Bastille Day Paris 2027: Fireworks and the Parade, 13 and 14 July

France celebrates its National Day on Wednesday 14 July 2027, and Paris holds the centerpiece. The Paris tourism board lists the celebrations across Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 July 2027: a morning military parade on the Champs-Elysees, an evening classical concert, and fireworks launched from the Eiffel Tower.

Bastille Day is the busiest summer date in the Paris calendar, and it rewards anyone who lands with the day already planned. This post covers what happens, where it happens, and how the first hour works when you arrive for it.

Paris has marked the National Day every year since 1880, and the shape of the day is traditional. It begins in the morning with the military parade on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, running from the Arc de Triomphe toward Place de la Concorde, with marching troops and a flyover by the Patrouille de France.

The evening belongs to the Eiffel Tower. A grand classical music concert plays first, then a spectacular fireworks display is launched from the tower itself. Firefighters balls, open air dance halls and festive river cruises round out the celebration across the city, so the night keeps going well after the last firework.

Plan the day in two halves. The parade is a morning event on one avenue, so arrive early for a place along the route. The concert and fireworks pull the crowds toward the tower in the evening, and the ground around it fills long before dark. Pick your spot for each half in advance rather than drifting between them.

Most arrivals land at Charles de Gaulle, 25 km northeast of the center. The RER B is both the cheapest and the fastest ride in, running to Gare du Nord, Chatelet-Les Halles and Saint-Michel from the Terminal 2 station. See our CDG to Paris transfer guide for every option, priced and compared. Note that the RoissyBus coach was discontinued in March 2026, so the train, taxi and pre-booked cars are the current choices.

For a Splurge, Hotel Lutetia, at 45 Boulevard Raspail, is the Left Bank grand dame, with a jazz bar, a spa and rooms looking over the rooftops of the 6th. For Sweet spot, Hotel Malte Astotel, at 63 Rue de Richelieu, is a cheerful, well run hotel a short walk from the Opera and the Louvre. For Budget, Grand Hotel Leveque, at 29 Rue Cler, sits on the Rue Cler market street, four minutes from the Champ de Mars, which puts the fireworks ground almost on your doorstep.

For getting back, the RER B runs roughly 5 am to midnight. After that, night buses N143 and N144 cover the CDG route, or take an official taxi, because the flat fare applies day and night.

Get connected before you fly: the guide names an Airalo eSIM for France, with Saily as a good alternative, and free Wi-Fi is standard in cafes and most hotels. You will want the parade route and the metro map on your phone all day.

Cards work almost everywhere, including the metro gates. Keep €20 to €30 in cash for markets and small boulangeries, use bank ATMs, and always decline the convert to your home currency offer. A single t+ ticket costs €2.50 on metro, bus and tram, loaded onto a Navigo Easy card or your phone. Paris charges a tourist tax of €5 to €10 per night depending on hotel category, collected at the hotel.

For a first meal, the guide sends you to a still warm croissant and a cafe creme at a cafe terrace. Then book ahead where it counts: Louvre and Eiffel Tower tickets bought before you fly are the difference between walking in and queuing for two hours.

Bastille Day done well is a morning on the avenue and a night by the tower, with the trains and tickets sorted before either starts. Browse the events calendar for what else is on while you are in town, and use plan your trip to line up the days around it.