Bastille Day in Paris

Dangerous event to attend????

There is a big military parade the morning of Fete Nationale. There are fireman's balls in each arrondissement that are generally open to the public. The one we attended years back was a rather informal thing in the 20th with a band and it was in a square on the street. You bought drinks from local bars and joined in to dance and drink. These are either the night before and the day of.

there are fireworks near the Eiffel Tower the night of the 14th. It is crowded on the Champ du Mars if you are concerned about danger.

In addition to the military parade on the Champs-Elysees in the morning, there will be a concert around 9:30 PM at the Eiffel Tower, followed by a great fireworks show, beginning around 11:30PM.
The only thing that will concern some people is that certain Metro stations will be closed, due to proximity to the events and security concerns, and some Bus routes will be cancelled or rerouted until the events are finished.
You should plan to walk home from wherever you want to go, because though the Metro and Bus are free this night, it's a real madhouse and best to avoid the crowds of drunks trying to squeeze in wherever they can.
The Champs-Elysees is where most people want to go - there will be a small light show projected on the Arc de Triomphe just before midnight. There will be maximum security - expect barricades, pat-downs, bag searches, and no glass will be allowed inside the barricades on the Champs-Elysees.
Some people opt for booking an overpriced fancy dinner at a hotel or "good" restaurant, or an equally-overpriced dinner cruise on the Seine. Better do this soon, though.
Or, if none of this thrills you, you can just stay at your hotel and watch the whole thing on TV and make your own party.

I have spent many Fete Nationals( locals do not call it Bastille day ) in Paris , and unless you are actually in vicinity of the Champs Elysses ( where parade is ) you won't even notice much difference to any other day . It's nice to get outside and watch the jets flying overhead , but we were in the 5 th and saw them just fine ( just down by river ) . I have never lived parades , so for me it's just another day, I'll hit a few Museums usually . Most are open that day , my theory is maybe they are a little less crowed that day , but since many are so busy in summer it doesn't make much difference in reality .

Danger ? Never thought of it ? Is it dangerous to be in crowds ? Maybe maybe not , no different that at home , look at Boston marathon , it's not a dangerous event , but some one took advantage of the crowds , so can happen anywhere ( like Berlin Xmas market ) .