Let me make a confession. Until recently, whenever someone told me they wanted to go to a show at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, I would snort in disdain. To me (and to most Parisians), the Moulin Rouge was a kind of banal tourist trap that continues to attract tourists from all over the world thanks to its glorious past, centered on the famous can-can dance and the paintings of Toulouse-Lautrec.
However, a few months ago, something in my approach started to change. It all started when I built the page The cabarets and shows in ParisWhile searching for material about the attractions, I came across all kinds of videos of the show that takes place at the Moulin Rouge.
Something about the grandeur and glamour on display there impressed me and made me have second thoughts, that maybe I was missing something here. So the last time I was in Paris I decided to go there to experience for myself what this place had to offer. Since I don't trust myself after half a bottle of champagne, I needed someone to help me deal with the size of the crowd. Luckily, Nathan Evergreen, who writes on the site about fashion and shopping, agreed to help me. And so we showed up at the Moulin Rouge one evening, accompanied by my friends. Liran Hotmacher, who provided us with moral support and helped me discover the regenerating Pigalle district (but that's a topic for another post).
Armed with good company and curiosity, I stood in line for the entrance, waiting to be admitted to the mythical show…
Before we continue, some useful information:
Buying tickets to Moulin Rouge
- If you are interested in the regular Moulin Rouge show (with or without dinner) You can find tickets at this link..
- If you have arrived in Paris at Christmas time and would like to enjoy a festive show that includes dinner You can find tickets at this link..
- If you wanted to celebrate New Year's Eve in Paris with the style and luxury that only a club like the Moulin Rouge could provide you You can find tickets at this link..
Moulin Rouge – History
The Moulin Rouge is named after the red windmill on its roof, which has become its trademark. The venue was opened by promoter Joseph Auler in 1889, the year it opened. Eiffel Tower For visitors. Paris That year, the World's Fair, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the revolution, naturally attracted millions of tourists looking for entertainment in the evenings. Indeed, Joseph Oller offered them entertainment that they and future generations would not forget!
Let's start with the can-can dance, which became the club's trademark thanks to dancers like La Goloue, the nickname of dancer Louise Weber, or Jane Avril. Add to the famous dance performances a long line of entertainers including Chocolate Monsieur, magicians and even a “professional” clown who could “play” the Marseillaise and you will understand why the place quickly became a myth.
Unlike many other venues that were built at the time, which rose with a roar and disappeared after a few years with a thin silence, the Moulin Rouge continued to be successful. And so began to appear there singers, both male and female, who became superstars in the skies of French music. The best example is the singer Mistinguett, who during the 20s created some of her biggest hits here, such as Ça c'est Paris.
Over the years, the Moulin Rouge club continued to gain more and more prestige thanks to famous performers such as Delida and even Charles Aznavour, who performed there several times during his long career. In addition to the famous singers who performed, the club became famous for its extravagant shows featuring a huge number of male and female dancers. The name of every show at the Moulin Rouge always begins with the letter F (the current show is called Féerie and has been running since 1999). The reason for this is the superstition that shows whose names begin with the letter F will always be successful, thanks to the success of the show Frou Frou.
As we know, you don't argue with success. And now let's get back to me and Nathan, who are standing at the club's entrance and ready to find out once and for all, is this really such a successful show, a saccharine show for tourists, or maybe both?
Moulin Rouge – My Experience
After presenting our pair of tickets to the guard at the entrance, we were respectfully ushered into a kind of waiting room. There we were treated to a completely authentic British experience. This is no mistake – and I will explain it to you in a moment.
The national sport in England is not football, as most of you probably think, but queuing. When a Brit sees two people standing behind each other, he immediately has a slightly masochistic urge to join them and create a beautiful line, which progresses at the pace of a slow march. And that's exactly what you'll get at the Moulin Rouge, where the line slowly winds its way between two halls, until you're admitted into the main hall. While the line is quite boring at first, in the third hall the view starts to get more interesting and includes the venue's restaurant, where you'll get to see those who booked a show and dinner finishing their dessert or drinking a digestif.
Finally we reach the main hall and sit down at the table, and then the champagne arrives. And here a pleasant surprise awaited me. The cynical person inside me, who like a good Israeli is just waiting to see how they will screw him, was waiting for some cheap and questionable sparkling wine. Instead we got Moët & Chandon which was simply excellent and easily put us in the right mood. Dos fois!
While we were slightly perfumed, the lights went out and the show began. Dozens of male and female dancers appeared on stage and began to sing and dance almost non-stop for about two hours. The show consisted of a series of dances and songs, with each one of them presenting completely different scenery and clothes. All of this greatly impressed me and Nathan, who works in the fashion industry and has seen a garment or two in his life (not to mention magnificent baroque backdrops).
Time passes and passes and you never get bored even once! When the dancers aren't dancing with each other, they're dancing with snakes. Yes, a dancer enters a tank full of water and snakes and swims with them in a kind of slightly erotic but very impressive dance. And when they're not dancing, the entertainers, clowns, and acrobats take to the stage, making sure that no part of the show is the same as the next. This is undoubtedly the way to keep even ADD and ADHD people completely focused on everything that's happening on stage.
Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures, so you'll have to believe me. In general, the subject of photography is a bit annoying there. According to the rules of the place, it's forbidden to take pictures of anything, but even if you sneak a cell phone and try to take a picture, it won't really work for you, because of the lighting on the stage. That's why all the pictures you see here came to me from an external source and were not taken by me.
And so you arrive at the famous can-can dance and get the leg-swinging treat you came for. Everything is impressive, everything is spectacular – exactly what you expected from such a place. And if you thought that was the end of it, you were wrong. More feathers, more luxurious costumes and more spectacular backdrops follow one after the other.
After two hours, the show is over and you find yourself on Boulevard Clichy breathing the cool air of the 18th arrondissement of Paris and ready for more adventures (or, as in my case, crashing into the hotel bed).
Summary: What did I think of the Moulin Rouge experience?
Is the Moulin Rouge suitable for everyone? Absolutely not. Here are some examples of people who are recommended to look for Other shows in Paris.
- Religious people who may be offended by the partial nudity in the show.
- Small children (for the exact same reason).
- People who are interested Save money during their trip to Paris (The show is really not cheap and ticket prices start at 100 euros per person).
If you don't belong to one of the above groups, then my bottom line is that this is a very well-invested and interesting show. It's not cheap at all, but on the other hand, you'll see exactly where every single euro you paid for the experience went.
If this is your first time in Paris, or if you want a spectacular show and price is not a factor, I definitely recommend going to the Moulin Rouge for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Moulin Rouge show tickets and visitor information
If you've decided it's time to spend an evening at the Moulin Rouge, let me recommend this page to you. Moulin Rouge – All the information you need for a magical evening at the famous Paris cabaretYou will find (relatively) cheap tickets there, information about the dress code, and more answers to quite a few questions that I am asked.