This is the event the French and Francophile communities in Los Angeles have been waiting for. Following a successful inaugural event in 2025, which drew more than 2,500 visitors, the Bastille Day concert returns this year to Downtown LA at California Plaza, on Tuesday, July 14, featuring an all-new lineup of artists.
Scheduled to begin at 5 pm, the event—organized by the French Consulate in Los Angeles and the event company Grand Performances—will transform California Plaza into a “French village” with live jazz music by Pascal and the French Jazz Project, food stands serving French cuisine, crêpes, and pastries, and a selection of local artisans showcasing the best of the French art de vivre.
At sunset, the event will give way to music and performers on stage, with rapper Black M—whose real name is Alpha Diallo—among the headlining guests expected to take the stage. He first rose to fame as one of the iconic members of the group Sexion d’Assaut (alongside GIMS) in the early 2000s, before pursuing a solo career. In 2014, he released his first solo album, Les yeux plus gros que le monde, which quickly went diamond with hits such as “Sur ma route” and “Madame Pavoshko.” Since then, Black M has released several albums—including his latest in 2024, La légende Black II—an EP, and numerous singles.
Also scheduled to perform at the Bastille Day concert, singer Barbara Pravi—who first came to the public’s attention at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest, where she finished in second place—will perform her hits, including the memorable “Voilà” and the energetic track “Où es-tu.” French DJ Joachim Garraud, who is also the event’s executive producer, will close out this second edition with electro house and techno sets.
Designed to become the annual gathering for “celebrating French culture in Southern California,” this Bastille Day event is expected, according to the French Consulate, “to grow year after year,” with the 2028 Olympic Games on the horizon—whose opening ceremony will take place on July 14, 2028.
Admission to the event is free, but it is recommended that you register online in advance to stay up to date on the latest news.
Practical info
Bastille Day, California Plaza, 350 South Grand Avenue, Downtown, Tuesday, July 14 from 5pm to 12am. Entry is free but reservations are recommended.
This article was originally published in French on French Morning. It appears here in translation.
