Watch the President Relight the Flame Beneath the Arc de Triomphe
Arrive at the top of the Champs-Élysées before mid-morning and you join a crowd pressed against the barriers, the avenue closed to traffic, the stone of the Arc rising ahead of you. This is the national ceremony for 11 November 2026, a public holiday that falls on a Wednesday and marks the 108th anniversary of the 1918 Armistice. In the late morning the President of the Republic pays tribute at the Georges Clemenceau statue on the Champs-Élysées, then walks to the Arc de Triomphe at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. What follows, based on prior years, is honours to the flag, a troop review and the rekindling of the Unknown Soldier's flame, with La Marseillaise sung by the French Army Choir, before a march-past of Republican Guard cavalry down the avenue.
Spectators watch from behind barriers at a distance, and police filter access to the area, so come early. If you want a clear, close view of the whole sequence, France 2 broadcasts live from 9:30 am. Expect Place Charles-de-Gaulle and the top of the Champs-Élysées to be sealed off, some metro exits nearby closed, and public-holiday transport in force. Leave the car or taxi behind: the 8th and 16th arrondissements are best avoided by road before noon. The official 2026 programme and road closures are published late, so confirm details with the Préfecture de Police the week before.
Climb the Arc in the Afternoon, Then Return for the Evening Flame
The Arc de Triomphe closes to visitors during the morning ceremony and reopens in the afternoon. Take the 284-step staircase to the terrace for the panorama over the Champs-Élysées, the Étoile, La Défense and the Eiffel Tower. Timed tickets are advised, because slots fill on public holidays. Whatever else you do that day, come back at 6:30 pm, when the flame of the Unknown Soldier is rekindled in a short, free ceremony held every evening.
For a quieter, more reflective stop, the Army Museum at Les Invalides is a fitting Armistice visit. The Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and the Palace of Versailles keep their usual hours on the holiday, though you should check the official sites the day before. Banks, public offices and many shops close or run reduced hours.
Follow the Wreaths and Silences Into the Suburbs
Paris's municipal ceremonies are held at war memorials and are free and open to all, typically with wreath-laying, minutes of silence, flag-raising, readings and speeches, sometimes followed by a reception. In Seine-Saint-Denis, just beyond the city, you can spend the day moving between them. In Saint-Denis, a procession gathers at 3:30 pm outside the city hall at 2, place Victor Hugo, with a ceremony at 4:00 pm at the war memorial on place de la Résistance et de la Déportation; nearby Pierrefitte-sur-Seine gathers at 10:00 am at the city hall forecourt, 2, place de la Libération, then holds its ceremony at 10:45 am at the municipal cemetery, 33, avenue Gallieni.
- Bobigny runs a full day: a bus from place Rabin-Arafat at 9:30 am, a 10:00 am ceremony at the military section of the Muslim cemetery, 10:45 am at the municipal cemetery, an 11:15 am gathering at the monument on place du 11 Novembre with tributes to peace and official speeches, an 11:45 am reception, and a 4:00 pm ceremony at the Prefecture.
- Romainville begins at 10:00 am on place de la Laïcité, processes to the old cemetery war memorial at 10:15 am for wreath-laying and the relighting of the flame, and reaches the city hall at 11:15 am for commemorative plaques, speeches by veterans' associations and municipal authorities, and refreshments.
- Montreuil gathers at 11:00 am at the war memorial in the old Montreuil cemetery, then processes back to the city hall to lay flowers at the plaque honouring Jean Jaurès, with a bus provided between the two.
- Aulnay-sous-Bois lays wreaths at the old cemetery at 11:00 am, then holds a free popular dance on the church square in the Vieux Pays at 2:30 pm.
- Bagnolet meets at 11:00 am at the war memorial at carrefour de la Paix on avenue Raspail, with a shuttle bus from 10:15 am serving 93 rue Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, place de la Résistance, La Butte-aux-Pinsons, Notre-Dame-de-Pontmain Church and rue du Général-Leclerc/rue Sadi-Carnot.
- Smaller gatherings include Clichy-sous-Bois at 10:30 am outside the city hall on place du 11 Novembre 1918, Dugny at 10:00 am at the war memorial on place du 16 août 1943, Épinay-sur-Seine at 10:00 am at the square du 11-Novembre before a tribute at the municipal cemetery, La Courneuve at 11:00 am at the Six Routes cemetery, and Neuilly-sur-Marne at 10:00 am at the cemetery and 10:45 am at the war memorial.
Time Your Trip to Paris Photo
The day after the holiday, on 12 November, Paris Photo opens to the public at the Grand Palais, giving you a reason to stay in town into the second half of the week. Plan the morning of the 11th around the ceremony or the broadcast, the afternoon around the Arc terrace or a museum, and the evening around the flame.
Start with the calendar: 11 November 2026 is a Wednesday, the city will be on holiday hours, and the best vantage points fill early. Book your Arc de Triomphe timed ticket, sketch out which suburban ceremony you want to reach by bus or shuttle, and check the Préfecture de Police notice in the days before you travel. Then all that remains is to stand at the barrier and watch the flame catch.