France bans alcohol at music festival as heatwave intensifies

France responded to a punishing new heat dome by banning public alcohol consumption in red-alert areas during the annual Fête de la Musique, a blunt sign that Europe’s latest extreme-weather crisis was testing public order as much as public health. With 35 departments under Météo-France’s highest heatwave alert on Sunday, June 21, and another 45 on orange alert, authorities were trying to keep a mass summer celebration from colliding with dangerous temperatures and overcrowded streets.

The numbers underscored the scale of the strain. Roughly 26 million people were covered by the red alert, with temperatures expected to reach 40C, or 104F, in parts of France and Monday forecast to be even hotter. French officials said alcohol would not be offered at state- and agency-run events in red-alert zones, while Paris city government kept parks and gardens open through the night and installed misting stations at the Eiffel Tower and other venues. Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said the danger came from the combination of alcohol, heat and proximity to water.

The heatwave had already begun to disrupt daily life before the festival crowds fully arrived. Dozens of trains were canceled, classes were suspended across France and some outdoor sports events were called off. France also placed emergency services and military forces on wildfire alert, reflecting how fast a heat emergency can spill into transport, education, public safety and fire control at the same time.

The broader European picture was equally severe. Italy expanded heat warnings to eight cities, while in Spain’s Basque Country some sports and cultural events were canceled. France had already seen several deaths linked to an earlier heatwave this season, and Britain also recorded deaths during the continent’s first major 2026 heat spell, turning what might once have been a brief weather disruption into a repeated test of preparedness.

That repetition is what makes the current wave more than a one-off emergency. The World Health Organization’s Europe office said more than 200,000 people died from heat-related causes across Europe over the past four years, and that most of those deaths were preventable. It has urged cooling centers, breaks, flexible shifts and better staffing in health facilities. With the United Nations and World Meteorological Organization warning in late May that global temperatures are likely to stay near record levels over the next five years, Europe’s heat problem is becoming a governance challenge that will keep returning until cities, hospitals and transport systems are built to absorb it.