Fête Nationale d'Orsay

The National Holiday in Orsay

Orsay, a university and scientific city in Essonne, celebrates the National Holiday every year with a friendly and festive popular ball. The festivities take place at Parc Charles Boucher, avenue du Maréchal Foch, the town's central green space which is transformed for the occasion into an open-air stage.

A popular outdoor ball

From 7:30 PM, Parc Charles Boucher welcomes the inhabitants of Orsay for a popular ball led by the group Music Live Orchestra. This orchestra with a varied repertoire plays popular hits from all eras, inviting young and old to take to the open-air dance floor. The festive and relaxed atmosphere of the evening reflects the town's attachment to its republican traditions.

A city of science celebrated with heart

Famous for its Paris-Saclay University, its CNRS laboratories, and its particle accelerator, Orsay also knows how to be festive when it comes to national commemorations. The National Holiday is an opportunity for the university community, families, and long-time residents to come together around shared values.

The back-to-school fireworks

A unique feature of Orsay: the town also organizes fireworks in September to mark the start of the academic year, at the municipal stadium. This double celebration demonstrates the town's festive dynamism and its commitment to moments of collective gathering. The July 13th fireworks light up the sky from the Parc Charles Boucher site in a spectacular finale.

Orsay, between campus and nature

With its 16,000 inhabitants, Orsay benefits from an exceptional natural setting between the Bièvre valley and the state forest. A town on the Saclay plateau integrated into the dynamics of Paris-Saclay, it combines international academic life with preserved quality of life. The National Holiday is a moment of local anchoring where students, researchers, and families come together.