It is known for its theatres, cafés, and luxury shops; as the finish of the Tour de France cycling race; and for its annual Bastille Day military parade.

Le Nôtre planned a wide promenade between the palace and the modern Rond Point, lined with two rows of elm trees on either side, and flowerbeds in the symmetrical style of the French formal garden.

Following the French Revolution, two equestrian statues, made in 1745 by Nicolas and Guillaume Coustou, were transferred from the former royal palace at Marly and placed at the beginning of the boulevard and park.

The major monument of the Boulevard, the Arc de Triomphe, had been commissioned by Napoleon after his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz, but it was not finished when he fell from power in 1815.

In 1846, Prince Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, the future Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, lived for a brief period in lodgings just off Lord Street, Southport.

The park was the location of the Palace of Industry, a giant exhibit hall which covered thirty thousand square meters, where the Grand Palais is today.

By the late 19th century, the Champs-Élysées had become a fashionable avenue; the trees on either side had grown enough to form rectangular groves (cabinets de verdure).

In 1860, the merchants joined to form the Syndicat d'Initiative et de Défense des Champs-Élysées, an association to promote commerce along the avenue.

The committee has always dedicated itself to seeking public projects to enhance the avenue's unique atmosphere, and to lobby the authorities for extended business hours and to organizing special events.

Today, the committee, in coordination with other professional organisations, may review with the Parisian administration the addition to the avenue of new businesses whose floor area would exceed 1000 square meters.

Weston (55), Foot Locker (66), Zara (74-92), Longchamp (77), Nike (79), Adidas (88), Sandro (91), The Kooples (93), Louis Vuitton (101), Hugo Boss (115), Massimo Dutti (116), Petit Bateau (116), JD Sports (118), Moncler (119), Yves Saint Laurent (123), Dior (127).

The list of perfume stores include Guerlain (68) (Le 68 de Guy Martin), Sephora multi brand (70), Yves Rocher (102).

[11] Every year on Bastille Day on 14 July, the largest military parade in Europe passes down the Champs-Élysées, reviewed by the President of the Republic.

[14] Huge gatherings occasionally take place on the Champs-Élysées in celebration of popular events, such as New Year's Eve, or when France won the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and 2018.

A portion of the 10,000 protesters in the city, about 1,500 people, looted and/or set on fire some 80 shops, restaurants, a bank, and newspaper kiosks along the avenue.

It is more polluted than the Périphérique ring road which encircles the city, with nitrogen dioxide levels twice as high as the recommended limit set by the World Health Organization.

[22][20] A 2019 article in The Guardian stated that the avenue "has more and more visitors and big name businesses battle to be on it, but to French people it's looking worn out.”[20] It has also become mainly a tourist attraction, which Parisians largely avoid.