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Number 18 of 20 in Paris

Moulin Rouge: a night at the cabaret that invented the can-can

Under a red windmill at the foot of Montmartre, the same cabaret has put on a show every night for more than a century. It is not subtle, and it was never meant to be.

The Moulin Rouge at night, its red windmill and neon sign lit above the boulevard.
Reza1615, Public domain
What it is
Show
Time to allow
2 to 2.5 hours
Cost
Ticket
Best time
The late show

Paris this week

    Why the Moulin Rouge is worth it

    The Moulin Rouge opened on 6 October 1889, the year of the Eiffel Tower. Its founders, Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, wanted a place where the rich could come up to Montmartre and misbehave. They put a red windmill on the roof so nobody could miss it.

    It was here that the can-can became what the world thinks it is, and here that Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec sat night after night, drawing the dancers. His posters made the place famous everywhere. The first building burned down in February 1915 and was rebuilt in the 1920s.

    The present show, Féerie, has run since December 1999: a troupe of dancers, a thousand costumes of feathers and rhinestones, acrobats, and a can-can at full speed. It is a spectacle of a kind that exists nowhere else, and people who expect to be embarrassed by it usually leave delighted.

    What to see

    1. The can-can

      Kicks, cartwheels and splits in red, white and blue petticoats, at a speed that does not look possible. The whole evening builds to it.

    2. The windmill

      The red mill on the roof turns and lights up at night. Its sails fell off in April 2024 and were back in place by July. The photograph from across the boulevard is free.

    3. The room

      A Belle Époque hall of small tables and red lamps, where you sit elbow to elbow with strangers. It is part of the fun.

    4. Toulouse-Lautrec's Montmartre

      The streets behind the cabaret climb to the hill where the painter lived. Walk them before the show.

    How to do it well

    • Choose the show with champagne, not the dinner. The dinner costs a good deal more, and you come for the stage, not the plate.
    • Book weeks ahead in summer and around the holidays. The room sells out.
    • Dress up a little. Shorts, sports clothes and flip-flops are turned away at the door.
    • Arrive half an hour early. Seats are given out as people arrive, and the early ones are nearer the stage.
    • Photography is forbidden during the show.

    Where it is

    Address

    82 boulevard de Clichy, 18th arrondissement

    Nearest station

    Blanche, on line 2

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line.

    Tickets and tours: Moulin Rouge

    Moulin Rouge: common questions

    Is the Moulin Rouge worth it?
    If you like a spectacle, yes. It is expensive, and it is a tourist institution, but the show is a real one: a large troupe, lavish costumes and a can-can danced at full speed. Take the show with champagne and skip the dinner.
    When did the Moulin Rouge open?
    On 6 October 1889. The original building burned down in 1915 and was rebuilt in the 1920s. The present show, Féerie, has run since December 1999.
    Is there a dress code at the Moulin Rouge?
    Smart clothes are expected. A jacket and tie are not required, but shorts, sportswear and flip-flops are refused.
    How much time do you need for the Moulin Rouge?
    Allow 2 to 2.5 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.

    What visitors say about the Moulin Rouge

    Rating from Google

    4.4

    19,106 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 4 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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