Le Bal des Débutantes: How Does the Paris Evening Unfold?
Some twenty debutantes, their escorts, a waltz, charitable causes: the complete guide, with what belongs to the organisation and what is prepared around it.
Last updated 5 October 2026 · 5 min read
Le Bal, known as the "Bal des Débutantes", is an annual evening organised in Paris at the end of November by Ophélie Renouard, who created it in 1994. Some twenty young women from many countries are presented there with their escorts; all are invited by the organiser, and one can neither buy a place nor pay to take part. Each debutante is dressed by a couture house, the escorts wear white tie, and the proceeds go to charitable causes, notably in support of children's hospitals. Recent editions have been held at the Shangri-La Paris; the next takes place on Saturday 28 November 2026. Around it, the family spends a few days in Paris: a palace, journeys, dinners.
What is Le Bal?
In France, the traditional debutante ball existed from 1957 to 1973. In 1994, Ophélie Renouard conceived a contemporary version, which she simply called "Le Bal", and created it at the Hôtel de Crillon, on the Place de la Concorde. Since 2012 she has organised it through her own structure, and the evening has left the Concorde: recent editions are held at the Shangri-La Paris, on avenue d'Iéna.
The principle can be put in a few words: every year, some twenty young women, aged roughly sixteen to twenty-two, from many countries, are presented at a Parisian evening, each accompanied by her escort. They are dressed by couture and haute couture houses, each house dressing one debutante; the escorts wear white tie.
The evening has a charitable purpose: its proceeds go to causes chosen by the organisation, notably in support of children's hospitals. Our page Bal des Débutantes VIP explains how we arrange the families' stay around it.
The calendar: a Saturday at the end of November
Le Bal is held every year at the end of November, on a Saturday evening. The 2025 edition took place on Saturday 29 November; the next is announced by the organisation for Saturday 28 November 2026.
For a family, this calendar draws a natural stay: arrival on Thursday or Friday, preparation and rehearsals according to the organisation's programme, the ball on Saturday, Sunday in Paris. At the end of November, the city enters winter: short days, cold evenings, the first illuminations. The table below sets out the verified reference points.
| Reference point | Fact | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Creation | 1994, at the Hôtel de Crillon | The organisation's website |
| 2025 edition | Saturday 29 November 2025, Shangri-La Paris | Press |
| 2026 edition | Saturday 28 November 2026 | The organisation's website |
| Participants | Some twenty debutantes, with their escorts | The organisation's website |
Who takes part, and how
The debutantes and their escorts are invited by the organiser. The organisation's website says so without ambiguity: one can neither buy a ticket to attend Le Bal, nor pay to take part. Invitations are sent directly to families, several months before the evening.
It must therefore be said just as plainly: no intermediary can sell a place, an invitation or an "application" to Le Bal, and any offer of this kind should arouse suspicion. TGZ offers none. Our guide How Le Bal des Débutantes Works details how it really works, drawing on public sources.
The programme, as publicly described
The days before belong to the preparation: fittings with the couture houses, photo sessions, hair and make-up, and a waltz lesson for the fathers and the escorts. The exact programme is set by the organisation and communicated to the invited families.
On Saturday evening, the debutantes are presented, then comes the dinner. The opening waltz is danced by the debutantes and their fathers, before the dances of the young couples; the evening then continues to music. Our guide Preparing for the Bal des Débutantes accompanies those days, on the family's side.
A charity evening
Le Bal was conceived with a charitable purpose. Over the editions, it has supported several causes: the association Enfants d'Asie, for the schooling of girls in Southeast Asia, from 2009 to 2019; ARCFA, an association for cardiology research from the foetus to the adult founded by the paediatric cardiology team at the Necker-Enfants malades hospital, which it supported in 2022 and in 2025; and, in 2025, a children's hospital in New York.
The causes of each edition are chosen and announced by the organisation. We do not anticipate them.
Planning the family's stay: hotel, journeys, budget
The hotel first: at the Shangri-La Paris itself, subject to availability, or in a palace in the 8th or 1st arrondissement, a few minutes away by car. On the weekend of the ball, connecting rooms and family suites are booked early. Our guide Where to Stay for the Bal des Débutantes compares the addresses.
Then the journeys: Paris-Le Bourget for business aviation, Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle for scheduled flights, then a dedicated chauffeur for the whole stay — the appointments of the preparation follow one another, and no one looks for a taxi in an evening gown.
Finally, the budget: every stay is quoted individually, because it is composed. What makes it vary: the address and category of the rooms, the number of nights and of people, the flight, the days of chauffeur, hair and make-up for the family, the tailor, the format of the dinners and the timing of the booking. None of these items touches the ball itself.
What to remember
Le Bal des Débutantes is an annual evening by invitation, organised in Paris at the end of November by Ophélie Renouard; the next edition takes place on Saturday 28 November 2026. The debutantes and their escorts are invited by the organiser: there is no place to buy and no application to pay for. TGZ Conciergerie, an independent house with no affiliation to Le Bal or to its organiser, and with no official status, offers no place, no invitation and no application: for a family whose child is invited, it arranges the stay in Paris around it — palace, journeys, hair for the family, dinners, chauffeur. Every stay is quoted individually, with availability and terms confirmed before any commitment.
Frequently asked questions
Saturday 28 November 2026, the date published by the organisation. For reference, the 2025 edition was held on Saturday 29 November 2025.
Ophélie Renouard, who created it in 1994 at the Hôtel de Crillon and has organised it since 2012 through her own structure.
In Paris. Recent editions have been held at the Shangri-La Paris, 10 avenue d'Iéna; the organiser confirms the venue of each edition to her guests.
Some twenty every year, from many countries, each accompanied by her escort; nineteen young women took part in the 2025 edition.
No. The debutantes and their escorts are invited by the organiser; the organisation's website states that one can neither buy a ticket nor pay to take part. TGZ offers no place, no invitation and no application.
Causes chosen by the organisation for each edition, notably in support of children's hospitals. In 2025, ARCFA, a cardiology research association linked to the Necker-Enfants malades hospital, and a children's hospital in New York.
No. TGZ Conciergerie is an independent house, not affiliated with Le Bal or its organiser, and with no official status. We arrange the stay of invited families, never the invitation.
Take it further
Your family's stay begins to take shape now
Is your child invited to Le Bal? Tell us who is travelling and how you wish to spend these days in Paris — the palace, the journeys, the hair, the dinners: we compose the complete stay, with nothing that touches the invitation. A single point of contact, a proposal set out item by item, availability and terms confirmed before any commitment.