If you hear the roar of jet engines over the capital this Thursday, July 9, don’t worry: Several aircraft from the French Air and Space Force will be flying over Paris as part of the final rehearsal for the traditional Bastille Day air parade. As every year, this dress rehearsal lets crews fine-tune their timing ahead of the official ceremony which will take place next Tuesday on the Champs-Élysées.
The July 14, 2026 military parade: the schedule for the Bastille Day event on the Champs-Élysées
The traditional Bastille Day military parade is back on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, along the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Find out what’s on the program for this event. [Read more]
The aerial parade is one of the most spectacular moments of the National Day celebrations. But before slicing across the Paris sky in front of millions of TV viewers and thousands of spectators gathered on the Champs-Élysées, each formation must rehearse under real conditions.
That is precisely the aim of the flight exercise organized for this Thursday morning. Crews will rehearse their trajectories, altitudes and timing so that each aircraft lands at the right spot, to the second. This level of precision is indispensable when around a dozen aircraft, sometimes more depending on the formation, are maneuvering over the capital at the same time.
This drill will involve several aircraft from the French Air and Space Force and is slated to take place around 3 p.m. While weather conditions or operational needs may prompt last-minute adjustments, Parisians should be able to see a variety of aircraft crossing the capital’s skies.
As every year, this rehearsal underscores that the air parade is one of the highlights of National Day. Behind these few seconds of a flyover lie weeks of preparation, coordination, and training, mobilizing pilots, mechanics, and controllers of the Air and Space Force.
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The July 14, 2026 military parade: the schedule for the Bastille Day event on the Champs-Élysées
