This is one of the highlights that marks the arrival of the magic of the holiday season in the capital:the lighting of the famous Champs-Elysées avenue. Every year as Christmas approaches, the most beautiful avenue in the world is decked out in lights and shines from nightfall until the first week of January. The tone is set, and Paris becomes more and more magical during this enchanted period.
The season is usually launched with great fanfare, bringing together thousands of Parisians, both new and old, onthe Champs-Elysées, which is closed to traffic for the occasion. A stage is set up with large screens so that the general public can follow the launch.
Every year, a celebrity serves as patron of the lights and is invited to press the buzzer at the end of a countdown that illuminates the world’s most beautiful avenue. Celebrities including Tony Estanguet, Gilles Lellouche, Karl Lagerfeld, Lily-Rose Depp and Louane have taken turns in recent years. So who will be the patron or patroness for the launch of the 2026 Christmas Lights on the Champs-Élysées? The announcement came on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at a press conference: Australian actress Cate Blanchett will kick off the festive season on the world’s most beautiful avenue.
They had thus kicked off the season alongside local officials, the Comité des Champs-Élysées, which organizes the event, and two children from the Petits Princes association.
