Le Moulin Rouge is undoubtedly the most famous cabaret club in Paris, and rightly so. Since it opened in 1889, it has hosted some of Paris ' most iconic shows and is where the can-can dance became so famous.
If you've never been there, a visit to the Moulin Rouge is an experience not to be missed, which is why I created this page. Here you'll find all the practical information you need to visit the place, along with a lot of historical information that you probably won't find anywhere else.
So grab yourself a glass of champagne, and let's get going!
In short: Which Moulin Rouge ticket is right for you?
- The show + a glass of champagne: The cheapest option, and in my opinion the most affordable for those who prefer to eat at a good restaurant nearby.
- The show + dinner: We arrive at 19:00 PM, eat to the sounds of the Moulin Rouge orchestra, and don't move from our chairs until the end of the evening.
- Package with a cruise on the Seine, Eiffel Tower or tourist bus: Book an entire evening with one order (and without planning transportation).
- Before ordering: There are price differences between the different booking sites, so it's worth spending two minutes comparing.
Moulin Rouge tickets
Let's start with the painful part of the evening, buying tickets to the Moulin Rouge. There's no doubt that these tickets aren't cheap, but as you'll see, there are cheaper and less expensive tickets.
Tickets for the show itself
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The cheapest option
Card + glass of champagne
The classic ticket to the Féerie show: the can-can, the costumes, the live orchestra, and a glass of champagne in hand. This is the option I recommend for those who want the experience itself without adding a restaurant-priced meal.
- Most profitable: The lowest price among the ticket options.
- Culinary flexibility: You can eat before or after at one of the Montmartre restaurants.
- Consider: Does not include dinner, and the seating is less good than those of the expensive tickets.
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The full experience
Ticket + dinner
You arrive at 7 pm, settle in comfortably, eat a full dinner while the Moulin Rouge orchestra plays – and when the show starts you're already inside, with a full glass and a good seat guaranteed.
- One evening, one place: A meal and a show without leaving and returning.
- Atmosphere: The Moulin Rouge orchestra plays for you throughout the meal.
- Consider: More expensive than the ticket with champagne only, and requires arrival as early as 19:00 PM.
A package that includes the show and other attractions
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The most romantic
Moulin Rouge ticket + Seine cruise
A cruise on the Seine before the show, followed by the Can-Can. An especially convenient package for a first evening in Paris, including arranged transportation between the two.
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Three attractions
Ticket + Seine Cruise + Eiffel Tower
A meal on the Seine, a climb to the Eiffel Tower, and a show at the Moulin Rouge – three icons of Paris in one evening, with one booking. An excellent solution for those with little time in the city.
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Moulin Rouge + Paris tour with tourist bus
A night tour on a panoramic bus among the illuminated monuments of Paris, ending with a show at the Moulin Rouge. Ideal for those who want to see a lot without walking a lot.
pay attention
Since this is a relatively expensive show, it is very worthwhile to compare prices between several booking sites, as there are price gaps between the different sites. To help you compare prices, I have created the “Francophile’s Toolbox”, where you will find all the most reliable and easy-to-use booking sites. All you have to do is check the prices on each of them (a matter of a few minutes) and choose the option that suits you best.
Visitor information at the Moulin Rouge
Where is the Moulin Rouge?
The address of the Moulin Rouge is: 82 Boulevard de Clichy.
The easiest way to get there is by metro line 2 which stops at Blanche station, which is very close by. Another option is to take line 13 and get off at Place de Clichy, and from there walk a few minutes on Boulevard Clichy until you get there.
If you want to get there by bus you can do so using lines 30, 54 and 80, which all stop not far from Place Blanche.
What days and times is it open?
The Moulin Rouge is open every day and has two shows, one at 21:00 PM and the other at 23:00 PM (although the 23:00 PM show does not take place during the winter). Dinner, for those who have booked, begins at 19:00 PM and is played by the Moulin Rouge orchestra.
What is the dress code?
Although the days when men would arrive at the Moulin Rouge dressed in three-piece suits and women in elegant evening gowns are long gone, even today if you come wearing shorts or Crocs, you will be politely asked to leave and return dressed like a human being.
A button-down shirt and pants will get you into the Moulin Rouge, and if you're wearing a jacket, that's fine.
Is the Moulin Rouge suitable for small children?
