National Day 2026

To mark the public celebration of the birthday of HRH the Grand Duke, TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, together with members of the government, attend festivities organised in Differdange and Luxembourg City on 22 and 23 June 2026.

23 June 2026

Official ceremony at the Luxembourg Philharmonie

On the morning of 23 June, National Day, the official ceremony organised by the government in honour of HRH the Grand Duke takes place at Philharmonie Luxembourg. It brings together the Grand Ducal Couple, members of the Chamber of Deputies, as well as representatives of the government, the Council of State, the judiciary, the Municipal Council of the City of Luxembourg, and the diplomatic corps accredited to Luxembourg.

Upon arrival, TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess are welcomed by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Claude Wiseler, Prime Minister Luc Frieden, and the Mayor of the City of Luxembourg, Lydie Polfer. The Wilhelmus is performed by the Military Band.

During the official ceremony, HRH the Grand Duke, Claude Wiseler and Luc Frieden deliver speeches and subsequently present honorary distinctions to individuals who have rendered distinguished service in the civil, economic, sporting and cultural fields.During the official ceremony, H.R.H. the Grand Duke, Claude Wiseler and Luc Frieden deliver speeches and subsequently present honorary distinctions to individuals who have rendered outstanding services in the civil, economic, sporting and cultural fields.

The following persons are honoured:

• Presentation of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Commander) to René Closter, founder and former president of Luxembourg Air Rescue
• Presentation of the Honor Medal for Courage and Devotion in Vermeil to Eugen Keiler and Marko Sorgen
• Presentation of the Order of the Oak Crown (Knight) to Anne Knepper, chef
• Presentation of the Order of the Oak Crown (Officer) to Vicky Krieps, actress
• Presentation of the Order of the Oak Crown (Knight) to Patrizia Van der Weken, athlete and professional sprinter

Luxembourg's Philharmonic Orchestra ensures the musical interludes along with the Chamber Choir and the Pueri Cantores of the Luxembourg City Conservatory. The musical programme also includes a work by violinist and composer Jean-Jacques Mailliet, commissioned by the Ministry of State and the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of National Day.

After the official ceremony, the traditional cannon blast salute of 21 cannon blasts takes place at the Fetschenhaff.

Military parade

The military parade on avenue de la Liberté is under the command of Colonel Alain Schoeben, Commander of the Forces and Commander of the Troops. It consists of detachments from the Army and the Police Lëtzebuerg, as well as several civilian detachments.

Following the deployment of the detachments and the entry of the Army and Police Lëtzebuerg colours, General Steve Thull, Chief of Staff of the Army, and Pascal Peters, Director General of the Police Lëtzebuerg review the troops. The Minister of Defence, Yuriko Backes, and the Minister for Home Affairs, Léon Gloden, then reviewed the troops.

The Prime Minister, Luc Frieden, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Claude Wiseler, and HRH the Grand Duchess then arrive and take their seats in the official grandstand.

At noon, the Head of State in turn reviews the troops.

After the execution of the triple "vive" (“long live” in French) by the troops and the national anthem sung by Sergeant Stéphanie Schlink, the military parade ends with a parade of the following corps and associations:

• the Luxembourg Army – comprising an honour company and the Army flag with full escort, a detachment carrying the flags of former battalions and veterans' associations, a motorised detachment, and the Military Band;
• a detachment of the French Army – symbolising the close cooperation between the French and Luxembourg Armies through the FLF mission in Romania, the training of Luxembourg non-commissioned officers and officers, and the conduct of major exercises promoting interoperability between the two forces; the Police Lëtzebuerg – comprising an honour company and the Police Lëtzebuerg flag with full escort, a canine unit detachment, and a motorised detachment;
• the Customs and Excise Agency – comprising a company and the flag of the Customs and Excise Administration with full escort, a canine unit detachment, the Douane’s Musek, and a motorised detachment;
• the Prison Administration – comprising a foot company and a canine unit detachment;
• the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) – comprising a company and the CGDIS flag with full escort, a section of the canine unit, and a motorised detachment;
• the Luxembourg Red Cross – comprising a section of the canine unit and a motorised detachment;
• the Union Grand-Duc Adolphe, represented by three music societies from the municipality of Käerjeng.

The parade features several low-flying aircraft, namely an H145M helicopter of the Police Lëtzebuerg, an Airbus A330 transport and refuelling aircraft of the Multi Role Tanker Transport Unit (MRTT), and an A400M transport aircraft of the 15th Wing of the Belgian Air Force, piloted by Luxembourg officers.

Te Deum

A solemn Te Deum is celebrated at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg 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 speeches from Alain Nacache, Chief Rabbi of Luxembourg; Hafiz ef. Hilmija Redžić, worship leader of the Muslims of Luxembourg and by Volker Beba, pastor of the Protestant Church of Luxembourg.

The solemn Te Deum is sung by the "Maîtrise Sainte-Cécile de la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Luxembourg" conducted by Marc Dostert. Paul Breisch and Michel Krier perform on the symphonic organs, while an ensemble of trumpeters from the Military Band performs the national fanfare.

Press release by the Information and Press Service (SIP)