gauntlet before it fills up, you’re golden! (it’s usually full by 8:30pm, so get there early!) There will be uniformed municipal police, municipal mediators in burgundy tees, and municipal volunteers in turquoise tees and white baseball caps to help guide the crowd, answer questions, and keep the peace so you can enjoy the event. During the fireworks show, the barricades surrounding the Champ-de-Mars will be removed to allow for the 60,000 sleepy revelers to quickly disperse at the end of the show and find their way home.

Parisian Rooftops to Watch the Parade or Fireworks

If you don’t want to watch the military flyover or the fireworks on the TV and you don’t have a decent view from your window, the next best option to avoid the crowds is to try and book a spot – quickly! – at one of the many rooftop bars and restaurants in Paris. Advance reservations are a must in all cases and spaces fill up quickly, such as the Observatory of the Tour de Montparnasse, which is selling spots during the day for €35 (for the fireworks show at night it’s €90).

Trying to find a rooftop to watch the evening fireworks show is an extreme sport for Parisians. Either you pay a lot to book a restaurant or hotel rooftop with a view (the Office of Tourism lists a few in this article), or you have a “friend who has a friend” with a balcony with a view. Otherwise, there aren’t any “secret spots” to watch where there aren’t massive crowds (even if you watch from the distant hilltops of Belleville or Montmartre). I always suggest finding the best view you can within acceptable walking distance back to where you’re staying that night. 😉

The Bal des Pompiers – Firefighters’ Ball

The traditional Bal des Pompiers (Firefighters’ Ball) takes place each year on the eve of Bastille Day. For 2025, festivities will take place on July 12th and 13th. Although each station, or “caserne” in French, is free to make their own hours, in general the parties usually start in the evening around 9pm and finish at 4am. The events are free in theory, but a €5 entry fee is usually charged, and raffle tickets are sold to help raise funds to improve the working conditions of the firefighters or local charities. Music is usually a DJ but sometimes live bands play early in the evening, and there are always food and drink stands.

Bal des Pompiers on July 12th:

• Caserne Rousseau : 21, rue du Jour, 1st
• Centre de Secours de Malar: 7 rue Malar, 6th
• Caserne Montmartre: 12 Rue Carpeaux, 18th arrondissement

Bal des Pompiers on July 13th:

• Caserne Sévigné: 7 Rue de Sévigné, 4th arrondissement
• Caserne Colombier: 11 Rue du Vieux-Colombier, 6th arrondissement
• Caserne Blanche: 28 Rue Blanche, 9th arrondissement
• Caserne Chaligny: 26 Rue Chaligny, 12th arrondissement
• Caserne Port Royal: 55 Boulevard de Port-Royal, 13th arrondissement
• Caserne Masséna: 37 Boulevard Masséna, 13th arrondissement
• Caserne Grenelle: 6 Place Violet, 15th arrondissement
• Centre de Secours de Dauphine, 16th arrondissement
• Caserne Boursault: 27 Rue Boursault, 17th arrondissement
• Caserne Bitche: 2 Place de Bitche, 19th arrondissement
• Caserne Ménilmontant: 47 Rue Saint-Fargeau, 20th arrondissement

WARNING: While they’re a ton of fun, they’re also very crowded, so be prepared to wait in lines for everything from entrance to food to bathrooms and watch your belongings for pick-pockets. This video by Lisa Anselmo of “My (Part-Time) Parisian Life” gives you a sense of the atmosphere:

And don’t think that I forgot to share the famous “teaser” video of the Strasbourg Bal des Pompiers for 2025, enjoy!

Other Bastille Day Activities

Bastille Day on the Water

You can watch the fireworks show right on the Seine with a cruise on the Bateaux Parisiens (from €80/person for just a box meal and commentary, or €195-€270/person for the full dinner cruises (depending on where you sit); the Vedettes du Pont Neuf offers a luxury boat cruise and dinner at the foot of the Eiffel Tower (€219/person); Les Bateaux Mouches has dinner cruises with a live band and singer from €250; and Captain Fracasse has gourmet dinner cruises with Champagne from €199 (including a vegan option).

You won’t see anything happening on the other side of Paris, but it’s the perfect daytime escape to escape the crowds on the Canal de l’Ourcq with your friends in a self-drive electric boat with Akwa, no license or prior boating experience needed. These quiet, eco-friendly boats are easy to navigate and come in various sizes—including one with a built-in electric BBQ grill for cooking onboard – for 4 to 11 people. Rentals start at €45 (one hour on a small boat) up to €525 (five hours on the BBQ boat). You can also pre-order tapas and picnic baskets (from €14) or a selection of non-alcoholic beverages (you can also BYOB, but the person driving the boat can’t drink).

