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When is Bastille Day?
Bastille Day falls on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
About Bastille Day
Bastille Day, known in French as la Fête nationale or le 14 juillet, falls on July 14 every year and is the national day of France. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison fortress in Paris on July 14, 1789, a turning point of the French Revolution that led in time to the end of the absolute monarchy. The date also recalls the Fête de la Fédération of 1790, which celebrated the constitutional monarchy that briefly followed. The day is a public holiday in France. It is marked by a major military parade down the Champs-Élysées, the oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe, by fireworks at the Eiffel Tower, by public balls, and by celebrations across the country and at French embassies abroad.
The annual Bastille Day military parade, le défilé du 14 juillet, has been held in Paris since 1880, with rare exceptions in wartime. It is the oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe, with troops from every branch of the French armed forces marching down the Champs-Élysées. Foreign troops are sometimes invited in particular years. British troops marched in 2014 to mark the centenary of the First World War, and US troops in 2017 at the invitation of President Macron. The parade is followed in the evening by a concert at the Champ de Mars and fireworks at the Eiffel Tower. In 2016 a truck was deliberately driven into crowds on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice during the city's fireworks display, killing 86 people. After that attack, many French cities cancelled or scaled back their fireworks in the years that followed.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bastille Day?
Bastille Day is the national day of France, held on July 14. In France it is simply called la Fête nationale or le 14 juillet. It marks the storming of the Bastille in 1789, an event that came to stand for the French Revolution and the end of absolute royal power. The day is a public holiday across France, with military parades, fireworks and public celebrations, and it is also marked by French communities and embassies around the world.
What happened at the storming of the Bastille?
On July 14, 1789, a crowd in Paris attacked the Bastille, an old fortress and prison that stood as a symbol of royal authority. The crowd wanted the gunpowder stored there and aimed to resist royal troops gathering around the city. After fighting that killed about a hundred attackers, the Bastille's governor surrendered and was killed. Only seven prisoners were inside, but the event was a powerful sign that royal power could be challenged, and it became the symbolic start of the French Revolution.
Why is July 14 the French national day?
July 14 was chosen as France's national day in 1880. Lawmakers picked the date because it carried two meanings. It was the date of the storming of the Bastille in 1789, the symbolic start of the Revolution, and also the date of the Fête de la Fédération in 1790, a peaceful celebration of national unity held on the first anniversary. Choosing July 14 let the republic honour both the break with the old order and the idea of national unity.
How is Bastille Day celebrated?
The centrepiece of Bastille Day is the military parade in Paris on the morning of July 14, which moves down the Champs-Élysées and is attended by the president. In the evening there is a concert by the Eiffel Tower followed by a large fireworks display. Across France, towns and cities hold their own fireworks, and local fire stations traditionally host public dances known as the bals des pompiers. It is a public holiday, so most people have the day off.
Is Bastille Day a public holiday?
Yes. July 14 is an official public holiday throughout France. Government offices, banks, schools and most businesses close, and the day is widely treated as a day off. Public transport often runs on a holiday timetable. The holiday is fixed to July 14 and does not move, so when it falls on a weekend there is no substitute day. French overseas territories observe it as well, and French embassies abroad usually mark the day with receptions.