Paris Seine Swimming Sites Draw 120,000 Bathers in Second Year as Attendance Climbs 20%

Seine attendance and seasonal growth

The City of Paris recorded 120,000 bathers across its three designated swimming zones along the Seine during an eight-week operating period in the summer of 2026. This total represents a 20% rise in attendance compared to the 2025 summer season. The three municipal river locations, which provide free public access, are situated at Bras Marie in central Paris, Bercy in the 12th arrondissement, and Grenelle in the 15th arrondissement near the foot of the Eiffel Tower. These designated areas originally opened in 2025 in the aftermath of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, ending a prohibition on Seine bathing that had remained in effect for a century. The municipality released its seasonal balance on Saturday, August 29, 2026, describing the overall citywide attendance as a record level.

Canals and temporary outdoor facilities

Open-water canal sites and seasonal sports installations also drew tens of thousands of residents and visitors across the capital. The Bassin de la Villette in the 19th arrondissement recorded 51,000 bathers, while the Canal Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement welcomed 12,000 swimmers. Of those Canal Saint-Martin visitors, 9,000 used the waterway during an advance opening in mid-June, which Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire authorised during an early heatwave. Four temporary outdoor swimming pools established within Parisian sports centres accounted for an additional 33,000 swimmers over the summer. Together, the Seine, the canal network, and the temporary pools brought total seasonal attendance to 216,000 swimmers across Paris, with natural open-water venues accounting for more than 180,000 of those visits.

These spaces allowed many Parisians to cool off in a summer that has been particularly difficult because of the heatwaves.

Water quality disruptions and summer conditions

Operational conditions throughout the eight-week season required periodic adjustments due to water quality and weather events. In late July, municipal authorities temporarily closed the Bras Marie and Bercy locations on an intermittent basis following fuel oil pollution in the Seine. That disruption followed an inaugural 2025 season during which heavy July rains degraded river water quality and rendered the river temporarily unsuitable for swimming, prior to peak crowds in August. Municipal data showed that one-third of all operating days across the 2026 season coincided with officially classified heatwaves. The city government described access to open-water swimming as an indispensable public resource to help residents cope with rising urban temperatures and climate change.

Expansion plans for 2027 and regional sites

Municipal authorities are preparing further development of public river access ahead of future summer seasons. Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire committed to expanding the city's swimming network in 2027, with municipal planners studying an additional swimming zone in the Bassin de l'Arsenal. The planned installation, envisioned under the working title Bastille Plage, would bring open-water swimming directly to the Bastille neighbourhood. Outside Paris proper, five designated swimming locations opened this summer along the Marne river, a tributary of the Seine. Municipal officials plan to maintain and expand these water access points as part of long-term regional cooling infrastructure.