1,600 Drones to Complement Paris Bastille Day Fireworks

Paris – 13 July 2026: The traditional fireworks display for the French National Day will be enhanced by a major drone performance at the Eiffel Tower on Monday evening. According to the City of Paris, 1,600 particularly lightweight drones will be deployed alongside the pyrotechnic programme from 11:00 p.m. The spectacle is titled “Heureux, ensemble” and combines illuminated images in the sky with fireworks around the landmark.

The drones are not intended to replace the fireworks, but rather to form part of a combined performance. Around 100 people are expected to be involved in the artistic and technical production. The city also cites 120 launch positions for the pyrotechnics, more than 80 of them directly on the Eiffel Tower. The concept is complemented by 50 controllable spotlights on the structure.

In thematic terms, the production is guided by the republican core values of liberty, equality and fraternity. Twelve sections are planned. Among other subjects, they will address the twinning partnership between Paris and Rome, the 400th anniversary of the French Navy, and the Seine. The drones will create precise shapes and motifs in the sky, while the fireworks will remain the acoustic and pyrotechnic highlight.

The spectacle will be preceded by a Radio France concert on the Champ-de-Mars. Due to high temperatures, its start has been postponed to 9:45 p.m.; it was originally scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Public entry points will open at 8:00 p.m. The fireworks are due to begin at 11:00 p.m., while the event is scheduled to end and the area to be cleared at 11:30 p.m.

This year’s date differs from usual practice. The celebration will take place on 13 July 2026, rather than on the French National Day itself. Paris has brought the event forward because of the national commemoration on 14 July, the tenth anniversary of the Nice attack. The Eiffel Tower will therefore remain closed to visitors on 13 July and is expected to reopen on 14 July.

Access to the designated public area on the Champ-de-Mars is free of charge, but limited. Security checks, including bag searches, are planned. Glass bottles, alcoholic beverages, aerosols, as well as bicycles, scooters and similar means of transport may not be brought in. An official ban on alcohol consumption on public streets and squares will also be in force for the evening. France 2 and France Inter will broadcast the concert and fireworks live from 9:45 p.m.