July 13, 2026 fireworks in Paris: program unveiled with 1,600 drones

The Paris fireworks for Bastille Day 2026 are unusually brought forward to July 13, still staged from the Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars. A concert, twelve pyrotechnic sequences and drone-light shows will animate this free evening, in tribute to the victims of Nice.

Fireworks on July 14, 2026 are returning to Paris to celebrate the National Holiday, still launched from the Eiffel Tower in the 7th arrondissement, over the Champ de Mars. This year, a calendar shift upends our routines, as the show has been moved forward by a day. The Paris City Hall outlined, on Tuesday, June 30, to Le Parisien, the full schedule for this exceptional evening.

When is the July 14, 2026 fireworks display in Paris scheduled?

For this edition, the Eiffel Tower fireworks will not be staged on the evening of July 14 as usual, but the night before, on Monday, July 13, 2026. Paris and Nice had announced at the end of May that the celebrations would be exceptionally moved to allow full tribute on the anniversary of the Nice attack, which struck on July 14, 2016 along the Promenade des Anglais and left 86 dead, including 15 minors, and 458 wounded. The military parade on the Champs-Élysées remains firmly scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in the morning.

An evening hosted by Stéphane Bern, combining a concert with a fireworks display

The evening of July 13 will be hosted by Stéphane Bern and broadcast on France 2 and France Inter. It will open with a concert by the Orchestre National de France, the Chœur and the Maîtrise of Radio France, accompanied by several leading international soloists, before the traditional fireworks begin at 11:00 p.m. over the Champ-de-Mars. The show will also be broadcast live to allow on-site spectators as well as visitors from around the world to celebrate the National Day together.

Twelve scenes and 1,600 drones: what we know about the program

As every year, this popular gathering will feature a brand-new artistic creation, both musical and visual, built around twelve acts in total. Among the sequences already announced by the town hall:

a segment celebrating the 70-year milestone of the Paris–Rome twinning and the historic ties binding the two capitals
an homage to the 400th anniversary of the French Navy
a tribute to the Seine, the through-line of many past editions

The rest of the program will be unveiled gradually as the event approaches. On the technical side, this year 1,600 drones will be deployed in the Paris sky, up from 1,000 last year, to envelop the Iron Lady alongside the fireworks.

Where to watch the July 13, 2026 fireworks in Paris?

Access to the Champ-de-Mars and the Trocadéro promenade remains completely free, and these two spots offer the best, most dramatic views of the Eiffel Tower. It’s wise to arrive early, as the gates shut as soon as capacity is reached. The banks around the Bir-Hakeim Bridge and the banks of the Seine are a solid alternative, with a less exhausting exit than battling the crowds at Champ-de-Mars.

To plan the evening, several handy guides are available: the meilleurs spots pour voir le feu d'artifice, the terrasses, rooftops et restaurants avec vue, or the comprehensive guide to the feux d'artifice des 13 et 14 juillet 2026 en Île-de-France. The show can also be enjoyed perfectly from the couch, live on television.

A campaign to promote the Republic's motto

In parallel with announcements about the July 13 program, the City of Paris is launching this Wednesday, July 1, a poster campaign to promote the Republic’s motto, Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. Three posters will be rolled out on 1500 surfaces across the capital. The Mayor of Paris Emmanuel Grégoire explains that, as July 14 approaches, he wanted to bring “our motto and our republican story” to life throughout the city, recalling Paris’s special link to the storming of the Bastille and the birth of the Republic. Parisians who wish can pick up one of these posters free of charge starting July 2.