The best places to celebrate Bastille Day in France

Bastille Day in France, or Le Quatorze Juillet as the locals know it, is the country’s biggest national holiday. 

Every year, parades, fireworks displays and festivals fill the streets of cities across the country to mark the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 – a turning point in the French Revolution.

So you’re ready to experience what happens on Bastille Day, we’ve listed the five French cities in which to celebrate.

If you’ve ever wondered ‘How is Bastille Day celebrated?’ Paris is sure to have the answers to all your questions. Every year there’s a huge military parade down the Champs Élysées with floats draped through the London plane trees lining the Avenue. 

There’s also a spectacular fireworks show at the Eiffel Tower. Here, you’ll also find free open-air concerts. 

You can also take a fireworks cruise down the Seine, if you’re looking to explore the city on the water. If you’re after a bit of a boogie, attend a Bal des Pompiers. This is a Firemen's Ball, a century-old tradition organised by fire stations throughout Paris. 

Is music your thing? Head back to Versailles to check out its grand musical fountain show.

If you’re looking to celebrate on your own terms, Paris is a great spot to soak in the sunshine and feast on a picnic. Why not include some of Paris’ indulgences in your feast? Bastille Day sees lots of local boulangeries (bakeries) celebrate. Delve into everything from sweet treats to savoury delicacies. 

With such a great variety of Bastille Day celebrations, it’s no surprise that Paris is such a popular destination for experiencing French culture and festivities.

Lyon also celebrates Bastille Day in a big way, with military parades, fireworks and festivals. 

There are also balls where you can dance to brass bands and accordion players on the banks of the city’s River Saône. 

Finish off your day with a fireworks extravaganza set off from the top of the forested Fourvière hill, with its Notre-Dame de Paris as the backdrop. 

Bastille Day in France also coincides with Lyon’s summer festival, Tout L’Monde Dehors – which translates to Everybody Outside. This festival offers a jam-packed programme of open-air music, theatre, dance and cinema.

Marseille’s Vieux-Port provides an unforgettable setting and an electrifying atmosphere for Bastille Day fireworks.

Locals and visitors fill the streets, gathering in café terraces to watch the fireworks light up the sky above the marina’s old stone walls. 

There’s also a parade featuring traditional folk costumes, military events and live music on the Cours d'Estienne d'Orves.

The main Bastille Day event in Bordeaux actually happens on 13 July, before all the other festivities. 

It’s a picnic held at Parc Simone Signoret, a lively gathering of locals and tourists that gets the city in a celebratory spirit ahead of the military parade down the Esplanade des Quinconces on the 14th. 

Other highlights include live orchestras, balls and fireworks. Join in the public singalongs of popular French songs and then go to the banks of the Garonne River. 

Here, you’ll be able to watch the colourful fireworks display dazzle the sky above Bordeaux’s captivating boulevards.

On the western banks of the Rhine River, right next to the border with Germany, Strasbourg is one of France’s prettiest cities. 

With influences from both countries, its medieval half-timbered houses, cobbled streets and old stone bridges dotted with flower pots are even more lovely when draped with decorations for Bastille Day in France. 

Every year, a parade takes place in La Petite France – the city’s historic quarter – culminating in a fireworks display illuminating the canals and the Gothic Notre-Dame de Paris.