Guide of Bastille Day Fireworks at Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
Bastille Day is the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. Bastille Day celebrations are a big deal in Paris and throughout France. Parade, Parties & Dancing, Concerts, Fireworks… The annual celebrated start with the military parade on Champs-Elysées at daytime, and ends with the fireworks on the Eiffel Tower at night.
Bastille Day festivities kick off with a military ceremony followed by a huge military parade down the Avenue des Champs Élysées and flyover by military aircraft. The festivities start at around 9:00 PM as people gather in the Champ de Mars for an outdoor music concert. The fireworks start at around 11 PM and last about 35 minutes.
Spectacular fireworks display will be set off from the Eiffel Tower. The best place to see the display is from the Champ de Mars at the base of the tower or the plaza at Trocadéro across the river. However, you can also watch the fireworks anywhere along the Seine River in either direction from Trocadéro. A truly spectacular Bastille Day fireworks show at the Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro Garden across the Seine sends dazzling bursts of light across the Parisian night sky. The show follows a unique theme each year.
The Bastille Day fireworks happen at the Eiffel Tower, if you want to watch them launch into the sky up close and personal, the best destination is Champ de Mars right in front of the Eiffel Tower. The fireworks are set off behind the tower, where the lights frame the tower in dazzling spirals and blooms. For this reason, the main viewing space and musical procession takes place in front of the Eiffel Tower along Champ de Mars.
You can gather on the Champ de Mars with a blanket and picnic to relax and enjoy free concerts before the fireworks, attend one of the popular Bals des Pompiers (Firemen’s Balls), cruise down the Seine river while enjoying dinner and fireworks, or visit one of the many museums open for the occasion.
Up to about a million Parisians and Paris visitors picnic and relax all afternoon on the Champ de Mars, the large grassy park surrounding the Eiffel Tower. Free open air concerts take place from 9:30pm onwards to feature classical and opera performances. The Bastille Day fireworks start at 11pm in the evening, stunning sparks and colorful shapes last for 35 minutes.
Champ de Mars is also the site of free open air concerts through the early evening hours. At 9:10pm, a special concert of classical music and opera featuring internationally acclaimed artists begins with musicians performing from the base of the Eiffel Tower and special lighting effects, and will also be aired live on France Inter and France 2 TV.
Fireworks start at 11pm, once the sky is finally almost dark, and the show lasts about 35 minutes. Watch from the Champ de Mars, a Bastille Day dinner cruise on the Seine, from the river banks and bridges, and numerous other places around the city.
Recommend places
There are some strategic places in Paris for the best views of the Bastille Day fireworks display.
The Champ de Mars, the large expanse of green lawn that extends from Eiffel Tower to the École Militaire, is a popular place to gather to see the fireworks display. As it’s a big space it can hold the crowds, but we suggest you arrive early to get your spot. Add bonus — a free concert will be performed by the Orchestre National de France, sponsored by Radio France. The concert starts at 9:15 followed by the fireworks at 11 PM.
The Parc de Belleville way in the 20th Arrondissement overlook the entire city with a fantastic long view of the fireworks. As an added bonus you’ll avoid the crowds and experience a different side of Paris. The Belleville panoramic viewpoint offers a view over the entire city from the top of the hill. This option gets you away from the centre of Paris and the crowds and you are able to enjoy a panoramic view of the sky and the city.
It is always an excellent idea to climb to an elevated view point to get away from the crowds and be free of any obstructions. Sacre Coeur in Montmartre is another unusual place to go for some of the best views of the glittering fireworks show. You’re on a hill, overlooking the city of Paris for a spectacular angle for the fireworks. Cross the river to the Trocadero esplanade for stunning views of the fireworks. However, its distance away from the fireworks means won’t be able to hear the accompanying music nor feel the air of excitement.
The bridges of Paris are great places to get unusual views of the Eiffel Tower Bastille Day fireworks. River cruises can be expensive but budgeters can fulfill their water yearning by hunting down one of the many beautiful bridges in Paris that cross the Seine. Best options include Pont des Arts, Pont de la Concorde, and Pont Alexandre III. These place might not directly face the tower front, but they still provide sweeping views of the iron lady and it’s lit sky and backdrop. Watch fireworks at Pont de l’Alma, both in the sky and reflected in glimmering water by parking yourself along the bridge; its slanted view shows an open expanse across the river.
