You thought you had time to grab your eclipse glasses? Bad news: just hours before the big celestial show, they've become impossible to find. For several days now, French people have been rushing to snap up these precious protections, causing stock shortages in many stores. In Paris too, the hunt is on. And there's no way to skip it: this Wednesday, August 12th, 92.2% of the sun will be blocked out in Paris. The eclipse will reach its peak around 8:18 PM, when the sun will already be very low on the horizon. An exceptional celestial event that happens only once in a lifetime (or twice if you're lucky), and we definitely don't want to miss it!
Glasses, the new Parisian Holy Grail
Since the beginning of the week, testimonies from Parisians hunting for these famous glasses have been multiplying. Pharmacies, opticians, and supermarkets have been stormed, with stock disappearing sometimes in just a few hours. Le Monde mentioned this Wednesday morning a genuine "treasure hunt" to get your hands on THE pair certified CE and compliant with EN ISO 12312-2:2015 standards.
On social media, the same advice keeps circulating: call pharmacies one by one, make the rounds of opticians, and above all, don't wait until the last minute. Several Parisians reported finding glasses in certain pharmacies in the capital just this Wednesday morning.
Que se passe-t-il dans notre pays pour que la santé publique ait ainsi été reléguée au second plan ? Pour qu’on ne sache plus anticiper, jusqu’à ne pas garantir à toutes et tous l’accès aux lunettes de protection indispensables pour observer une éclipse solaire en toute sécurité…
— Marine Tondelier (@marinetondelier) August 11, 2026
A few places to try
Pharmacy of Republic Square
5 Place de la République – 3rd
Pharmacy of Arts and Sciences
106 Boulevard du Montparnasse – 6th
Pharmacy
54 Rue Olivier-de-Serres – 15th
01 48 28 50 82
Glasses for All
3 Rue de Turbigo – 1st
The World of Observation
35 Rue de Rivoli – 4th
Newsstands or tobacco shops
Another last-minute option: some magazines sold at newsstands come with eclipse glasses, notably Sky & Space, which offered a pair with its special issue dedicated to the eclipse. Be warned: these stocks can change very quickly. A quick phone call before crossing Paris remains your best strategy.
What if you can't find any?
No need to completely give up on the spectacle
spectacle. Projection lets you observe the eclipse indirectly without looking at the sun directly: the sun's image is projected onto a surface using a small adapted device.Another option: join an astronomical observation event equipped with secure equipment. In the Île-de-France region, the region announces that glasses will be available at several leisure parks.
On the other hand, forget immediately about tricks found on the Internet: regular sunglasses, tinted glass, CDs, X-rays, photo negatives, or 3D glasses don't protect your eyes. The Ministry of Economy and DGCCRF exclusively recommend glasses specifically designed for observing the sun and compliant with regulations.
Not the time to take risks!
If authorities insist so much on glasses, it's not to spoil the fun. During the eclipseBy August 11, 1999, the Health Surveillance Institute had recorded 1,024 consultations related to eye complications. Among them, more than 250 cases of retinal injuries and 7 people had damage to both eyes.
The most deceptive part? Injuries caused by direct observation of the sun can be painless at the moment of exposure, while potentially being irreversible. So, if you're among the last-minute planners: call pharmacies, try kiosks and check remaining stock before heading out. And if you can't find anything, it's better to admire the eclipse through projection than risk your eyesight for a few minutes of spectacle.
In Paris, head out around 8:18 p.m. for the maximum eclipse, with your eyes protected, obviously.