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, celebrated since 1880 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 takes place on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées on July 14th, 2026. This year’s theme is “Europe’s Strategic Awakening.” 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).

The parade opens with the arrival of President Macron at 9:50am at the Arc de Triopmhe. He begins the slow drive down the Champs Elysées 10am onboard a command vehicle, reviewing the assembled troops before reaching the official tribune at Place de la Concorde.

The popular flyover begins at approximately 10:21am with the Patrouille de France tracing their bleu-blanc-rouge plumes across the skies of Paris in a “Big 9” formation of nine Alphajets exceptionally accompanied by two French Mirage 2000 fighter jets flown by French pilots with Ukrainian student pilots in the rear seats, followed by 84 aircraft representing the French armed forces, plus 11 foreign allies (EU/UK). 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, especially the afternoon of July 9th along the Avenue des Champs Elysées.

Once the aircraft have passed overhead, the parade of troops begins, starting with the military academies and followed by operational units. In addition to the military personnel, there are also domestic security forces that work with them to ensure civilian protection: Gendarmes, National Police, Firefighters, and Customs agents. Look for the French Foreign Legion’s distinctive bearded “pioneers”, marching at the head of the Legion with leather aprons, white gloves, and polished axes, a ceremonial tradition dating back to the 19th century, when combat engineers cleared the way for advancing troops.

The 2026 parade highlights France’s contribution to NATO’s eastern flank, with honored units including the 501st Combat Tank Regiment returning from Romania, the 3rd Marine Artillery Regiment deployed to Estonia, the Mediterranean Mine Clearance Diver Group, the Air Combat Aviation Brigade, and the Air Special Forces (who will make one last flyover of their C-130 Hercules before its retirement). The parade also showcases the Coalition of the Willing, the Franco-British initiative bringing together 37 countries preparing to provide security guarantees for Ukraine after a ceasefire.

The parade concludes with a naval musical tableau at the Place de la Concorde marking the French Navy’s 400th anniversary, founded in 1626 under Cardinal Richelieu. The French Navy Band is joined by the Bagad de Lann-Bihoué, the official Breton pipe band of the French Navy composed of active-duty sailors playing traditional bagpipes, bombards, and drums, representing both naval service and Breton maritime heritage. The performance is supposed to “link four centuries of naval history with present-day operations and future recruitment, within the broader context of Europe’s evolving strategic posture and maritime security.” I just want to see their Riverdance-esque moves, demonstrated in one of their concerts last year. 😉

Full Video of Last Year’s Parade

Bastille Day 2026 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.
• 9:50am: President Macron’s review of the troops and 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.
• 10:21am: Aerial parade of 84 military planes (everyone’s favorite part!)
• 10:28am: Parade of foot troops, beginning with cadets of the French military schools, followed by 6686 men and women of the French armed services.
• 11:31am: Beginning of the parade of motorized troops (315 vehicles including 98 motorcycles). These go so slow (also seem to get stuck in traffic jams, lol) you have plenty of time for pics! They’re then followed by a parade of 33 helicopters.
• 11:48am: The 193 horseback troops of the Republican Guard bring up the rear of the parade.
• 11:50am: Final performance celebrating 400 years of the French Navy
• 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 long 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 and video from 2025, “Behind the Scenes with Heather on Bastille Day”

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. 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, sign up here).

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:

BIG CHANGE FOR 2026: The Eiffel Tower Fireworks Show Will be July 13th

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. However, according to Paris City Hall’s website announcement, this year it will take place on July 13th out of respect for the commemoration of the ten year anniversary of the deadly terrorist attack that took place on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice on July 14th, 2016.

This year’s theme for the Bastille Day concert is “A Concert Dedicated to National Unity” while the fireworks show afterwards features montages celebrating the 70th anniversary of the twinning between the cities of Paris and Rome, the 400th anniversary of the French Navy, and the Seine River.

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 1600 tiny drones that fly in formation — starts at 11pm and last for about 20 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 (and EBU-Eurovision channels around the world). Here’s the recording of the 2025 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.

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”. This is from 2025 (waiting for the new one for 2026):

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)

I should emphasize that the Préfecture de Police can change these directives at any given moment (I will update here as I get new info).

If you can make it through that gauntlet before it fills up, you’re golden (it’s usually full by 8pm, 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.

Watch from the Seine: Bastille Day Dinner Cruises

As of June 29th there are still spots open for booking dinner cruises on the Seine for July 13th, probably because the prices are rather high, even for Paris (expect to pay €189-€300/person depending on the cruise and the options): Vedettes du Pont Neuf, Bateaux Mouches, Le Diamant Bleu (and Theo), Captain Fracasse, and Paris Seine are standard options; Ducasse sur Seine is the Michelin-starred option (for €700/person). Before you wear your most fabulous stilettos, make sure you know how you’re getting back home or to your hotel afterward, as taxis will have a hard time reaching you in the post-fireworks pedestrian traffic (bring some walking shoes in your bag).

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.

Trying to find a rooftop to watch the evening fireworks show is an extreme sport for Parisians. It doesn’t help that the 13th is a Monday when many restaurants are closed! Either you pay a lot to book a restaurant (from €1100/person to watch it from the Café de l’Homme Restaurant at Trocadéro) or hotel rooftop with a view (the Sortir à Paris 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 2026, 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 13th:

• Centre de Secours Rousseau : Square du Temple and Parvis de la Marie du Centre, 3rd arrondissement
• 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, 8 rue Mesnil, 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

Bal des Pompiers on July 14th:

• Caserne Montmartre: 12 Rue Carpeaux, 18th 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 2026, enjoy!

Other Bastille Day Activities on the 14th

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 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 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 (fitted or 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 2026 falls on a Tuesday, which means the Louvre, Orangerie, and Natural History Mueums are closed. But most are still open on July 14th, including the Army Museum at Invalides (free entry to permanent collections), the Catacombes, Musée Jacquemart-André, Musée d’Art Moderne, Musée Rodin, Fondation Cartier, Carnavalet Museum, Picasso Museum, Musée du Luxembourg, Fondation Louis Vuitton (open exceptionally Tuesday the 14th), Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme, Musée Maillol, Cognacq-Jay Museum, Musée Montmartre, Palais Galliera, Musée de la Vie Romantique, Hôtel de la Marine, Quai Branly, and the Musée d’Orsay (however it’s already full). Check if your favorite isn’t listed here, it’s probably open, too. Monuments such as the Eiffel Tower (mostly sold out), Arc de Triomphe (only from 3pm), 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: Generally speaking, more things are open than in past years, especially larger brasseries and restaurants in central Parisian districts popular with tourists, and the east side of Paris like the Faubourg St-Antoine, Oberkampf, and Belleville. If you don’t want to leave anything to chance and end up wandering around getting “hangry”, reserve a table in advance. OpenTable is convenient if you don’t already have some favorite places in mind, and high-end hotel restaurants are almost always open.

For groceries, most supermarkets and convenience stores are either open all day or just for the morning, so you won’t risk starving if you haven’t planned ahead. The open-air markets that are usually open Tuesdays will officially be open, but many stands may decide not to open, so it might be a smaller selection than usual.

Shopping: The soldes (summer sales) are still going strong through July 21st, and shops aren’t about to miss out on a day when no one has to work. The tiny boutiques will probably be closed, but many larger shops and department stores will be open, including:

• Carrousel du Louvre (10am-7pm)
• La Samaritaine (10am-8pm)
• 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!