More than 240 arrests as incidents mar France’s Fête de la Musique 2026

France’s 45th edition of the Fête de la Musique ended with a significant security toll on the night of 21 to 22 June, as more than 240 people were arrested nationwide, including 148 in Paris, according to a preliminary count released by the Interior Ministry on Monday. Despite the scale of the events, authorities said no major disorder had taken place.

A night of concentrated incidents in Paris

Paris police carried out 154 arrests on charges including theft, sexual assault, intentional violence, and drug possession. Among the most serious incidents, fireworks mortars were fired on the Boulevard Saint-Germain in the 6th arrondissement, triggering a crowd surge that police quickly brought under control.

In the 3rd arrondissement, a motorcyclist was seriously injured after being struck by an SUV whose driver fled the scene. The driver was quickly caught and taken into custody. Shortly before 9:30 p.m., on Rue de Poitou, a driver at the wheel of a Toyota Corolla abruptly accelerated and hit a pedestrian, injuring them in the leg.

Around ten reports of needle syringe attacks were also recorded in the capital. In the 9th arrondissement, on Rue Henri Monnier, a young woman was allegedly injected and raped; a man was arrested. On the Boulevard de la Madeleine, another victim lost consciousness after being injected and was taken to Lariboisière hospital.

Two police officers sustained minor injuries during the evening’s incidents.

Firework mortars fired at crowds in the Yvelines

Beyond Paris, in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, around 10:40 p.m., an individual fired mortars directly into a crowd gathered on the Place du Marché Neuf. Officers from the anti-crime brigade arrested the suspect, who was placed in custody. No injuries were reported. Minutes later in Versailles, two people were arrested on the Place du Marché for the same offence, followed by a third arrest around midnight on Rue Carnot.

Massive security deployment amid record heat

The festivities took place under an intense heat of 37 degrees Celsius in Paris, with authorities enforcing a ban on alcohol consumption in public spaces. Close to 5,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed across the capital and its surrounding area, alongside 2,500 firefighters. In Rennes, civil protection services set up three first-aid posts in the city centre, staffed by a hundred rescuers, to avoid overwhelming hospital emergency departments.

The Interior Ministry stated that the overall situation across the country remained under control thanks to security measures adapted throughout the evening. In 2025, 371 people had been arrested nationally, including 89 in Paris.