Luxembourg's Government Information and Press Service has announced the official programme for National Day 2026 which marks birthday of the reigning Grand Duke, with ceremonies, public festivities and cultural events taking place in Differdange and Luxembourg-Ville on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 June.
According to the authorities, the Grand Ducal Couple, together with members of the government, will attend events across both days.
Monday 22 June 2026
The Grand Ducal Couple will be welcomed at 17:00 near Gerlache Park by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Claude Wiseler, Luxembourg’s Minister for Labour and government representative, Marc Spautz, and the Mayor of Differdange, Guy Altmeisch. The Differdange Municipal Band and the Niederkorn Brass Band will jointly perform the Wilhelmus.
Following the presentation of the Differdange Board of Aldermen and the Grand Ducal Couple will take their place in the official stand to watch a parade of around ten local associations. Luxembourg’s Minister for Education, Children and Youth, Minister for Housing and Spatial Planning, Claude Meisch, the Minister for Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception, Max Hahn, the Minister for Finance, Gilles Roth, representatives of the Chamber of Deputies (parliament), members of the Differdange Municipal Council and representatives of the town's twinned municipalities will also attend.
The programme will also include the lighting of the Scout fire by the Sainte-Barbe Differdange Guides and Scouts, the unveiling of a floral clock featuring the monogram of the Grand Duke Guillaume and visits to several stands dedicated to education and training. The Grand Ducal Couple will then visit the 1535° Creative Hub and meet representatives from the creative sector.
The visit will conclude at Market Square with an official ceremony, including an address by Mayor Guy Altmeisch. During the ceremony, the Grand Ducal Couple will receive a work by steelworker and sculptor Jhang Meis, creator of the statue Eternity.
Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden will deliver the traditional National Day address during the early evening of Monday.
In the evening, the Grand Duke Guillaume and the Grand Duchess Stéphanie will attend the festivities organised by the City of Luxembourg (VdL).
The Grand Ducal Couple will be welcomed at Place Guillaume II by the Mayor of Luxembourg-Ville, Lydie Polfer, and the First Alderman, Maurice Bauer. Following the presentation of the Board of Aldermen and the Municipal Council, they will attend a performance by the Military Band and the traditional torchlight procession.
The procession will include around 2,800 participants, including firefighters, local sports and music associations from Luxembourg-Ville, guides and scouts, and multicultural singing, dance and folklore groups.
The official programme that day will conclude with a seventeen minute fireworks display launched from the Adolphe Bridge, accompanied by a musical composition by Erny Delosch.
Grand Ducal Palace:
16:00: Traditional changing of the guard.
Place du Théâtre:
21:30: Torchlight procession, which departs from Place du Théâtre, passing Côte d'Eich, Rue du Fossé and Place Guillaume II before continuing to Place Clairefontaine.
Place Guillaume II:
21:30: Welcome of the Grand Duke Guillaume, Grand Duchess Stéphanie and members of the Grand Ducal Family by Mayor Lydie Polfer and First Alderman Maurice Bauer.
Pont Adolphe:
23:00: Fireworks and an original musical composition by Erny Delosch for around 17 minutes.
Place d'Armes:
19:45: Luxembourgish folklore performances, including Lidderuucht Lëtzebuerg;
22:00 to 01:30: DJ Don Simon.
Champ du Glacis:
20:30 to 02:30: City Sounds, featuring international artists Alesso, DAMA, Hofi-Zambesi, Mattn, Nicky Romero and Nora En Pure. The site will open at 17:00.
Tuesday 23 June 2026
On the morning of 23 June, National Day, the official ceremony organised by the government in honour of His Royal Highness the Grand Duke will take place at the Philharmonie Luxembourg. It will bring together the Grand Ducal couple, members of the Chamber of Deputies, the government, the Council of State, the judiciary, the Luxembourg-Ville Municipal Council and the diplomatic corps accredited to Luxembourg.
Upon their arrival, Their Royal Highnesses the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess will be welcomed by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Claude Wiseler, Prime Minister Luc Frieden and the Mayor of Luxembourg-Ville, Lydie Polfer. The Wilhelmus will be performed by the Military Band.
During the ceremony, His Royal Highness the Grand Duke, Claude Wiseler and Luc Frieden will deliver speeches before presenting honorary distinctions to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the civil, economic, sporting and cultural fields.
The musical programme will feature the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chamber Choir and the Pueri Cantores of the Luxembourg-Ville Conservatoire. It will also include a work by violinist and composer Jean-Jacques Mailliet.
Following the ceremony, the traditional 21 gun salute will take place at Fetschenhaff.
Philharmonie Luxembourg:
10:00: Official ceremony.
Fetschenhof:
11:00: Ceremonial military tradition 21-gun salute in honour of the Grand Duke.
Avenue de la Liberté:
12:00: Military parade.
Notre Dame Cathedral:
16:30: Te Deum in the presence of members of the Grand Ducal Family.
Kinnekswiss:
10:00 to 18:00: traditional "Spillfest" family play festival.
Champ du Glacis:
17:30: Concert programme featuring OKE, TALI, ClockClock, and headliner OneRepublic. The site opens at 16:00.
Military Parade
The military parade on Avenue de la Liberté will take place under the command of Colonel Alain Schoeben and will feature detachments from the Luxembourg Army, the Grand Ducal Police and several civilian organisations.
General Steve Thull, Chief of Staff of the Luxembourg Army, and Pascal Peters, Director General of the Grand Ducal Police, will inspect the troops before Defence Minister Yuriko Backes and Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden review them. Prime Minister Luc Frieden, President of the Chamber of Deputies Claude Wiseler and Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess will also attend.
Following the traditional triple "Vive" by the troops and the performance of the national anthem by Staff Sergeant and musician Stéphanie Schlink, the parade will begin.
Participants will include the Luxembourg Army, a French Army detachment, the Grand Ducal Police, the Customs and Excise Administration, the Prison Administration, the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS), the Luxembourg Red Cross and the Union Grand-Duc Adolphe, represented by three music societies from the municipality of Käerjeng.
The parade will also feature a flypast by a Grand Ducal Police H145M helicopter, an Airbus A330 transport and refuelling aircraft from the Multi Role Tanker Transport Unit and an A400M transport aircraft from the Belgian Air Force's 15 Wing, piloted by Luxembourg officers.
Te Deum
A solemn Te Deum mass will be celebrated at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg-Ville in the presence of the Grand Ducal Couple and national authorities. The welcome address by Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, Archbishop of Luxembourg, will be followed by contributions from Alain Nacache, Chief Rabbi of Luxembourg, Hafiz ef Hilmija Redžić, Head of the Muslim Community in Luxembourg, and Volker Beba, Pastor of the Protestant Church of Luxembourg.
The solemn Te Deum will be performed by the Maîtrise Sainte-Cécile of Notre-Dame Cathedral under the direction of Marc Dostert. Paul Breisch and Michel Krier will perform on the symphonic organs, while a trumpet ensemble from the Military Band will perform the national fanfare.
