More than 1,000 vehicles were set on fire and over 500 people were detained across France during New Year’s Eve celebrations, according to figures released on Thursday by the French Ministry of the Interior. Despite the scale of the incidents, authorities described the night as marked by “more limited urban unrest” compared with the previous year.
In total, 505 people were taken into custody nationwide, with 403 of those detentions resulting in arrests and remand orders, the ministry said. Officials characterised the night as “calmer” than New Year’s Eve in 2025, even though last year saw 420 detentions and 310 arrests.
The number of vehicles torched increased significantly, reaching 1,173 compared with 984 during New Year’s Eve celebrations in 2025, according to the same source.
Nevertheless, local authorities reported a “less turbulent night in suburban areas than last year” and fewer, less serious attacks on law enforcement officers. Police officers were targeted with fireworks in several cities, including Nice, Lyon, Strasbourg and Rennes, a source told Agence France-Presse.
Around 90,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed nationwide from December 31 to oversee the festivities, including 10,000 in Paris and its suburbs. The level of deployment was unchanged from the previous year.
In the French capital, prosecutors said 125 people aged between 17 and 53 were arrested and placed in custody. Among them, 33 were detained for acts of violence, 15 for participating in group gatherings with the intent to commit violence or cause property damage, 10 for possession of psychotropic substances and eight for drug use.
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