July 14th is la fête nationale, commemorating the storming of the Bastille and the beginning of the French Revolution. It's a public holiday and across the country there are events to celebrate the French national day.
READ ALSO: How did July 14th become France's national day?
Holiday
Most of France gets a day off work so offices, banks and public buildings are closed. Schools, of course, are already on holiday.
When it comes to shops, tourist attractions, bars and cafés some may close or have altered opening hours, but July 14th doesn't generally see the whole country close down.
Public transport runs on a normal or quasi normal schedule - find the full list of closures HERE.
This year July 14th is on a Tuesday, so many people took the Monday as a day of holiday to create a long weekend - for this reason, traffic is expected to be heavy on Tuesday evening as people return from trips away.
Memorial
This year will be more sombre than usual as it also marks the 10th anniversary of the deadly terror attack in Nice, when 86 people died after an armed man drove a truck into crowds of revellers on Promenade des Anglais.
On Sunday, July 12th a silent march in Nice was held in memory of the victims of the attack and on Tuesday there will be commemorative ceremonies and a concert by the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra.
Cancellations
Normally most towns have fireworks and parades or some sort of event to mark the national day. This year, however, the high risk of wildfires has led to scores of towns cancelling their firework displays.
Many places have also cancelled or scaled back concerts or other planned events due to the heatwave, especially areas that are on red alert for high temperatures.
The bal des pompiers (firemen's balls) are a traditional fixture of July 14th, but many towns have cancelled theirs this year due to their firefighters being busy battling raging wildfires, which is arguably more important that looking smoking hot in their best uniforms and entertaining the public. Arguably.
In short, if you plan to attend an event, check in advance that it's going ahead.
Paris
Paris usually celebrates July 14th with a parade in the morning then a concert and fireworks in the evening.
This year the concert and fireworks will be on the evening of Monday, July 13th - in order to allow for a commemoration of the Nice attacks on Tuesday.
Despite the capital being under a weather warning for extreme heat, the concert and fireworks will go ahead, although the start of the concert has been delayed until 9.45pm in the hope that it will be a little cooler. Crowds will be able to access the Champs-Elysées from 8pm, rather than from 4pm as previously planned.
Police has banned the consumption of alcohol in public places such as parks and on the street, although this does not affect bars and cafés.
The traditional military parade on the Champs-Elysées on Tuesday morning will also go ahead as planned.
The 2026 event will be held under the ‘Europe’s Strategic Awakening’ theme and is intended to highlight the commitment of the armed forces and internal security forces, illustrating their synergy in the service of protecting the Nation and its allies.
A total of 35 countries from the Coalition of the Willing, an initiative led by France and the United Kingdom aimed at guaranteeing lasting peace in Ukraine after the end of hostilities, will be present, along with delegations from NATO and the European Union and of course president Emmanuel Macron.
The event will take place from 9.50am, and will run until around 12 noon. Nearly 7,000 people will take part, along with 315 vehicles, horses and 131 aircraft, according to official figures. It will be screened on French TV in its entirety.
Football
You may have heard that there is a little sporting tournament on at the moment. France will play Spain in the semi finals of the World Cup on Tuesday, kick off at 9pm.
It's likely that virtually every bar or café in France will be showing the match - and surely Spain wouldn't be so mean as to defeat France on their national day?
READ ALSO: How to watch the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup on French TV
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