The rooftop of the Grande Arche out at La Défense is a spectacular place to admire the fireworks. You’ll be high above ground — 100 meters to be exact — viewing the dazzling Bastille Day fireworks in the distance. Tour Montparnasse may seem like an unusual place to view the fireworks, but the effect is spectacular.
VIP experience
The tour Paris Montparnasse – Top of the City offers you a special Bastille Day evening on July 14th with a panoramic tour, musical entertainment and great views of the fireworks set off from the Eiffel Tower. On this occasion, public access to the panoramic terrace of the Tour Montparnasse will close exceptionally at 6pm. This is also the case for the Grande Arche de la Défense, which is organising a big musical evening on its roof from 7pm, with Bob Sinclar as the headliner.
Some Parisian restaurants offer their customers stunning views of Paris from their terrace. Whether they be full of greenery, lounge style, quiet or lively, they are an ideal place from which to admire the Bastille Day fireworks. Far from the crowds on the Champ de mars, they enable guests to benefit from all the magic of the event. Relaxing with a drink or having a meal for two, with the family or friends, you’ll be perfectly seated for the national celebrations.
A luxurious bar, restaurant, or terrasse and sip a glass of champagne while the fireworks show excites your other senses. Hotel Raphael has a hidden terrace with a direct view of Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. The Terrass Hotel in Montmartre has a breathtaking view and offers a Fireworks Special Menu. On the 34th floor of hotel Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile is the Windo Bar, with panoramic views towards the Eiffel Tower.
Boat Trip
Every year, the Bastille Day fireworks offer a spectacular fireworks display at the Eiffel Tower, the capital’s most famous monument. To enjoy the display in romantic and comfortable surroundings, an original idea is to book a dinner cruise on a boat navigating on the Seine. A quick round-up of the cruises on the Seine for the best views of the Bastille Day fireworks display. The perfect place to admire the event from several unique viewpoints, through the windows or from the deck of the boat, far from the crowds.
The Bateaux Parisiens offer you a very special Bastille Day evening: a magical cruise along the Seine to contemplate the landmark sites of the French capital through the boat’s huge glass windows; a gourmet dinner cooked on board by a chef (South-West region confit duck foie-gras, semi-smoked salmon tart, vegetable caponata, mango vinaigrette, veal rump with peas, strawberry sorbet and Bulgarian ice cream, Vacherin cake on a dacquoise biscuit base); an orchestra provides musical entertainment and the fireworks set off from the Eiffel Tower provide the perfect finale to the cruise.
For those who do not want to have dinner on the boat but would just like to enjoy the monuments along the water and see the spectacular July 14th fireworks display, the Bateaux Parisiens invite you to step aboard for a boat trip along the Seine returning to the foot of the Eiffel Tower for the fireworks display. A meal pack is served on board during your cruise.
La Marina invites you for a festive July 14th with music on the Seine. The dinner cruise includes: a river cruise with incomparable views of the monuments and bridges of the French capital; a dinner of refined French cuisine – foie gras with Sauternes, veal pavé and vegetable mikado, cheese plate, chocolate coup de foudre, Tonka cream…
The Bateaux-Mouches offer an unforgettable dinner cruise, with a live orchestra for musical entertainment. You’ll be served a gourmet French menu – appetizers, duck foie gras with cripsy cocoa, beat cream, lobster tail, roasted shin bone of lamb, herbal crumble, pepper mousse, pistache shortbread biscuit with red berries as you cruise along the river. On this 2hr15 boat trip, you’ll discover stunning views of the most beautiful Parisian monuments from the boat’s panoramic terraces. Highlight of the cruise: the boat docks at the quayside next to the Alma Bridge opposite the Eiffel Tower, where on July 14th a fabulous fireworks display takes place.
The Vedettes du Pont Neuf welcome you for a 1h30 champagne cruise at nightfall. It’s a chance to discover Paris’s most beautiful monuments lit up from every angle, in a festive atmosphere for this special National Holiday. With a glass of champagne, this cruise is ideal for celebrating Bastille Day in the capital!
The VIP Paris Yacht Hôtel offers an original way to celebrate the French bank holidays for two on board its luxury boat. On the programme: cruise, dinner for two, casino entertainment by authentic croupiers, live singer, night on site (optional) and, of course, a breathtaking view of the fireworks from the Eiffel Tower.