Despite what people think, the Moulin Rouge has long since ceased to be an adults-only show and children aged 6 and up can also be brought there. However, please note that the show includes scenes with partial nudity, so personally, I'm not sure if it's a show that would be suitable for small children (it's a shame there's no longer a professional clown there, as there used to be, because then I'm sure your children would have a great time).
Have you visited the Moulin Rouge and do you recommend it?
Yes, I visited there in 2018 with a good friend and really enjoyed the impressive production and the fact that it was a very diverse show, which included much more than “just” Can Can dancing. So, if you haven’t been to any show in Paris before, the Moulin Rouge or not a bad option at all.
If you would like to read a more in-depth review of the place, you are welcome to read the article Moulin Rouge – A Must-See Show or a Tourist Trap?
What alternatives do you recommend?
The two most famous alternatives to Moulin Rouge are:
Paradis Latin
The truth is that this is a show that preceded the Moulin Rouge by several decades and still exists today. In my opinion, this is a more diverse show than the Moulin Rouge and personally, even though I liked the Moulin Rouge, I enjoyed it more there.
Crazy Horse
This is the show that Parisians themselves love to go to and it is not considered a “tourist trap” by them, as the Moulin Rouge is considered (rightly or wrongly). It is a more erotic show than the Moulin Rouge and therefore not suitable for children, but if you are interested in something more Parisian, this is the show for you.
If you would like to check out other, less famous options for cabarets and shows that might suit you, you are welcome to visit the Cabaret Shows in Paris page.
What do you recommend I do before the show starts?
I recommend that you visit the Montmartre page on my website, where you will find information about attractions close to the Moulin Rouge (for example: the Montmartre Cemetery ) and itineraries you can do before you get to the show. Also, if you have decided not to take a show with dinner, you will also find recommendations for good restaurants in the area.
What happened to Ilan who didn't bring the Moulin Rouge perfume to Liora?
You will discover the answer to this question in this episode of “Close Relatives” 🙂
Frequently Asked Questions about the Moulin Rouge
How much does a ticket to the Moulin Rouge cost?
What times does the show take place at the Moulin Rouge?
How do you get to Moulin Rouge by public transportation?
What is the dress code at the Moulin Rouge?
Is the Moulin Rouge suitable for children?
Is it worth booking tickets in advance?
What are the alternatives to Moulin Rouge?
The history of the Moulin Rouge
Okay, you've bought your tickets and received all the information you need to spend a magical evening at the Moulin Rouge. Great! What's left to do?
My advice is not to be lazy and read a little about the history of the place, not only because it is super interesting, but because I believe that when you know, even a little, the history of the place you are going to, the entire experience of the visit is enhanced.
Don't worry, you don't have to read many pages of books written about the mythical cabaret of Montmartre, I've already done that for you and created the following article. All you have to do is read, savor the article and start counting the days until your evening at the Moulin Rouge.
The Story of the Moulin Rouge – Between Can Can and Musical Comedy
From the Red Windmill, La Goulou, Toulouse-Lautrec, the elephant from the cast and the runway from 1889 to the show you are about to see.
And finally, a few more things you might not know about the place
The first building in Paris with electricity
The Moulin Rouge building was the first to have electricity in Paris. This turned the windmill's arms, and the entire building was lit by electric lights.
The elephant in the backyard
There was an elephant in the back garden! Well, not a real elephant, but there was a giant plaster elephant (you might have seen it in the 2001 movie). And not only was there an elephant – its insides were used. It was a private club for men who were willing to pay one franc for a personal belly dance, and there were also dressing rooms.
Can Can wasn't invented here.
Cabaret made the Can Can a famous dance, but it was not invented at the Moulin Rouge. The dance began as the Quadrille Naturaliste, which probably originated around 1820. Originally performed by both men and women, the dance involved leg swings and leaps.
Guinness World Record: 29 lifts in 30 seconds
The Moulin Rouge Can Can is listed in the Guinness Book of Records – in 2014, the Moulin Rouge dancers performed 29 consecutive leg swings in 30 seconds, setting a world record.
Who appeared on this stage?
Many famous artists have performed on the Moulin Rouge stage, including Edith Piaf , Josephine Baker, Gina Rogers, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, and even Elton John.
