The highlights of National Day evening included a concert by DJ Dimitri Vegas – attracting many young people to the city centre – as well as the traditional torchlight procession and the fireworks.
For two days, Luxembourg celebrated National Day. Besides numerous drink stalls and loud music blasting through speakers, City Sounds drew many young people to the Glacis car park on Sunday evening.
Laurent Schwaller, head of the event planning service of Luxembourg City, confirmed that this had been the intention: “We specifically wanted to set up a programme for young people on 22 June, as most of them go out that night. We aimed to spread out the crowds that usually gather in the city centre, which is why we separated the public – one group enjoying the torchlight procession and fireworks, and another gathering for the DJ set at Glacis.”
Thousands gathered at the Glacis car park for Dimitri Vegas’ show. The internationally renowned DJ is a major act on the global stage – in 2024, he was among the headliners at the famous Tomorrowland festival.
Meanwhile, the upper city drew people of all ages, from torchlight processions to the grand fireworks display. Those seeking a quieter setting found it along the traditional torchlight procession route, which set off around 9.30pm from Théâtreplatz in Limpertsberg.
Eric Eifes, who first took part in the procession as a young scout, joined once again this year. For him, the event has become something of a tradition:
“I’ve been part of it since the early ’80s, when I was a young child. It was more intimate back then, if I can put it that way – fewer people lived in the city, Luxembourg had fewer citizens. But it was just as fun as today. Now it’s far more multicultural. Unfortunately, the commune has had to add barriers for safety. That’s when I realised how much more elaborate the logistics have become around National Day.”
This year, the procession drew some 2,500 participants. From Théâtreplatz through Côte d’Eich to Knuedler and Place de Clairefontaine, scouts, sports clubs, the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS), and several musical groups marched through the heart of the capital on Sunday evening.
The highlight of the evening came at 11pm with a spectacular fireworks display. For 17 minutes, the sky above the capital lit up in a dazzling array of colours, set to a musical composition by Maxime Bender. At the Gëlle Fra, the military band performed live, adding to the festive atmosphere. And even after the final firework lit up the night, the celebrations were far from over – Luxembourg continued to ring in National Day well into the early hours of the morning.
Catch the complete replay of the procession on RTL Lëtzebuerg.
