The best known thing related to Moulin Rouge is the an-can dance, whose modern form was born there. Although at first the can-can was just a form of seducing practiced by courtesans, it turned into an entertainment dance and it was introduced in cabarets all over Europe. Moulin Rouge of today is mostly visited by tourists who come to enjoy musical shows in a romantic décor reminding of the 19^th century atmosphere.

Current Show

The show that can be seen in present is called “Feerie” and it has 4 scenes totalizing 69 songs. 100 artists are performing for this show, among who dancers, magicians, acrobats, Doriss girls and clowns.

New Revue

Every revue reaches a cost of almost 9 million Euros and is run for 10, even 12 years. In December 1999 “Feerie” was launched and a new show is almost ready to follow. The music is already recorded in studio; the costumes are prepared along with the songs and scripts. In order to prepare the new setting for the new show, Moulin Rouge will be closed to the public starting with the 15^th of November 2012 for a period of 5 weeks. It is programmed to reopen just before the 2012 Christmas. Accoring to tradition, the show’s name begins wit h the letter F, so it will be called Flash.

Even before we started the trip, I made a plan in my mind. I wanted to spend one evening on a boat cruise on the Seine and a Cabaret show at Lido. This was just for the first night. On the second night, I wanted to take a stroll in the Bastille quarter. I had my mind set on my plan!

Most people call Paris – The City of Light. But this beautiful town is not just that. It is also a city of music, accents, images and people faces! And when you think of a night in Paris and the Parisian nightlife, anything you want is at hand.

After sunset, a new segment of society emerges. The same people that by day were into museums and parks, in the night they are all about jazz bars, cafes, disco and house dance clubs and theatres. Paris is all that and even more. Of course, all comes with a price tab.

The second name that Paris has, The City of Light, is an expression you will be able to acknowledge only after the sun sets. That is when an amazing array of neon lights are lit up and they all could light up Times Square. And the amazing thing is that not only the bars and pub are lighted up but also the museums, the monuments and bridges, the streets, even the narrowest ones and all the classic buildings. Of course that all the places to have fun in: bars, pubs, clubs and terraces, probably have a huge electricity bill.

But that’s the Parisian way! If you were in any other place you would probably go to bed around 10 or 11 pm but not if you are in Paris.

You could compare Paris by night to an amoeba that sparkles. For a very long time, the Bastille quarter was THE place to go out at night. Bastille has kept an excellent and eccentric nightlife, with a large number of cafés, restaurants and bars. But another place emerges as the place to go out in the evening: Rue Oberkampf the place of clubbing.

In my mind, I wanted to go to Bastille, thinking that maybe the spirit has “cooled down” a little bit. But what was I thinking? I remember how a long time ago the French stormed the Bastille Prison and started the French Revolution. But right now, nobody is trying to get out of Bastille. It’s a fact!

If you go there, start with the main plaza, Place de la Bastille. There you will find bars, dance clubs, jazz lounges. You have a lot of places to choose from. The Chantier Interdit is part bar, part lounge and part club. The Bar Bat has couches and chairs facing out on the street and a big plasma TV. The Tribar has a nice comfortable lounge. And don’t think you will go home early! Many places stay open till around 5am.

You will see that the spirit in the Bastille is a contrast to Paris by day. And don’t forget to read the weekly Pariscope, an entertainment guide with a section in English. Also, if you are looking for fun, take the English-language bimonthly Boulevard. Both of them are full of information on the nightlife in the Bastille and in general, in Paris. Also, don’t forget to check out the program of theatres and restaurants.

If you ask 10 people to tell you what they like, you could get 10 different opinions. Because Paris is just that: a multicultural city with a lot of places to discover and have fin in. And you will need a couple of hours to get used to Paris nightlife. Don’t resist the temptation to go to Paris. It is an amazing city and you will for sure want to go back, just like I did.