Paris Imposes Alcohol Ban and Cancels Major Events as Heatwave Overwhelms Hospitals

Overview

• The Paris police prefecture said on Friday that hospitals were “saturated” and asked organisers to cancel large weekend gatherings, prompting immediate cancellations including the Solidays festival and the Pride march.
• Authorities issued a temporary ban on public alcohol consumption and the sale of takeaway alcohol in the capital and the interior minister recommended prefects nationwide consider similar bans to reduce heat‑related incidents and protect emergency capacity.
• Solidays organisers said the last‑minute cancellation will cost Solidarité Sida roughly €3 million and leave tens of thousands of attendees seeking refunds or information at the site.
• Municipal services relocated some elementary pupils to air‑conditioned corporate premises such as Google France and crèche staff have improvised cooling measures while unions urged a general exercise of the right of withdrawal because of unsafe working conditions.
• Ministers and local officials are deploying emergency cooling options but the minister for the ecological transition warned that widespread air conditioning is an emergency measure rather than a long‑term adaptation, restarting a debate over immediate relief and structural climate planning.