When World Cup Fever and Bastille Day Celebrations Took Over Paris

This past summer I was fortunate enough to have studied abroad in the beautiful city of Paris. Adding onto an already amazing experience was the fact that I happened to be in France at a very unique time in which the French were celebrating Bastille Day( similar to the 4th of July in the USA), and the second unique (and more rare) event was that the French National Soccer (Football) Team happened to go far and win the World Cup which added onto the celebrations!

The Eiffel Tower viewed from the Champ de Mars. Taken on an afternoon after class!

Bastille Day (which occurs on the 14th of July) was an event that I didn’t have knowledge of until I got to Paris and heard about it. It celebrates the storming of the Bastille Fortress/Prison during the 18th century French Revolution which ultimately was a symbol of fighting against and taking down the abusive Monarchy at the time. Bastille Day was one of my favorite days in Paris as the entire city was extremely lively, even at late hours like midnight there were many people out in the streets celebrating and relaxing on the side of the river seine or at clubs/restaurants. Perhaps my most memorable experience of that day was being able to sit on the Champ de Mars at the Eiffel Tower with some friends at night and watch an extremely beautiful firework show light up the Eiffel Tower along with music in English and French being played alongside the firework show. It was very crowded but that also made for a good opportunity to chat with other tourists/locals sitting around me. Overall the entire festive and positive atmosphere made this a day to remember! If you decide to do any Global Seminar in Paris that occurs during Summer Session 1 you will also be in Paris on Bastille Day and if you wish you will have the chance to watch this stunning display at the Eiffel Tower and see the iconic landmark in a very unique form. Personal Recommendation: If you do plan on attending the firework show at the Eiffel Tower, make sure to get to the Champ de Mars a bit early in order to secure a good viewing spot! (For a really good spot, you might have to get there 2-4 hours before the show begins at 11PM local time). The waiting time might also be a good opportunity to talk to those around you and make new friends! Don't forget snacks!

Bastille Day firework show at the Eiffel Tower!

The same weekend that Bastille Day happened (Saturday July, 14) was also the weekend of the World Cup Final (Sunday July, 15), which France was participating in! France would of course go on to win the World Cup Final and the celebrations would continue onto Sunday (and even Monday!). During this time Paris remained very lively and the positive atmosphere throughout the city could really be felt! There were people with French flags everywhere (including myself, cause you know I had to become a seasonal fan haha), cars honking, people walking the streets giving each other high fives! It was essentially chaos (the good kind) when France won and the noise in the city would not die down until the next day! This was the overall atmosphere for the entire first half of the month as France kept advancing through the World Cup. One of my most unique and certainly favorite days in Paris however was actually when I attended a massive outdoor viewing of the World Cup Semi-Final when France faced Belgium and Won! Thousands were at the viewing zone, lining up the streets, and the side of the river Seine in order to get a view of the massive screen displayed at the Hôtel de Ville (which I highly recommend visiting) in the center of the city. Although I didn’t get directly into the viewing zone I did manage to grab a decent viewing point from the side of the River Seine in which there were thousands of other Parisians watching on. France ended up winning the game and what ensued was one of the craziest experiences I have ever had! Thousands and thousands of people started Marching and chanting down the Rue the Riovli (a large and long street in the center of Paris), lighting up flares, stopping traffic, high fiving one another… an overall crazy and festive atmosphere! Eventually after walking for an entire hour, I finally made it to the iconic Arc de Triomphe (pictured below) which was where everyone stopped and lit up fireworks and celebrated the night away! This image of seeing the Arc de Triomphe and iconic Av. des Champs-Élysées packed with people celebrating is one of the most memorable moments of my life.

World Cup Semi-Final viewing point across the River Seine with Parisians looking onward (yea not the best view, but the atmosphere well made up for it lol!)

Walking down the Rue de Rivoli with thousands of celebrating Parisians after the Semi-Final Win!

Walking Down the Av. des Champs-Élysées (major street in Paris)

The Arc de Triomphe lit up by flares!

Overall this weekend really showed me how festive the French people are and how proud they are of their country and where they come from. It was also amazing to witness Paris in ways that I could otherwise have not witnessed it if I came during any other time of the year! Again, studying abroad here during the month of July is more than worth it as it is an exciting time to visit the city and will certainly enhance an already amazing experience of studying abroad in Paris.

-Jose Heredia