Bastille Day (French National Day) speech template (France)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
The French National Day, called the Fête nationale or simply le 14 Juillet in France, is a public holiday on 14 July. It recalls the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 and the Fête de la Fédération of 14 July 1790, which celebrated national unity. It has been the national holiday since 1880. The day begins with a military parade on the Champs-Élysées in Paris and ends with fireworks and dances across the country, including the popular firefighters' balls.
- Date
- July 14
- Next dates
- Wednesday 14 July 2027
Friday 14 July 2028
Saturday 14 July 2029 - Country
- France
- Tone
- Celebratory
- Typical events
- French embassy and consulate receptions, Alliance Française and French school events, francophone community gatherings, company parties and town festivities in France.
- Length
- 166 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The Bastille Day (French National Day) speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 4 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- BONSOIR1 / 4
Bonsoir à tous, and good evening, everyone. I'm {Your name}, and it's a pleasure to welcome you to {Venue} for the Fête nationale, the French National Day. Tonight, wherever we come from, we are all a little bit French. - TWO DATES, ONE CELEBRATION2 / 4
The date recalls two moments. On 14 July 1789, the people of Paris stormed the Bastille, an event that became a symbol of the French Revolution. A year later, in 1790, the Fête de la Fédération celebrated national unity. Liberty, equality and fraternity remain the motto of the Republic. - LA MARSEILLAISE3 / 4
This morning, troops paraded down the Champs-Élysées, and tonight fireworks will light up skies across France. Here, we begin with the national anthem. Please rise for La Marseillaise.
[LA MARSEILLAISE]
Merci. Please be seated. - LET THE BAL BEGIN4 / 4
In towns all over France, the celebrations end with music and dancing, often at a bal organised by the local firefighters. Tonight we keep that tradition alive. Thank you to {Organisation} for hosting us. The dance floor is now open. Bonne fête, et vive la France!
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- In France the day is called the Fête nationale or le 14 Juillet; 'Bastille Day' is mainly used in English. Use the French names if most of your guests are French.
- Play an official recording of La Marseillaise and invite guests to stand. Print the first verse and chorus for anyone who would like to sing along.
- Card three mentions the morning parade in Paris. If your event is held before 14 July, change it to say that troops will parade down the Champs-Élysées on the day.
- Historians and the public still debate the Revolution's legacy. Keep the script focused on shared values and celebration rather than taking sides on its history.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: La fête nationale du 14 juillet | Élysée. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
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