Bastille Day 2026: dance at the firefighters’ ball in the 6th arrondissement of Paris

Slip on your best flip-flops or your ballet slippers—the dance floor is calling! This Monday July 13, 2026, the firefighters from the 6th arrondissement of Paris invite you to join their traditional national day ball.

The firemen's ball is a purely French tradition, which began in 1937 with the Montmartre firemen's ball, said to have been improvised in a moment of collective jubilation. Since then, firemen's balls have multiplied, and can be found in every arrondissement of Paris, and in most towns in France, around July 14th.

This dance party is in addition to the other national holiday celebrations, such as fireworks displays, concerts and military parades, which we attend every July 14th.

• To be read
• This week's top picks for Paris and Île-de-France, June 29 to July 5, 2026.

In the 6th arrondissement, dancers and party-goers are invited to the barracks in the Latin Quarter on July 13. Come and discover the barracks on rue du Vieux Colombier, nearSaint-Sulpice church. This building was once a religious orphanage, then a place where the Daughters of Charity kept the remains of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul. This large building was converted into a fire station in 1815.

This year's firemen's balls were held in the 6th arrondissement of Paris:

• Dance - Colombier Fire Station
  On the evening of July 13 into July 14, from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., meet at the Colombier fire station for the Paris Firefighters’ annual ball.

Have a wonderful fête nationale in Paris! And to prolong this joyous occasion, discover the other things to do in the capital.

July 14, 2026 in Paris: firefighters' balls for Bastille Day in the capital
On Bastille Day, July 14, 2026, the Paris Fire Brigade opens several of its stations to the public so they can take part in the traditional firefighters’ balls. [Read more]

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