For those who want to delve deeper
More information about the Moulin Rouge club can be found on their official website.
Ready for your evening at the Moulin Rouge?
If you've made it this far, we're guessing your decision has already been made (and rightly so). Don't forget to compare prices between several sites before booking – and bring a jacket.
More on the subject
My dear friend Zvi, thank you for the informative article about the Moulin Rouge. Thank you for shedding light on the subject and telling us about the place. Very interesting, I think I would visit it.
Thank you so much for the comprehensive review, Zvi! We visited the Moulin Rouge 20 or so years ago, and received a pair of tickets as a gift from our lovely uncles. I felt very guilty when, after half a bottle of champagne and a few flapping legs and feathers (not mine, the dancers'), I sank into a delightful nap on the velvet armchair. It was undoubtedly the most precious nap of my life :) I suppose the show has changed and improved since then. And again, thank you for the wonderful scents of Paris that you bring to us, all the way to Tel Aviv!
Galia
The review is reliable and reflective. I was at the Moulin Rouge for the opening show of the 2000s. I was at both the Polly Berger and the Lido and the Crazy Horse. In my opinion, anyone who has been to one of them is like being at all of them. The Moulin Rouge has the advantage of the scent of its premiere and its special structure. Anyone who loves glamorous entertainment without too much philosophizing. This is the place. Of course, as Zvi Khazanov honestly wrote – provided that you have a penny in your pocket and you are also willing to spend it. By the way, just as the drinks are without fakes, so is the food.
Very beautiful article!
I really liked the article!
Thanks .
I am always happy to read the articles even though I have lived in this city for quite a few years. However, if I have more to enlighten and comment on, there is much room for improving the language. For example: You should not write "you" but "you". Or: When the dancers do not dance with each other... You should write: When the dancers do not dance with each other, etc.
Please respect the language. Superficiality is very celebratory and jarring. This enterprise is noteworthy and it is a shame that Ramat will be harmed by shallow language.
An article that has all the comments being songs of praise is, how to say it... not that credible.
For the sake of “good order,” it would have been appropriate to state who paid for the visit to the Moulin Rouge and to point out that there are other cabarets of this type in Paris, such as the CABARET LATIN, the “sister” institution of the Lid, and more. There is nothing wrong with being a ticket agent, but things need to be clarified. Now I know how seriously your class is taken. Too bad!
Hello David.
I don't understand where your negative attitude comes from.
Regarding the comments: I assure you that all comments are completely authentic and come from my dedicated readership.
Regarding the other cabarets: The article is about the Moulin Rouge and not about other cabarets. That's why I don't mention them here.
If you would like to read about the other cabarets, you are welcome to visit this article:
https://www.francophilesanonymes.com/paris/show-cabarets/
deer
Thank you Zvi
I was invited to the Moulin Rouge about 50 years ago, and I loved it.
Years later I took my daughter to Crazy Horse and we had a great time too.
The kind of thing you do once and that's enough.
Hello deer,
We visited the Moulin Rouge last week after reading your article here.
The show lasted exactly an hour and a half, with the last 20 minutes seeming like a filling in a hole of broken English songs.
True, everything is grand and shiny and impressive, with amazing costumes and great music, and yet it still feels like a tourist trap.
We took the tickets with the champagne (good), saw a fourth-rate warm-up show (which lasted for the last 20 minutes, as mentioned).
I miss the objectification of women in the show in your criticism.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for partial/full nudity when it's appropriate, but in her show, there was no reason to display women's breasts throughout the entire show without stopping. It could have looked even more professional and impressive.
We are in 2022 and not 1800 or something where women were objects to be displayed.
For me, it spoiled my enjoyment of the show.
We chose to go because there was a lot of talk about it and if I hadn't gone I wouldn't know if I lost or not.
Today I can say that I wouldn't have missed anything if I hadn't watched the show.
Objectification of women has existed at the Moulin Rouge since 1889, and if you give it up, you've turned the Moulin Rouge into something completely different. Of course, it's not for everyone, which is why I wrote this. And yes, it's a super touristy show and it's not ashamed of it. What's more, from my experience there about 5 years ago, what they did, they did at a very high level and gave an excellent show. It's possible that they've changed part of the show since I came (they do it every few years), but I still think that anyone who hasn't been there and wants to see a touristy show as it is should come there.