Paris events during July include some of the year's most exciting things to do and see:  the enormous Bastille Day Parade, Bastille Day fireworks at the Eiffel Tower, the Tour de France, and Paris Plages, the city "beaches" offering activities, concerts, beverages, and swimming pool on both banks of the Seine River, Canal Saint-Martin, and La Villette.

Plus, new this year as part of Paris Plages: swimming in the Seine River!

Planning a Visit to Paris in July?

If you're planning to come to Paris this month, consider booking tours, cruises, and other activities as early as possible due to higher demand than usual this year.

Top Paris attractions & experiences:

Most popular Paris destinations this month:


You'll also find more Bastille Day celebrations including a huge military parade and Firemen's Balls (fire station parties), free outdoor film festivals, concerts (including the big Fnac concert at Hotel de Ville), and art shows.

Paris weather in July can be hot, sometimes very hot, so pack accordingly and see my tips about how to stay cool if one of Paris's periodic summer heat waves hits during your visit.

Get ready to have a spectacular time in the City of Lights, and enjoy the long sunny days and fun things to do that makes July one of the best months for visiting Paris.

Top photo: Tour de France, (c) Paris Discovery Guide

Paris Discovery Guide is a reader-supported publication.  When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost for you.  Thank you for your support!!!

Special Bastille Day Fireworks Cruises

Dinner cruise boat on the Seint River at sunset - Credit: AdobeStock
Dinner cruise boat on the Seine River near the Eiffel Tower at sunset - Credit: AdobeStock

Perhaps the best place to see the Bastille Day fireworks is from a cruise boat on the Seine on July 14. 

  • Dinner Cruise, Cabaret, & Fireworks on July 14th (Bastille Day) - Choice of two boats offering a gourmet dinner and live singer, or a buffet with DJ and dancing, with both cruise boats offering wonderful views of the Eiffel Tower fireworks
  • Bastille Day Celebration Cruise & Fireworks with 5-Course Dinner - Gourmet dinner with wine, 5-hour cruise, live music, breathtaking views of the Bastille Day fireworks at the Eiffel Tower - SOLD OUT
  • Bastille Day Celebration Cruise with Picnic & Fireworks - Sightsee along the Seine on this affordable celebratory cruise, enjoy a delicious picnic meal, and watch the Bastille Day fireworks show - SOLD OUT

Other Seine River Cruises for Bastille Day


More Seine River cruises to consider

Bastille Day Parade & Fireworks 

Bastille Day Fireworks
Bastille Day fireworks at the Eiffel Tower

Bastille Day, the biggest Paris summer holiday and a national celebration throughout France, always takes place on July 14, the anniversary of the storming of the infamous Bastille prison on July 14, 1789 - a turning point in the French Revolution.

The day starts with military ceremonies and a huge military parade down the Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde plus a flyover of military aircraft that you can see from most points in the city. 

The military ceremonies begin at 10am, the flyover takes place at about 10:45am, and the parade kicks off at 11am, (to be confirmed) and lasts almost an hour.  Arrive early if you want to stake out a good viewing location along Champs Elysees.

In the evening, a free concert by the French National Orhestra and Radio France Choir takes place at the foot of the Eiffel Tower on the Champ de Mars at 9pm, followed by a truly spectacular fireworks show begining at 11pm, and lasting about 35 minutes.  

This year's show will feature an aerial ballet by 1,000 LED-lit drones plus fireworks from 120 different points on the Tower and its base, and from Trocadero across the Seine River.

Metro stations in the area may start closing as a crowd-control measure around 7pm, and crowds are expected to be dense.

Champ de Mars is where tout le monde gathers with blankets and picnics from noon on to get a good spot, relax, and eventually watch the fireworks, but you might also want to consider alternate sites, especially if you don't enjoy being part of an enormous crowd or if want to spend part of your day doing something else.

More about the Bastille Day Parade and Fireworks in Paris

Find more top places to watch the fireworks

More to Enjoy: Firemen's Balls at the local fire stations or other venues in each Paris district (arrondissement) on July 13th and 14th. 

July Concerts in Paris - 2025

Stained glass walls at Sainte-Chapelle, site of popular candlelight concerts
Stained glass walls at Sainte-Chapelle, site of popular candlelight concerts

Paris concerts during July 2025 include the spectacular ballets and operas shown below, with music by candlelight at Sainte-Chapelle, classical concerts in historical churches and the Eiffel Tower, and shows by top contemporary artists such as Neil Young, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, Iron Maiden, Diana Ross, Chris Brown, and Nine Inch Nails.

