Military parade for Bastille Day

The traditional 14 July parade in Paris begins at around 9.50 am, with the arrival of the President of the Republic at Place Charles-de-Gaulle, before the official start of the festivities. The military displays (both on the ground and in the air) continue until mid-morning, around 12 noon.

The parade takes place on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, between Place Charles-de-Gaulle (Arc de Triomphe) and Place de la Concorde. Members of the public and tourists are invited to line the route to watch the marching units, vehicles, armoured vehicles, horses, as well as the planes and helicopters flying overhead 

• Free admission along the Champs-Élysées, no ticket required.
• Official viewing stands at Place de la Concorde, by invitation only, distributed via the Office of the President of the Republic.
• Practical SEO tip: arrive by 9.00 am to secure a good spot, as crowds are large and some terraces are closed in the morning.

14 July is France’s national holiday, celebrated annually to commemorate the storming of the Bastille in 1789, a founding symbol of the French Revolution. In Paris, the day centres around the traditional military parade on the Champs-Élysées, held since 1880, featuring marching troops, Leclerc tanks, aircraft including the Alpha Jets of the Patrouille de France, and a fireworks display launched from the Eiffel Tower in the evening.

The day of 14 July in Paris is punctuated by several unmissable events. In the morning, the military parade takes place on the Champs-Élysées from 10am, with Emmanuel Macron reviewing the troops. On the evenings of 12 and 13 July, the fire brigade balls bring the Parisian fire stations to life.

The parade begins around 9.55 am with the arrival of the Head of State at Place Charles-de-Gaulle, followed by the inspection of the troops. The Patrouille de France then kicks off the air display at 10.25 am, with its Alpha Jets tracing the national colours. The parade of troops on foot begins at around 10.34 am, traditionally led by military academies such as Saint-Cyr, followed by combat units, Leclerc tanks, naval firefighters and the fire brigade.

The 14 July parade welcomes a foreign guest of honour every year, often a head of state or government, accompanied by a military contingent from their country. The general public is free to watch the troops march along the Champs-Élysées, between the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde. Access to the stands opposite the presidential box at Place de la Concorde, however, is by invitation only.

The budget allocated to the 14 July parade is estimated at €3.5 million, according to the draft finance bill for 2024. This sum covers logistical organisation, the mobilisation of troops, armoured vehicles and aircraft. Some elected representatives have in the past questioned this public expenditure, proposing to reallocate part of the funds to other national initiatives.

The national fireworks display is held on the night of 14 July in Paris, from the Champ-de-Mars, with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop. It usually begins around 11 pm. This year, the fireworks display will, exceptionally, take place on the night of 13 July. It usually starts at around 11 pm. Not to be confused with the fire brigade balls, which are held on the evenings of 13 and 14 July in Parisian fire stations and are often accompanied by small local fireworks displays.

If you are unable to attend the 14 July parade in Paris on the Champs-Élysées, you can follow the event live on television and online. As every year, the broadcast is usually provided by the France Télévisions group, with a special edition shown on France 2 and available to stream on the france.tv platform. The main parts of the military parade – the review of the troops, the flypast, and the passage of the foot, motorised and mounted units – are broadcast in full. Viewers can then watch a replay of the parade on the platform for several days after the event. The broadcast usually begins early in the morning and continues until the end of the ceremony.