What’s On in Paris – July 2026

Outdoors & Summer Fun

July 2
Le Food Market is a monthly open-air food festival on Boulevard Belleville (between metro Ménilmontant and Couronnes) with over a dozen stands serving up tasty dishes of all kinds at affordable prices (kind of like a gathering of static food trucks, but without the wheels) from 6pm-10:30pm. This month they’re celebrating their celebrating their “Food Market All Stars”: “The most iconic figures in today’s food scene will gather in the street. Renowned chefs, culinary content creators, emerging talents, and trendsetters—those who inspire our recipes, make our news feeds water, and bring entire communities together around their cuisine—will step off the screens to meet the public.” It can get quite crowded, so get there early to avoid waiting (there are huge tables to sit and eat).

July 4
If you’re looking for some 4th of July – American Independence Day parties around Paris, you could do a classic fave like Harry’s Bar (5 rue Daunou, 2nd); check out the literary celebration of America’s 250th anniversary on Nanna, the new péniche moored on Quai Montebello at the foot of Notre Dame (free entry); attend the historical reenactment of the Battle of Yorktown at Versailles’ Trianon Estate. Or just stay home doomscrolling…

July 4 – August 30: Paris Plages 2026!
Check out the 24th edition of the urban beaches of Paris along the Seine and Bassin de la Villette, with free swimming spots, outdoor dancing, and plenty of lounge chairs to enjoy the fabulous weather. Get the fully updated lowdown in the Secrets of Paris article: “Everything You Need to Know About Paris Plages 2026”

July 4-5
Barbecue Fest Paris 2026 is a two-day food and music festival on Île des Impressionnistes in Chatou, just outside Paris via the RER A. It combines large-scale barbecue-focused street food, competitions such as the French BBQ championship and a hot sauce contest, and live concerts spanning rock, funk, and electronic music. The lineup includes artists such as Mezerg, Cerrone, Manu Lanvin, and Guts. The event is spread across multiple themed villages and runs throughout the day into the evening, with tickets starting from 22 euros.

July 5
The 26^th anniversary of the Tropical Carnival takes place on the Champs-Élysées from noon, showcasing traditional music and dance groups from across France, as well as the French West Indies (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, and French Guiana). With “Paris V’Îles Lumières,” (Enlightened Islands) theme for 2026, Paris is envisioned as “an imaginary archipelago, composed of symbolic islands. Each island represents an island culture, a territory of memory, a shared imagination, a rhythm, a unique history.” This family-friendly event celebrates cultural diversity starting at the Place de la Concorde, going all the way up the Champs-Elysées and making a U-turn at George V, with a spectacular finale between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais.

July 7 (every first Tuesday)
See the Changing of the Republican Guard every first Tuesday of the month at 9am in front of the Élysée Palace, home to the French President. This event is free and open to all (standing room along the street). Two sections of 16 soldiers from the 1st Infantry Regiment march along the Avenue de Marigny and the Rue de l’Élysée. They meet in front of the Élysée Palace’s gate at 55 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. After exchanging military salutes and orders between the section leaders, the personnel of the incoming Republican Guard enter the courtyard in step. They then take up their posts for the next 24 hours.

July 11–August 4
Festival Paris l’été returns for its 36th edition, transforming locations throughout Paris into stages for contemporary theater, dance, music, circus, performance, and cabaret. This year’s lineup features more than 30 events in unexpected venues—rooftops, chapels, schools, and gardens—with both free and ticketed shows. Highlights include an All World Waacking Battle at the Grand Palais, a theatre performance in the Théâtre de Verdure du Jardin Shakespeare, and circus performers in the making with the apprentices of the Académie Fratellini at the Jardin d’Acclimatation. Tickets range from €10–€38.

July 13-14: Fête Nationale – Bastille Day!
La Fête Nationale, aka Bastille Day to Americans, is one of the biggest holidays in France. In Paris it’s celebrated with a traditional military parade on the Champs-Elysées on July 14th, fireworks from the Eiffel Tower (this year exceptionally on the 13th of July), and the Firefighters’ Ball (July 13th and 14th). Get the fully updated details for 2026 of where to go, what to do, what’s open, how to stay cool, and much more in this Secrets of Paris article, “What to See & Do in Paris on Bastille Day”

July 15-25
“The Louvre Invites Paris Summer Festival” is part of the Festival Paris l’été mentioned above, hosted in a temporary 600-seat theater in the heart of the Louvre’s Jardin des Tuileries. The open-air program includes dance, theater, song, and cabaret meant to please “all audiences”. See the full program and ticket prices here.