Get your Paris opera and ballet tickets now:

July 2026 Concerts

More Paris classical concerts in historic churches during July

More Paris rock, pop, jazz, rap, & other performances during July 

More concerts throughout the year

Firemen's Balls: Bastille Day Parties 2025

Firemen's Ball at Arenes de Lutece (Paris's old Roman arena)
Firemen's Ball at Arenes de Lutece (Paris's old Roman arena)

Want to celebrate Bastille Day like a true Parisian?  Attend one or more of the Firemen's Balls - Bals des Pompiers - when the main fire house in each Paris arrondissement (district) opens its barracks and courtyards and welcomes the public for an all-night party with music, dancing, and drinking Champagne or beer.

The Bals des Pompiers start as early as 6:30pm (if they have kids' activities; otherwise, they start at 7pm) and end at around 4am. 

Depending on the fire house, a few take place on July 13 and the rest on July 14 - but when Bastille Day (July 14) falls on a Sunday (which it does not this year), the Firemen's Balls are on July 12 and July 13 so that no one has to stagger in to work on Monday morning, just a few hours after partying until 4am.

Find out more about what to expect at the Bals des Pompiers, locations, and the date for each firehouse's ball.


Why You Should Visit Giverny in July in 2025

Flowers blooming in Monet's garden at Giverny
Flowers blooming in Monet's garden at Giverny

Impressionist artist Claude Monet spent the last half of his life in Giverny, a small village in Normandy about 45 miles (about 1 hour and 15-30 minutes) outside of Paris, where his famed water lily ponds burst into bloom during July and August.

Visiting Giverny is a quick and easy day trip from Paris, and if you're a Monet fan, it's an experience you'll want to put at the top of your bucket list. 

Thanks to a meticulous restoration after Monet's death, you will see his house, gardens, and water lily pond much as they were when he lived here and painted some of his finest masterpieces.  Although you can get there on your own, the easiest way to visit, especially if you want to make the most of your time in Paris, is by joining a tour.

Popular Giverny Tours from Paris

All of these tours include transportation to/from Paris and fast entry into the attractions:

Find more Giverny tours from Paris

See Monet's famous water lily paintings on display at the Orangerie Museum in Paris

Find out about other exciting Day Trips from Paris

Summer Sales Continue on Designer Fashions

Paris summer and winter sales
2nd markdown, plus 10% extra savings

The famous Paris summer sales continue through July this year, ending on July 22.    

For many savvy fashionistas, the July portion of the sales marks the sweet spot when stores proceed to the 2nd and even 3rd reduction, changing the Soldes signs in their store windows to soar as high as 70-80% at toward the end. 

Best places to find bargains?  Everywhere!  Luxury labels such as Chanel, Valentino, and Armani draw huge crowds - ditto for Galeries Lafayette, BHV, Bon Marché, and Au Printemps - but don't ignore smaller boutiques and even global mid-market chains.  

Find out more about Paris Sales 2025             

Paris Tours for Fashionistas

Paris Plages 2025

Paris Plage - sand and beach umbrellas along the Seine River
Paris Plages: "Beach" along the Right Bank of the Seine River

The popular Paris Plages ("Paris Beaches") transforms parts of Paris into fun-filled beaches each summer. 

Activities this year includes the exciting addition of three protected areas where you can swim in the Seine River.  That's in addition to the two regular locations where floating swimming pools are installed.

Paris Plages again includes three main locations: the Seine River Banks (Parc Rives de Seine) in central Paris on both the Right Bank (from the Pont Neuf bridge to the Port de l'Arsenal) and Left Bank (from Pont d'Iéna to the Port des Arts), Canal Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement, and La Villette Canal Basin in the 19th. 

Each area offers a unique mix of activities and amenities.

The special theme this year centers on a celebration of 200 years of diplomatic relations between France and Brazil - so look for lots of Brazilian colors as well as Brazilian cinema, concerts, sports, cultural, and gastronomic events.

Paris Plage Dates & Times for 2025 

All locations:  July 6 - September 8 (swimming in the Seine ends on August 31)

Open:  11am-9pm, and until midnight on weekends (hours for swimming locations vary)

More about Paris Beaches & Seine River Swimming

Popular Seine River Cruises

The Paris Cauldron Returns  The Paris Cauldron

The Paris Cauldron

Last summer's Olympic Cauldron - now renamed the Paris Cauldron, returns to Tuileries Garden this summer to lift off each evening through September 14.

The almost 100-foot (30 m) floating cauldron simulates a luminous ring of flames while avoiding the danger of an actual fire through a clever blend of technologies: LED lights, jets of mist, and fans as helium gas - again, no fire, just gas - lifts it high above the Parisian skyline.

