Paris in summer runs on a different clock — beaches appear on the Seine, the Tour de France brings the Champs-Élysées to a standstill, and this year an entire international anniversary is folded into the mix. Here's what's on between now and the end of August, with the dates and practical details to help you plan.

4 July: Paris Plages turns 25 — and goes transatlantic

Paris Plages opens 4 July and runs through 30 August, across four sites: Parc Rives de Seine, the Bassin de la Villette and the Canal Saint-Martin.

This is the 25th edition, and 2026 gives it a specific hook: 4 July also marks the 250th anniversary of American independence. The U.S. Embassy is a programming partner — flag football taster sessions, an NBA Summer House pop-up at the Palais Brongniart (31 July–2 August), and Franco-American exhibitions across the sites. It's a genuinely co-programmed anniversary season, not just flags on the Eiffel Tower.

The beaches themselves run until 30 August, with deckchairs and parasols running alongside the Seine from the Tuileries to the Pont de Sully on the right bank and from the Pont d'Iena to the Pont des Arts on the left bank. This year marks the 25th edition of Paris Plages, set up initially for Parisians staying in the city over the summer, and now loved by all, Parisians and visitors alike. It includes a climbing wall, morning Tai Chi, Qi gong and fitness classes, and table football - all completely free.

Swimming in the Seine

The swimming spots in the Seine and on the Canal St Martin that made such a splash last year are back! Six locations are open for swimming this year (three on the Seine) and it's still one of those things that feels slightly surreal if you've known Paris for any length of time. They are all free, supervised by lifeguards, and a great way to cool off in the heat - dive in! Check out the Paris Tourist Office map for locations.

13-14 July: Bastille Day — fireworks moved, and for a reason worth knowing

The date shift matters more than a footnote suggests. Paris has moved the Concert de Paris and the Eiffel Tower fireworks to the evening of 13 July, keeping the military parade on the Champs-Élysées on the 14th as usual. The reason: 2026 is the 10th anniversary of the Nice attack, which happened on Bastille Day 2016. The 14th is being kept as a day of remembrance.

The show has scaled up: 1,600 drones paired with fireworks across roughly 120 firing points, structured around twelve pyrotechnic sequences, with the concert at the Champ de Mars from around 9pm and fireworks from 11pm.

Worth knowing before you plan: the Eiffel Tower is closed to visitors all day on 13 July, and several nearby Métro stations — Trocadéro, Bir-Hakeim, École Militaire — are scheduled to close in the afternoon and evening. The Champ de Mars and Trocadéro are the best free vantage points, but arrive early — gates close at capacity.

The Fireman's Balls run both nights at fire stations across the city. Free to all, and one of the more genuinely Parisian ways to spend the evening.

26 July: Tour de France finale in Paris

Stage 21 runs from Thoiry to the Champs-Élysées, 133km, with three ascents of the cobbled Montmartre climb via Rue Lepic before the finish. This is the second year running for the Montmartre finale, and 2026 places the last ascent further from the line than last year — around 15km out — giving the climbers a genuine shot at the stage rather than ceding it to sprinters. The route then heads along the Seine, past the Eiffel Tower, and onto the Champs-Élysées circuit.

Best viewing: Rue Lepic for the climb (expect a very good-natured crush), or the Champs-Élysées for the finish. Both need an early claim on space.

The Best Exhibitions to See in Paris This Summer

Paris slows down in summer, but the museum scene certainly doesn’t. From the colourful late works of Matisse to the dreamlike abstractions of Hilma af Klint and the playful sculptures of Alexander Calder, this season offers some exceptional exhibitions across the city.

Four shows worth building time around this summer:

Hilma af Klint - Grand Palais, until 30 August. Around 190 works from her Temple Paintings cycle (1906–1915), making the case that she was working in pure abstraction years before Kandinsky. The first major af Klint exhibition in France, and likely the most talked-about show of the summer.

Matisse. 1941–1954 - Grand Palais, until 26 July. Over 300 works from the final thirteen years of his career, including the cut-outs, with loans from MoMA, the Barnes Foundation, and the Fondation Beyeler. If you haven't seen it — this is your last fortnight.

Calder. Rêver en équilibre - Fondation Louis Vuitton, until 16 August. Nearly 300 works marking the centenary of Calder's move to France and 50 years since his death, including Cirque Calder on loan from the Whitney for the first time in 15 years.

Exposition Générale, Fondation Cartier - until 23 August, at the foundation's new Jean Nouvel-designed home opposite the Louvre at the Palais-Royal. Roughly 600 works by over 100 artists from the collection since 1984 — the inaugural show for the new space. If you follow contemporary art, don't miss it.

Af Klint and Matisse are both at the Grand Palais simultaneously, in separate galleries. A half-day covers both.

All summer: free music in the Parc Floral

The Paris Jazz Festival runs on specific dates rather than every weekend — worth checking the programme rather than assuming. Confirmed 2026 dates include 28 June (double bill), 4 July, 12 July, 18 July, then a gap until 15, 23 and 29 August, closing on 6 September. Park entry costs a couple of euros; the concerts are free, on the lawn, no booking required.

22 July — 16 August: Open-air cinema at La Villette

22 July–16 August, Prairie du Triangle, Parc de la Villette. This year's theme is L'appel de la forêt or The Call of the Wild, 26 consecutive evenings, two screenings a night (18:00 family/animation, 21:00 main feature), ranging from Miyazaki to Into the Wild to The Blair Witch Project. Free; deckchair rental available.

25 August: Liberation of Paris

Paris was freed from four years of Occupation on 25 August 1944. The city marks it every year — a quieter, more reflective date than the rest of this list, but worth pausing for if you're here.

Paris in summer is special - slower and more relaxed. If you'd like to explore it with an expert beside you, someone who knows the city and the stories behind it, our guides are out there all summer and would love to show you around. Check out our website to see what they are up to!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our blog! We are a small Paris-based tour company that prioritises a boutique personal experience where we can share our passion for our heritage and community with every individual that joins us. If you'd like to take a tour then head over to our website for an unforgettable trip to the city of lights. Also, check out our social media @memories.france for everything you could need to know for coming to Paris: from how to use the metro to coffee shops closest to each major monument, there is something for everyone!

Siobhan & the Memories France Family

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