And of course Paris Plage will be open all day and evening on the Quays of the Seine, Canal Sanit-Martin, and the Bassin de la Villette, with swimming spots on the Seine and Canal and plenty of fun waterside activities to stay cool.

A few municipal swimming pools will be open, although they cost between €3-€6 to enter, and you must have a bathing suit (speedo style for guys) and swim cap (usually can be purchased at vending machines): Suzanne Berlioux (Les Halles) in the 1st, Roger Le Gall in the 12th, Josephine Baker in the 13th, Aspirant Dunand in the 14th, Aquaboulevard and Keller in the 15th, Champerret in the 17th, Pailleron and George Hermant in the 19th, and Georges Vallerey in the 20th.

Museums and Monuments Open on Bastille Day

Bastille Day 2025 falls on a Monday, which means that even if it wasn’t a holiday, municipal museums, smaller restaurants and boutiques would be closed. But there are plenty still open on July 14th, including the Louvre (with free entry for everyone; reservations open just a few days in advance and sell out fast!), the Army Museum at Invalides, the Natural History Museum in the Jardin des Plantes, l’Orangerie (but only in the afternoon, already full for 2025), Musée Jacquemart-André, Musée du Luxembourg, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Musée Maillol, Guimet Asian Arts Museum, Musée Montmartre, Musée de l’Homme, Hôtel de la Marine, and the Méliès Cinema Museum at the Cinémathèque. Monuments such as the Eiffel Tower (in the morning, mostly sold out), Arc de Triomphe (in the afternoon), Le Conciergerie, Panthéon, Château de Vincennes, and Château Vaux-le-Vicomte will be open. Churches (Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur) and cemeteries are open their usual hours. As usual, book online in advance to make sure you get in!

Shops & Restaurants Open on Bastille Day

Food & Dining: In general, more things are open than in past years. The open-air markets are closed as usual on Mondays, but most supermarkets and convenience stores are either open all day or just for the morning, and the many restaurants and cafés are open as usual, so you won’t risk starving if you haven’t planned ahead. If you’re looking for some recommendations to get started, check out Paris By Mouth’s reviews of restaurants open on Monday (call to confirm they’re open July 14th if you can’t reserve online).

Shopping: The soldes (summer sales) are still going strong through July 22nd, and shops aren’t about to miss out on a day when no one has to work. So many larger shops will be open, including:

• Carrousel du Louvre (10am-7pm)
• La Samaritaine (10am-8pm)
• BHV (10am-7pm)
• Le Bon Marché (11am-7pm)
• Galeries Lafayette Haussmann (11am-8pm)
• Printemps (11am-8pm)
• Bercy Village (10am-8pm)
• Forum des Halles (10am-8pm)
• Italie 2 (10am-8pm)
• Beaugrenelle (11am-8pm)

Amusement Parks

The festive Fête des Tuileries has opened for the summer with the Ferris wheel, stomach-emptying rides, barbe-à-papa (cotton candy) and whack-a-mole games. Open daily at the Jardin des Tuileries, 11am-midnight (free entry, tickets can be purchased for individual rides), although it may open later on the 14^th due to the official ceremony taking place right next door at the Place de la Concorde in the morning.

If you’d like to get out of the middle of the city, the Jardin d’Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne is a fun escape, including the funfair rides more appropriate for younger kids (and anyone who doesn’t like rides that make you puke up your lunch).

Bonus for Members: Behind the Scenes with Heather on Bastille Day

What do Parisians do to celebrate La Fête Nationale, aka Bastille Day, in Paris? This is Heather’s behind-the-scenes experience, from watching the parade from a friend’s window to watching the fireworks backstage on the Champ-de-Mars as a municipal volunteer, including a 10-minute highlights reel! This bonus content is for Secrets of Paris Community Members (learn about the benefits of joining us here).

Did You Know?

First celebrated in 1790 to mark the one-year anniversary of the July 14^th storming of the Bastille prison that kicked off the French Revolution, it was originally called the Fête de la Fédération. And because the Revolution hadn’t quite yet entered “Terror” mode – they were still testing the Constitutional Monarchy model – King Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette were even allowed to leave their heavily-surveillanced residence at the Tuileries Palace to attend the event as “King and Queen of the French”.

Find any errors or important information I missed? Let me know!