Lift-off from the Cauldron's resting spot over the garden's largest pool takes place every evening around sunset, at a specific time each month:  June and July, 10:30pm, August, 9:30pm, and September, 8:30pm.

Tuileries Garden will close about half an hour before the launch each night, but here are some other spots where you'll have reasonably unobstructed views of the Paris Cauldron:   

  • Place du Caroussel and its surrounding garden next to the Louvre (expect it to be packed)
  • The Seine River banks between the Pont Neuf bridge (near the tip of Ile de la Cité and Pont de la Concorde bridge (across from Place de la Concorde)
  • The upper end of Champs Elysees, near the Arc de Triomphe
  • The plaza in front of Sacre-Coeur Basilica
  • Many rooftop terraces and bars throughout the city

Paris l'Été ("Paris in the Summer")

Want a fun excuse to explore different Paris neighborhood while celebrating summer in the city? 

The annual Paris l'Été Festival (Paris Summer Festival) offers free or inexpensive outdoor music, dance, circus, and performances in various parts of the city, often in unusual places. 

Events include music, dance, and acrobatics, and celebrate the city's cultural diversity while mixing avant-garde/off-beat events with more mainstream traditions.   The festival runs from July 3-16.

Events are free or moderately priced.  Don't miss it!

Check Paris l'Été for events and schedule details.

Paris Exhibits - Must-See Shows

Visitor at the David Hockney show at Fondation Louis Vuitton
Visitor at the David Hockney show at Fondation Louis Vuitton

Here are just a few of the top exhibitions you can see in Paris this month:

  • Louvre Couture: Art & Fashion Statement Pieces - A major exhibition tracing decorative styles with 65 designs from Byzantium through the Second Empire on display.
    Dates:  Through July 21
    Tickets: Book in advance with a reserved time slot and skip-the-line access; can also book in advance for free admission with a Paris Museum Pass
    Location:  Rue de Rivoli, Paris 1;  Metro: Palais Royal/Musée du Louvre
  • David Hockney 25 - The famous English artist will take over FLV's entire exhibition space to present over 400 of his most influential works ranging from his legendary Pop Art creations of the late 1950s and 1960s through the present time.  What makes this show extra special is Hockney's own involvement in its development spanning 70 years of his creations.
    Dates:  Through August 31, 2025

Find more Paris museum exhibitions for July & future months

Interested in a Louvre Museum guided tour?  Find out how to choose the best one to match your interests

Paris Museum and Attractions Passes

Get free admission and skip-the-line access to 60+ museums in and near Paris when you have a Paris Museum Pass for 2, 4, or 6 days.  More info

La Fête Foraine des Tuileries

Photo of the Tuileries Garden Carnival taken while riding on the ferris wheel
Photo of the Tuileries Garden Carnival taken while riding on the ferris wheel

La Fête Foraine des Tuileries - literally, a "Fun Fair," or carnival - suddenly pops up in Paris's Tuileries Garden in late June for two months of non-stop entertainment.  With 60 attractions, multiple restaurants, and a traditional guinguette (a sort of country-style outdoor bar with snacks, music, and dancing), it offers fun for all ages.

With a giant ferris wheel (hint: have your camera or phone ready to take great skyline photos of Sacre Coeur and the Eiffel Tower), carousels, bumper cars, "fun houses," gut-wrenching rides for thrill seekers, children's games, and a lot more, the carnival entertains families with kids, teens, and everyone else seeking fun throughout the rest of the summer.

And of course, massive amounts of carvival food will be for sale:  cotton candy, waffles (gaufres), crepes, ice cream, fried dough, BBQ, and drinks.

If you're visiting Paris, combine a stroll through Tuileries Garden and the Fête Foraine with a visit to other nearby attractions:  the treasure-filled Louvre, Monet's giant Water Lily paintings at Musée de l'Orangerie at the opposite corner of the garden, and the Muusé d'Orsay almost directly across the river. 

When:  From June 21 through August 24, 11am to 11:45pm (12:45am on Fridays, Saturdays, and the day before public holidays)
 Where:   Jardin Tuileries (Tuileries Garden) between the Louvre Museum and Place de la Concorde, 1st arrondissement (enter through the gate near the Tuileries metro station)
Metro:  Tuileries
Admission:   Free - plus whatever you spend on rides and games (most cost between 2-12€)

Les Arènes Lyriques Outdoor Concerts in Montmartre

Sacre Coeur Basilica near Les Arenes Lyriques in Montmartre
Sacre Coeur Basilica near Les Arenes Lyriques in Montmartre

For a memorable evening in July in an only-in-Paris setting, book a ticket for a Les Arènes Lyriques concert in one of the city's most unique settings:  a secret hillside garden close to Sacre Coeur Basilica where 18 musicians and opera singers perform a classical concert under the stars.