July 26: Arrival of the Tour de France!
The most famous bicycle race in the world — Le Tour de France — finishes its 51st anniversary route with the now-iconic three laps through the hilly streets of Montmartre (just like during the 2024 Summer Games) before finishing on the Champs-Élysées. It’s free to watch if you can manage to get a spot along the route! Note that metro stations Tuileries, Concorde, Clémenceau, Franklin Roosevelt, George V, Charles de Gaulle-Étoile, and Madeleine will be closed all day, while stations Villiers, Rome, Place de Clichy, Blanche and the Funiculaire de Montmartre will be closed starting at 1pm. Use other stations to access the race, and for the police frisking checkpoints, make sure to leave glass, cutlery of all kinds (including corkscrews), large umbrellas, and anything that could be considered a weapon at home.

June 20-August 23
The Fête des Tuileries annual summer funfair in the Tuileries Gardens (next to the Louvre, 1st) is open daily 11am-1:45pm with food stands, hair-raising rides, games to win prizes, and the “Grand Roue” Ferris Wheel. Free entry, different prices for the attractions. Watch your pockets in this typically crowded space!

June 27-September 5
The Association Française d’Astronomie hosts free stargazing evenings in 21 different parks and gardens across Paris this summer. Events begin at 9pm and run until 1am. The orange squares on the interactive map show the meeting place within the larger parks. This year’s schedule:
July 3: Jardin Villemin-Mahsa Jîna Amini (10th arrondissement);
July 4: Square Séverine (20th arrondissement);
July 10: Parc Martin Luther King (17th arrondissement);
July 11: Parc des Buttes-Chaumont (19th arrondissement);
July 13: Square des Arènes de Lutèce (5th arrondissement);
July 17: Bois de Charonne (20th arrondissement);
July 18: Parc Monceau (8th arrondissement);
July 24: Jardin des Grands Explorateurs (6th arrondissement);
July 25: Parc de Belleville (20th arrondissement);
July 31: Jardin du Ranelagh (16th arrondissement);
August 7: Parc Montsouris (14th arrondissement, Nuit des étoiles);
August 8: Jardin d’Éole (18th arrondissement);
August 9: Square Louise Michel (18th arrondissement);
August 12: Parc André Citroën (15th arrondissement, partial eclipse of the sun, begins at 7pm);
August 15: Square Louis XIII (4th arrondissement);
August 21: Parc de la Butte Chapeau Rouge (19th arrondissement);
August 22: Square Georges Méliès (12th arrondissement);
August 26: Jardin Shakespeare (16th arrondissement);
August 28: Parc de Choisy (13th arrondissement);
August 29: Parc Georges Brassens (15th arrondissement);
September 5: Parc Montsouris (14th arrondissement).

June 21- September 14
The iconic Olympic Cauldron returns to Paris’s Jardin des Tuileries from June 21 to September 14, rising at sunset until 2am nightly, weather permitting. You can visit it “parked” in the daytime from 10am. See exact schedule updated daily here.

Saturdays through September 26 (+ July 13 & August 15)
Les Soirées aux Chandelles return to Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (an hour southeast of Paris), offering magical evenings lit by 2,000 candles across the château and formal gardens. From 5:30pm to midnight (last entrance 9:30pm), enjoy illuminated strolls, baroque music, refined dining options, special performances, a special Le Brun light projection, and a dazzling fireworks show at 11pm. Don’t miss themed nights on July 13 (Fête Nationale, dress code: blue, white and red!), and August 15 (elegant white). Advance booking required. Tickets: €22 full, €17.50 reduced, €16 garden only. Free for children under 4. “In case of bad weather, our team will do everything possible to ensure at least a partial lighting of the candles and the fireworks display (except in cases of force majeure or public safety concerns).”

Through September 27
The Théâtre de Verdure du Jardin Shakespeare is a seasonal open-air theatre set inside the Bois de Boulogne in western Paris. Performances take place throughout the summer in a small, garden amphitheatre surrounded by tall trees and other greenery, creating an intimate setting for the theatre, music, and dance performances (mainly in French if any spoken words). It’s a nice little escape from the city in the summer, preferably when it’s neither too hot nor too wet (tickets usually available last minute, see the full program on the website). Prices vary from free to €25.