Techno Parade in Paris

History of the Techno Parade

The beginnings of the Techno Parade date back to September 1997. Under the impulse of Radio FG and some techno fans, a popular party was organised in the Parisian capital. The event brought together 400 people and saw four floats parade through Paris. The parade starts in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, in Rue Keller (opposite the gay and lesbian centre), and ends at the Ile aux Cygnes.

The Paris Techno Parade was really created in 1998 on the initiative of Jack Lang and then taken over by the Technopol association with the aim of promoting and popularising electronic music culture. 200,000 people participated in the first edition of the Techno Parade.

The Techno Parade is the largest popular techno festival in France. It is a free and popular electronic music event that brings together more than 400,000 people every year.

For more than 20 years, this festive one-day event has attracted a large public to participate in the parade. The Techno Parade is an opportunity to party in the street in broad daylight and the best media pressure to get messages across to the authorities.

Demands of the Techno Parade

With a high profile, the Techno Parade is also a way of claiming certain major societal problems.

For example, during the 2018 edition, the event highlighted various issues: the challenge of the "Collomb circular", the economic support of the development of electronic music in the provinces, the suppression of repression and the prohibition of equipment seizures during amateur events.

During the 2019 edition, the Techno Parade paid tribute to the young Nantes-based Steve Maia Caniço, who died on the evening of Make Music Day of the same year in tragic circumstances.

The French techno movement has made a number of demands concerning the dissemination of techno culture:

• inclusion of electronic music in the French cultural heritage,
• fair treatment for the actors and actresses of electronic music,
• adaptation of the intermittent work scheme to the DJ profession,
• creation of reception areas for electronic music events and festivals,
• adaptation of the "sound" decree to the specificities of electronic music,
• creation of a realistic framework for the organisation of free parties.

"This 24th Techno Parade will once again make demands. Electronic music is still confronted with preconceived ideas. Events are still difficult to organise. The reticence and worries surrounding this movement are not justified. This musical trend is the second most listened to by young people after hip-hop. It therefore deserves to be able to express itself more freely," emphasises Tommy Vaudecrane, president of Technopol, an association for the defence of electronic culture.

Date and route of the Techno Parade

The Techno Parade takes place during the Paris Electronic Week, usually on the second Saturday of September. This year, the Techno Parade returns for its 25th edition on Saturday 23 September 2023.

The parade of floats takes over the streets of the capital to the sound of techno music. These floats, coming from all over the world, represent a label, an organiser or a collective dedicated to electronic music. The event is already expecting around ten floats, with renowned DJs.

For this new edition, Ukraine is in the spotlight. The organisers have chosen to invite Xenia, a Ukrainian DJ who has already performed for Make Music Day, to the courtyard of the Élysée Palace.

A different route is taken through the city every year. The parade takes place on a 5km long route, between the Place d'Italie and the Louvre Museum.

How to get there?

Blue route: Get off at stop n°3 Musée du Louvre

The service is likely to be disrupted due to the parade, please check our traffic information page for any diversions or stops affected.

To continue your day in the capital, discover our selection of the best places in Paris to admire the sunset.