What to do in Toulouse and its surroundings?
After 14-July lightened the two previous years due to Covid-19, this Thursday, Toulouse residents will be able to reconnect with the traditional festivities of the National Day. Between the inimitable firefighters’ ball the day before, the military parade or the big fireworks display from the Garonne, there is no shortage of events this year in the Pink City. This year, the foggers will be trained, because the days of Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be hot.
The breathtaking firefighters’ ball
They will set fire to the Paul-Sabatier alleys, and the dance floor. After two years with the dry regime, the friendly firefighters of the Toulouse-Lougnon barracks organizes this Wednesday the 25th edition of its traditional ball. From 5 p.m., the children will be at the party with the show “the symphony of the suitcase”, followed by the performance of the Lorenzo orchestra during an aperitif concert, before the start of the ball at 10 p.m. with the Columbia Orchestra . And, tradition obliges, the Toulouse firefighters have decided to make a small trailer as they have the secret…
Popular balls and republican banquets
In the purest tradition of “baloches”. Since 2014, the Job collective, animated by the inhabitants of the district of Sept-Deniers, organizes a popular ball which closes the cultural season. Open to everyone, this free event which promotes civic and republican values will begin this Wednesday at 7 p.m. with an introduction to traditional dances on Place Job and will be followed at 9 p.m. by a ball hosted by Marc Moreau and his orchestra.
The next day, it is also around republican values that the departmental council celebrates the National Day and invites the inhabitants of Haute-Garonne to the hotel of the department from 12 noon. Shows, free activities open to all are on the program upon registration, followed by a Republican meal and a popular ball hosted by the group “Bombes 2 Bal”.
The traditional military parade in the city center
July 14 without a military parade would not really be July 14. Toulouse will be entitled to its troop review on National Day. But this year, it will not take place on the side of the Monument aux Combattants, due to the work of the metro in progress.
The ceremony will begin at 10:20 a.m. on the rue Ozenne side and will end on the allées Jules-Guesdes. On this pedestrian artery, information stands on jobs in the armies, the gendarmerie and the police will be open to the general public from 9 a.m. This part of the city center will be closed to traffic during the parade.
Fireworks and XXL concert on the banks of the Garonne
Plan the hats. This July 14 marks the return of the big concert at the Prairie des Filtres in Toulouse, integrated into the NRJ Music Tour. From 6:30 p.m., emerging local artists are scheduled on the stage, which will give way from 8:30 p.m. to Jérémie Frérot, Dadju, Shouse, Hatik, Yanns, Camélia Jordana, Tayc, and Lujipeka. Due to the high temperatures, the town hall recommends not arriving too early, the site only opening from 5:30 p.m.
After the concert, the traditional fireworks will be fired from 24 rafts and barges installed in the middle of the river. With the theme this year for the light show “Toulouse head in the stars, from dream to reality” visible from the Pont-Neuf, the Saint-Michel bridge, the Prairie des Filtres, the quays of Tounis and Daurade.
On this occasion, Tisséo is extending the hours of the two metro lines, the last departures of which will take place at 2 a.m. Note that the Esquirol station on line A will close at 10:30 p.m. and that lines T1 and T2 of the tram will be interrupted between the Palais de Justice and Arènes stations at 1 p.m.
Fireworks also elsewhere
Toulouse is not the only one to have a famous fireworks display for July 14th. One hour from the Pink City, Carcassonne offers every year since 1898 a magnificent pyrotechnic show with the burning of its medieval city at 10:30 p.m. Nearly 500,000 people are expected in the capital of Aude to see this 25-minute light show developed by the Haute-Garonne company Ruggieri around “bonfires”. Avoid the car, traffic is impossible, prefer the train, especially from Toulouse, a special train is chartered with a departure at 4:28 p.m. from Matabiau and a return from Carcassonne at 0:45 a.m. (fare 16.80 euros round trip) .
Closer, the town of Blagnac also offers fireworks at Ritouret Park at 10:45 p.m. followed by the concert of the group Ze funky family. In Colomiers, the fireworks will take place the day before, on the theme of Abba’s 50th birthday, supplemented by a show by DJ Océanis.