In 2026, Paris will move its principal Bastille Day fireworks display and the Concert de Paris to Monday, July 13, allowing July 14 to be reserved for commemorations of the 2016 Nice attack.
The traditional military parade will still take place on the morning of Tuesday, July 14, along the Champs‑Élysées, beginning near the Arc de Triomphe and proceeding toward Place de la Concorde.
The parade opens at approximately 9 a.m., with the President’s arrival signaled by trumpets, followed by aerial displays by the French Air Force around 10:45 a.m. and a procession of infantry, armored units, motorcycles and cavalry.
For 2026 the evening program begins at 9 p.m. on July 13 at the Champ de Mars, where the Orchestre National de France will perform a concert that culminates in a fireworks show at 11 p.m., featuring a large drone formation of roughly 1,600 units.
The fireworks are launched from the Eiffel Tower and the surrounding gardens, lasting about 20 minutes; early arrival is advised because security checks and crowd control intensify throughout the area.
A series of firemen’s balls, known as les bals des pompiers, will be held in fire stations across the 20 arrondissements, typically starting on the evening of July 13 and continuing into the early hours of July
