We have researched for our readers some helpful information about the fireworks display, which will be launched from the Eiffel Tower on the night of the 14th of July 2015.
🎦 Watch our short video on the origins and traditions of Bastille Day:
Bastille Day Fireworks in Paris
The traditional Bastille Day fireworks display celebrates French National Day and draws millions of people to the streets of Paris, from the Champ-de-Mars and the Trocadéro to the bridges of the Seine and the terraces of many restaurants, hotels and monuments.
Unlike London and Sydney, Paris does not offer a giant fireworks display on New Year’s Eve. One of the reasons for this is the tradition of having breathtaking fireworks on Bastille Day (13th of July in French cities and the 14th of July in Paris).
The Concert on the Champ-de-Mars
The celebrations will be launched with a free concert on the Champ-de-Mars. Gathering 250 musicians and singers from the Orchestre National de France and the Choeur de Radio-France, the show will start at sunset (9.30 pm). It will star some of the most significant international artists: Gautier Capuçon, Ray Chen, Joyce DiDonato, Julie Fuchs, Lang Lang, Fabio Sartori, Bryn Terfel and Sonya Yoncheva.
The concert will play music from an eclectic range of composers: Hector Berlioz, Leonard Bernstein, Sergueï Rachmaninov, Carl Off, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Charles Lecocq, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, George Gershwin, Jacques Offenbach…
Bastille Day Fireworks Display at the Eiffel Tower
The spectacular fireworks display will be set off from the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadéro Garden at 11 pm.
The fireworks display costs approximately 700,000 euros which is far less expensive than New Year’s Eve in London (2.3 million euros for 11 minutes) and Dubai (5.3 million euros).
![Fireworks © Yann Caradec - licence [CC BY-SA 2.0] from Wikimedia Commons](https://frenchmoments.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Paris-fireworks-14-july-2014-©-Yann-Caradec-licence-CC-BY-SA-2.0-from-Wikimedia-Commons.jpg)
Each year a theme is set for the 35-minute-long fireworks display: “The Disco Years” in 2012, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” in 2013, “War and Peace” in 2014… In 2015 the theme will be “Paris accueille le monde” (Paris welcomes the world) which echoes the upcoming Climate Change Conference hosted by the French capital in December 2015.
Where are the best places to view the Bastille Day fireworks in Paris?
![Fireworks in Paris - licence [CC BY-SA 2.5] from Wikimedia Commons© Thierry Bézecourt](https://frenchmoments.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Paris-fireworks-14-july-2005-©-Thierry-Bézecourt-licence-CC-BY-SA-2.5-from-Wikimedia-Commons.jpg)
Undeniably, the best spot to admire the fireworks display lit by the Eiffel Tower is at the Champ-de-Mars. If you don’t mind being part of a massive crowd of 800,000, arriving early, from 2-3 pm, is better.
The Eiffel Tower can be seen from many squares, streets and bridges across Paris. Therefore the fireworks display can be enjoyed from places that are not over-crowded, such as the Champ-de-Mars and the Trocadéro.
Many bridges spanning the Seine offer great views of the Eiffel Tower, near or far: Pont des Invalides, Pont Alexandre III, Pont de la Concorde and even Pont-Neuf. If you view the display from one of these bridges, arrive early to get to the perfect place!
One of the best options is booking a dinner cruise on a boat navigating the Seine River that night.
All the Parisian terraces with a view of the Eiffel Tower should be recommended (Montparnasse Tower, Hyatt Hotel in Porte Maillot, Quai Branly museum…).
If you are staying in Paris or elsewhere in France and prefer not to join the crowds, watch the fireworks display live on the French TV channel France 2.