This event takes place on 10 evenings from late July through mid-August, and concert tickets usually sell out quickly.  You can find more information including the garden's address and book here.

Want to stay nearby?  Find out about Montmartre's best hotels for all budgets.

Festivals du Parc Floral:  Paris Jazz Festival, Classic in Green, Pestacles, Nocturnes 2025

People sitting on grass in Bois de Vincennes waiting for a concert to begin
People sitting on grass in Bois de Vincennes waiting for a concert to begin

Parc Floral (the Paris Botanical Garden) in Bois de Vincennes hosts four concurrent musical festivals:  Paris Jazz Festival, Classic in Green (classical music), Pestacles (a children's concert series for ages 4 and up), and Nocturnes (night concerts of contemperary, jazz, or classical music).

The outdoor concerts take place every Saturday and Sunday on several stages in the park.  All of the 25 concerts are free this year, although Parc Floral charges a small 2.60€) entrance fee during summer and early fall. 

Check the Festival's website to download a brochure with dates, lineups, and concert times.  Most take place in the afternoon and early evening, except for the Nocturnes concerts which tend to be late at night.  The brochure is in French, but the information is easy to figure out even if you only know a few words.  One tip: "gratuit" means the concert is free.

Bring a blanket and a picnic or buy wine and a sandwich at the park's snack bar, and get ready for a relaxing afternoon and evening enjoying the sunshine, flowers, wandering peacocks, and virtuoso musicians. 

Dates: Late June - early September  

Getting there:  Bois de Vincennes, located in 12th Arrondissement on the eastern edge of Paris, is easy to reach - just hop on RER A train or Metro Line 1 to the Chateau de Vincennes Metro Station - the park is about a 3-minute walk from the station.   You can find out more about Parc Floral here.

Bonus activities:  Arrive early and stroll through Parc Floral's famous gardens, or explore Bois de Vincennes' other attractions such as its spectacular zoo, Lac Daumesnil (rent a row boat!), the aquarium, and 14th century Château de Vincennes.

Aura at Les Invalides - 2025

Les Invalides - Site of a spectacular night show
Les Invalides - Site of a spectacular night show

The Aura immersive show takes place during evening hours and brings to life the architecture and history of the Invalides Dome with spectacular lighting effects, imagery, and music designed to showcase the site's beauty and heritage.

For about 50 minutes, brilliant video projections inside the interior of Les Invalides will take you through the creation of the dome and the panorama of events associated with this important monument. 

Please note:  This is walking experience as you move to different parts of the dome; you will need to take stairs outside and inside the dome, so not accessible for wheelchairs; also, please know that no restrooms are available onsite.

Book your Aura tickets

Dates: Through 2033
Location: Invalides Dome, 2 Place Vauban, 7th arr;  Metro: Ecole Militaire, Tour Maubourg, Varenne, Saint-François Xavier

Want to visit Les Invalides, Napoleon's Tomb, and the Army Museum during regular visiting hours?  Book priority entry tickets online.

Fnac Live Music Festival at Hotel de Ville - Free Concerts - 2025

Fnac concert in front of Hôtel de Ville
Fnac concert in front of Hôtel de Ville (that's Notre Dame in the background)
Photo credit: Olivier Ortelpa

Don't miss three days of free live concerts by 30 artists in front of Hôtel de Ville (Paris's City Hall) from around 6pm-midnight on July 2, 3, and 4 as part of the big Paris Plages (beaches) summer event.  French electronic retail chain Fnac sponsors the concerts, which usually attract around 100,000 fans. 

Confirmed so far are appearances by St. Vincent, Baby Volcano, Olivia Ruiz, Eddy de Pretto, Miossec, and Zinée.  Stay tuned for announcements about the rest closer to July.

Location: Place de Hôtel de Ville, in front of the Paris Town Hall and also inside in some of the salons, 4th arrondissement. 
Admission:   Free, but you must have a ticket.  Usually you can pick them up (maximum 2 per person) starting at noon on the first day of the concert at any Fnac ticket office in Paris and the Ile-de-France - to be confirmed for this year
Nearest Metros:  Châtelet, Cité

Outdoor Movies at Parc de la Villette 2025

Tour de France arrives in Paris in July
La Grande Halle de la Villette next to the film screening location

Free outdoor movies return to Parc de la Villette again this summer for the Cinéma en Plein Air (Open Air Cinema).  This year's theme: Dancing and music.

