The exact moment the Tower lights up gold and sparkles tonight — calculated live from Paris sunset, not a guess.
Every slot below is 5 minutes long, starting on the hour, from tonight's sunset until the Tower's lights go out.
No hardcoded guesses — this page runs a solar-position calculation for Paris (48.85°N, 2.35°E) every time it loads.
The Tower's sodium projectors switch on automatically via twilight sensors as soon as the sky darkens — within about 10 minutes of true sunset.
20,000 flashbulbs sparkle for exactly 5 minutes at the top of every hour, starting at the first full hour after nightfall.
Sparkles run until the Tower closes — midnight most of the year, extending to a final 1:00 AM show during the summer season (mid-June to August).
Sunset is computed live using the NOAA solar-position formula. Schedule logic cross-checked against the official Eiffel Tower lighting page. This is an independent fan project — not affiliated with SETE.
Start recording ~30 seconds before the hour — the flashbulbs ramp up fast once they begin.
Each sparkle show runs exactly 5 minutes, then returns to steady gold lighting.
Golden lighting turns on automatically at dusk — no need to wait for full darkness.
The last sparkle of the night is the most dramatic: the gold lighting cuts out, leaving only the twinkle.
Best angles: Trocadéro, Pont de Bir-Hakeim, and the Champ de Mars lawns.
Check the live schedule above to coordinate a shoot or meet-up down to the minute.
Clear skies help — light haze scatters the flashbulbs beautifully, heavy cloud dulls them.
Install this page to your home screen for a one-tap countdown wherever you are in the city.
The first sparkle happens at the first full hour after sunset in Paris. Since sunset shifts every day, this page calculates the exact time live using Paris's real solar position — see the live countdown and schedule above for tonight's exact times.
Each sparkle lasts exactly 5 minutes. Around 20,000 flashbulbs mounted on the Tower's four faces light up in short random bursts for five minutes, then return to steady golden lighting.
Yes. The sparkle has run every evening since 2003, on the hour, every hour, from nightfall until the Tower closes for the night.
The golden lighting switches on automatically at dusk via light-sensitive sensors, usually within about 10 minutes of official sunset in Paris.
The final sparkle is at midnight for most of the year (September through mid-June), extending to 1:00 AM during the summer season (mid-June through August) when the Tower stays open later.
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