What Paris racecourse hosted Bastille Day parade celebrations from 1880 to 1914?

The story behind the answer

The Paris racecourse that hosted Bastille Day parade celebrations from 1880 to 1914 was **Longchamp Racecourse**.

Longchamp Racecourse is in the Bois de Boulogne, on the western side of Paris. When the Third Republic revived and formalized 14 July as France’s national festival in 1880, the associated military celebrations were held at Longchamp rather than on the route used by today’s parade.

The venue remained the setting until 1914. After World War I, the parade moved to the Champs-Élysées; the major postwar 1919 event was a victory parade involving French, Allied, colonial, and other troops. The modern ceremony continues along the famous avenue, reviewed by the French president.

Longchamp is primarily known as a horse-racing venue, so it can be confused with other Paris-area tracks such as Vincennes or Auteuil. The dates in the question identify Longchamp’s earlier role in the national celebrations.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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