On most Wednesday through Sunday evenings during 5 weeks in July and August, great mix of family-friendly and inter-generational movies at 6pm, and classic films and recent hits at 9pm.

The movies are mostly in French or English and are shown in their original language with French subtitles as needed.  

Screenings start time:  July 23 - August 17

Bring a blanket to sit on, a picnic dinner, and your favorite beverage.   Food will also be sold at the site.

Check the Lineup, Dates, Times:  La Villette website
Cost:  Free, but deck chairs can be reserved and rented on the La Villette website
Location:  The movies take place in Parc de la Villette, in an area called Prairie du Triangle located between the Grande Halle de la Villette and the Philharmonie de Paris concert hall. Just look for the Philharmonie, and you'll easily spot it to the left.
Nearest Metro: Porte de Pantin (to get to Porte de Pantin, just walk down Allée du Zenith, with the Philharmonie on your right.

Tour de France Grand Finale in Paris 2025

Tour de France arrives in Paris in July
Tour de France cyclists making laps around Tuileries Garden

The famous Tour de France bicycle race - 23 days and almost 2,000 miles (3,320 kilometers) long - comes to an exciting close in Paris on Sunday, July 27.  

Arrival time in Paris is hard to predict and varies every year, but somewhere between 3:30 and 5:30 is a reasonable guess.   The final Paris stretch includes 6-10 laps around the Arc de Triomphe, up and down Champs-Élysées and around the Tuileries Garden - which gives you plenty of chances to see the racers.

You can watch the race anywhere along this route, but viewing areas along Champs-Élysées fill up quickly due to barriers keeping you away from the street and "privitized" areas used for outdoor dining by restaurants and other businesses.  Tuileries Garden and areas on the other side of surrounding streets are usually somewhat less crowded, and especially if you get there early, you can usually find a good place. 

Keep in mind that most metro stations along and near the route will be closed for much of the day, and city buses will be re-routed.  Traffic usually becomes gridlocked, so taxis and ride services such as Uber and Bolt will cost much more than usual.  Be prepared to walk.

Paris Fashion Week 2025

Model before the Thierry Mugler show wearing an A.W.A.K.E coat, Dior sunglasses and Charlotte Olypmia boots at Paris Fashion Week - Photo credit: istock.com/cocomtr
Model before the Thierry Mugler show wearing an A.W.A.K.E coat, Dior sunglasses and Charlotte Olympia boots at Paris Fashion Week - Photo credit: istock.com/cocomtr

Haute Couture Fashion Week takes place in Paris from July 7 - 10, 2025 for designers to present their latest haute couture collections for the Fall/Winter 2025/2026 season. 

Fashion Week always brings a noticeable buzz to the city, along with designers and models from around the world.

The best places to catch a glimpse of the models (assuming you're not going to the invitation-only shows) are near the venue locations - the Grand Palais in the ritzy 8th arrondissement near the ornate Pont Alexandre III bridge, Espace Eiffel near the Branly Museum on the other side of the Seine, and at a variety of smaller, hipper venues scattered around the city such as Palais de Tokyo and Musée Galliera in the 16th.  

The trendy Marais neighborhood, especially around Place des Vosges, and Palais Royal (shown in photo) are always good model-spotting locations. 


More about Paris in July

Last But Not Least: A New Smoking Ban in Paris (and the Rest of France)

If you smoke tobacco, be aware that as of July 1, smoking will be banned in all outdoor areas frequented by children: parks, beaches (such as the Seine River banks in Paris, site of the popular Paris Plages summer events), public gardens, bus stops, school entrances, and sports venues.  

Fines start at 90€ if paid within 15 days, and 135€ after that. For now, vaping is exempt but that may change next year.   Smoking continues (for now) to be allowed on cafe terraces, which soared in popularity after France banned indoor tobacco use in restaurants, bars, and clubs in 2007, but that may also change in the future.

Right now, smoking accounts for 75,000 premature deaths in France each year, but tobacco use among teens has dropped rather dramatically from 25% in 2016 to 16% in 2022, the last year for which data is available. The goal behind the new smoking ban is to produce the first tobacco-free generation by 2032.

More Things to Do & See in Paris in July


Want to Save on Your Paris Hotel?

Check our tips on how to find discounts, deals, and bargains for Paris hotels.  Whether you're looking for cheap accommodations or want to pay less for luxury, we'll show you how to save on hotels in Paris. 

Here are some shortcuts: 

  • Booking.com: Need last minute reservations?  Check out Today Deals on their website
  • Trip Advisor: Use their Best Value Deals & save BIG on your Paris hotel
  • Priceline: Find the lowest prices on Paris hotels with their Express Deals

Related Paris July Events & Activities Articles