The music from Avengers accompanies the military parade at the French national celebration

Paris – 14.07.2026: During the military parade marking the French national holiday, the Republican Guard orchestra performed an unusual musical selection. As motorized formations of the Army and Navy made their way down the Champs-Élysées, the ensemble performed “Portals”, a central theme from the soundtrack of the Avengers saga. The piece was written by American composer Alan Silvestri.

The inclusion of a well-known film theme gave the parade program a distinctive cultural accent. The music accompanied the segment featuring military vehicles and formations, which is part of the annual display by the French Armed Forces on 14 July. The Ministry of Defense had announced that the 2026 edition would feature a route intended to showcase the interaction between ground troops, air support, and logistics.

The Republican Guard is part of the National Gendarmerie and plays a central ceremonial role in state ceremonies. Its musical units regularly perform at official receptions, military honors, and national days of commemoration. The orchestra combines the traditional repertoire of French military music with arrangements from various musical genres.

“Portals” became particularly well known through the 2019 film “Avengers: Endgame”. The piece is associated with a dramatic climax in the plot and is therefore recognizable far beyond film audiences. For a military parade, the orchestral composition provided a solemn yet modern soundscape without altering the ceremonial character of the march.

The Paris parade has been one of the most visible events on the French state calendar for decades. In addition to marching troops and mounted units, the program includes aircraft, internal security forces, and motorized formations. The parade serves as a public tribute to the Armed Forces and security services, while also forming part of the national celebrations on 14 July.

For the 2026 edition, the Ministry of the Armed Forces had announced a special presentation of the demands of modern military operations. The order of the formations was intended to show how reconnaissance, fire support, ground combat, and supply interact. The Republican Guard’s musical accompaniment completed this staging with a reference to popular culture familiar to a wide audience.

The selection underscores that this long-established formation does not limit its repertoire to classical marches. It combines state ceremony with contemporary cultural references. However, the focus remained on the military parade: the Avengers music was part of the accompaniment for the passage of the Army and Navy’s motorized units.