The Eiffel Tower lit up in Ukraine's colors this Monday, August 24.

Why is the Eiffel Tower lighting up in the colors of Ukraine this Monday, August 24, 2026, on the Trocadéro Esplanade (Paris 16th Arrondissement)? The City of Paris marks Ukraine's national day with a ceremony featuring speeches and songs, as a sign of solidarity with a country still at war.

This Monday, August 24, 2026, the Eiffel Tower is dressed in blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. On the Trocadéro esplanade, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, the city marks Ukraine’s national holiday, which commemorates the country’s declaration of independence on August 24, 1991. A symbolic gesture that Paris has repeated since the beginning of the war, to reaffirm its support for the Ukrainian people.

Why is the Eiffel Tower lit in Ukraine's colors?

This year marks the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence, more than four years after Russia's invasion began. Since 2022, the City of Paris has lit up the Eiffel Tower on several symbolic dates—from the invasion anniversary to Independence Day—as a clear message from the capital: freedom, democracy, and a lasting peace.

As the Ukrainian people continue to resist, Paris has steadfastly shown its solidarity. The City Hall, in fact, welcomed this Friday, August 21, a delegation of one hundred young Ukrainian athletes, alongside Olena Hovorova, vice-president of Kyiv’s municipal administration, and Vadym Omelchenko, the Ambassador of Ukraine to France.

What’s on the agenda for the ceremony at the Trocadéro?

The lighting ceremony opens with a series of key moments. Emmanuel Grégoire, the mayor of Paris, and Vadym Omelchenko, the Ukrainian ambassador to France, address the crowd to reaffirm their support for democracy and the Ukrainian people. The Ukrainian children's choir Zerniatko then performs several songs, before the Eiffel Tower is bathed in blue and yellow.

Here's how the evening unfolded:

9:00 p.m.: press reception on the Trocadéro Esplanade (16th arrondissement, Paris)
9:15 p.m.: remarks by Emmanuel Grégoire, mayor of Paris, and Vadym Omelchenko, Ukraine's ambassador to France
9:25 p.m.: performance by the Ukrainian children's choir Zerniatko
9:30 p.m.: start of the Eiffel Tower illumination

So join us on Monday, August 24, 2026 from 9 p.m. on the esplanade of the Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement, opposite the Eiffel Tower. The ceremony is open to the public, and the illumination will remain visible from many vantage points across the capital after nightfall.

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