Hosting a dinner party with friends? Enjoying a show at the theater? Or perhaps a dinner at a restaurant followed by a night out dancing in one of the city’s many clubs? What’s your plan for New Year’s Eve on December 31st? How are you planning to ring in 2026? Many will gather on the Champs-Élysées to celebrate the new year on the world’s most beautiful avenue. To mark the occasion, the City of Paris has decided to dazzle everyone—big and small—with its traditional fireworks display, preceded by a video mapping projection on the Arc de Triomphe. But what exactly can you expect?
On their website, the City of Paris shares some details about what Parisians and visitors can expect for the New Year's Eve celebration in 2026 on the Champs-Élysées.
While it's recommended to arrive early (with access opening at 7 p.m.), the video mapping projection on the Arc de Triomphe won’t begin until around 11:50 p.m. This year, these spectacular monument displays are created by AV Extended and its artistic director, Jérémie Bellot. The agency has previously contributed to the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, and has also crafted large-scale works on iconic sites in Strasbourg, Prague, Petra, and San Francisco.
For this New Year's Eve 2026 celebration in Paris, the video mapping will highlight the theme "Paris of Arts and Ideas: A City of Workshops, a City of Stages, a City of Books," according to the City of Paris. The display will also pay special tribute to the 70th anniversary of the sister city relationship between Paris and Rome, which will be marked in 2026. Sports will likely be featured as well, in reference to PSG’s historic year. These projections on the Arc de Triomphe will be accompanied by music composed by Ena Eno, a founding member and artistic director of the 3rd Lab label, along with André Manoukian, a renowned French composer, songwriter, and pianist.
Ten minutes before midnight, the long-awaited countdown will light up the iconic Parisian monument, giving way to the traditional fireworks display. This year, Matthieu Infanti is responsible for designing the pyrotechnic show. While the list of songs accompanying the fireworks hasn't been revealed yet, the City of Paris announces that the playlist will be entirely female-led and "will showcase current hits, with a nod to Italy." To kick off the new year with a spirit of peace, hope, and brotherhood, the fireworks will culminate with the legendary John Lennon anthem, "Imagine."
To see the final result, head over to the Avenue des Champs-Élysées on the evening of December 31st. And for those unable to attend in person, remember that France 2 will be broadcasting the celebration live, just as they do every year.
