This summer was particularly scorching. With four heat waves reaching — or even exceeding — 40°C, Parisians had no choice but to find bodies of water where they could take a dip. Perfect timing: on July 4th, five swimming sites in the Seine opened to the general public. And according to a report published by the City of Paris on Saturday, August 29th, in 2026, swimming has won over plenty of fans.
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Over 200,000 swimmers across the Seine and canal sites
In total, 216,000 people took the plunge into the Seine between July 4th and August 30th, 2026. A record year since this represents 20% more than in 2025. At the three main sites — Bras Marie, Bercy, and Grenelle — 120,000 swimmers were counted. The others preferred Paris's other waterways: 51,000 people took a dip in Villette Basin, while 12,000 people plunged into Canal Saint-Martin. Emmanuel Grégoire, Paris's mayor, is considering "going further" in summer 2027. The idea of opening a new site within the Arsenal Basin has notably been discussed.
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A second successful year
Swimming in the Seine has been possible again since 2024 — exactly 100 years after it was banned — when certain events from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games took place there. Starting in 2025, swimming has been opened to the general public, exclusively at three developed, supervised and free-access sites.
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