Sunday, July 12, 2026: The French Bastille Day festival returns to Madison Avenue with this year's theme: Montmartre to Manhattan.

“More than a celebration of France, Bastille Day brings New Yorkers together in a living dialogue between two cultures that have shaped one another for 250 years,” explains Tatyana Franck, President of L’Alliance New York.

 

With more than 50,000 people attending in 2025, L'Alliance New York's Bastille Day is the largest celebration of its kind outside of France.

Throughout the afternoon, New Yorkers will taste, shop, and play à la française while  enjoying live performances, complimentary outdoor activities including arts & crafts and dance workshops on L’Alliance New York’s iconic pop-up lawn, games and family activities, exclusive film screenings, tasting parties, and more than 60 booths featuring the very best in French cuisine, artisan goods, and unique discoveries.

French visual artist Gwendoline Finaz de Villaine and French illustrator Pauline Lévêque will unveil their Monumental Jeu de l’Oie (Goose Game) featuring historic artistic connections between France and the United States. This large-scale interactive street installation transforms Madison Avenue into a vibrant open-air playground of art, movement, and collective experience.

New Yorkers are also invited to bring their pets for a Carnaval des Animaux parade and costume contest presented in partnership with New York Dog Parade.

Vintage cars will mark the 2026 Bastille Day celebrations as an official stop on the Greater NY Citroën & Vélosolex Club's Annual Bastille Day Rally and a rare Bugatti car will be on display as a teaser for the upcoming Retromobile New York car show.

L'Alliance New York is also hosting a two-day celebration at its Montclair, New Jersey campus on Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11.