Moulin Rouge Tickets and Tours

When we think of the Moulin Rouge, the world's most famous cabaret, we visualise cancanes and imagine period music in Paris. Today it is possible to relive this splendour. The real magic of the Moulin Rouge is in its nightly vintage show and hundreds of tickets are sold every day. You can buy them individually or as part of a package with other activities in Paris:

My favourite

Moulin Rouge Tickets with dinner

Enjoy the most famous cabaret in the world

Perfect if you want to experience first hand the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret. Enjoy the experience while enjoying a dinner menu and champagne.

From AED 1,064 at Hellotickets

Enjoy the most famous Parisian cabaret in the world and its more than 100 performers on stage. Be amazed by the glamour of the costumes, the colourful sets and let the music transport you to the bohemian atmosphere of the city at the beginning of the 20th century.

Booking a ticket for the Moulin Rouge with dinner and transport will allow you to experience the French cancan at first hand, while tasting the local gastronomy with a good champagne.

The Moulin Rouge is usually open every day of the year with some exceptions and the show is at 9pm and 11pm. The show lasts about two hours and the ticket includes half a bottle of champagne.

Why I like this option: this is the essential option to experience the magic of this Parisian cabaret live.

Recommended if... you want to attend a show at the Moulin Rouge at the best price.

One thing to bear in mind if you are booking tickets for the Moulin Rouge is that the price of Moulin Rouge tickets will depend on the extras you add to the show, i.e. dinner and drinks. There are about four menus to choose from (one of them vegan) of French dishes at different prices and you can include or not the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Of course, you have to order in advance, as the cabaret does not operate as a regular restaurant where you can order from the menu. The Moulin Rouge show is attended by both tourists and locals and, especially in high season, it is advisable to buy your tickets in advance so that you don't run out of seats for the day and time you choose. Here are the different options available:

• Tickets for the Moulin Rouge with dinner, from AED 1,064: includes entrance, show, dinner and half a bottle of champagne.
• Seine River cruise and tickets to the Moulin Rouge with champagne, from AED 760: includes the Seine River cruise, the entrance to the Moulin Rouge and a glass or half a bottle of champagne.
• Dinner cruise on the Seine River, access to the Eiffel Tower and tickets to the Moulin Rouge, from AED 1,259: includes dinner cruise on the Seine, access to the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, tickets to the Moulin Rouge show and a glass or half a bottle of champagne.

If you choose to dine at the Moulin Rouge, you can choose from a variety of menus (including vegetarian and vegan dishes) which change seasonally and always include a starter, main course and dessert. If you have the dinner option included, you should arrive at the Moulin Rouge around 6.30pm, as dinner is served at 7pm. The show lasts two hours and then you'll have a few minutes to enjoy the champagne included.

The price of the ticket increases significantly with the choice of dinner and, although I recognise that the menu is very well presented in both taste and presentation, the real added value is not the dinner itself but the Moulin Rouge show.

If you want to live the experience of dining in this cabaret go ahead, but don't do it looking for excellence in the cuisine because what you'll find is something correct and enjoyable, but nothing more. Also, bear in mind that the tables at the Moulin Rouge are shared, so if you want to enjoy an intimate dinner, this is not the best option.

If you are booking tickets for the Moulin Rouge with dinner, you should know that the show times, with some exceptions, are always the same: there is one show at 9pm and another at 11pm every day from Monday to Sunday. Please note that you should arrive well in advance to see the show; fifteen minutes before the show is recommended.

Founded by Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, the Moulin Rouge opened its doors to the public in 1889 with the aim of marking a break with the cultural norms of the time and offering a space where luxury and transgression coexisted.

In its beginnings it stood out for its dances full of sensuality and the prominence of the French cancan. A place where Parisian high society, bohemian artists and great figures of art such as Toulouse-Lautrec, who immortalised the Moulin Rouge in his paintings and posters, gathered.

Throughout history, it has evolved without losing its essence. During the 20th century, it survived the world wars. It reinvented itself as a show mixing music, dance and luxury. Its productions became very popular and dazzling with spectacular stage sets and the presence of iconic artists such as Édith Piaf, Liza Minnelli or Frank Sinatra.

The Moulin Rouge today

Today, the Moulin Rouge is an emblem of Paris and a must-see for those who want to experience the glamour of the Belle Époque. *Féerie is its most popular show and brings together more than 60 artists from all over the world.

Despite its more than 130 years of history, the Moulin Rouge continues to dazzle all its visitors. Its most popular show, Féerie, lasting almost 2 hours, is a show created by choreographers Doris Haug and Ruggero Angeletti, which fuses tradition and modernity in a show full of colour and modernity with spectacular choreography and a dazzling set with feathers, sequins and rhinestones.

If you are wondering what the show looks like today, you should know that the staging features over a thousand costumes designed and made in workshops in Paris. In addition, the team includes more than 60 international artists including dancers, acrobats and singers.

The performance of the French cancan is one of the most anticipated shows, characterised by acrobatics and vitality. But the Moulin Rouge is a sensory experience that also offers the chance to enjoy a gourmet dinner by renowned chefs.

The show is, without a doubt, dazzling. Feathers and more feathers, colourful costumes and lively music and light effects make up the most attractive staging in the French music hall. If you add to this almost a hundred dancers coordinating amazing choreographies, you will feel for a while in the Belle Époque in all its splendour.

The shows held at the Moulin Rouge may change according to the season, but they will always be based on the mythical cancan dance that made this cabaret famous. The rise of this dance coincides with an era of optimism and social satisfaction; at the dawn of the 20th century, there was confidence in technological progress, artistic avant-garde and economic growth.

There was, in general terms, a generalised joy and a desire to enjoy life that materialised in this dance that painters such as Tolouse Lautrec portrayed in their paintings. All this atmosphere is still recreated every night to this day, and to experience it, it's best to buy your Moulin Rouge tickets in advance with dinner and champagne- and transport included!

The Moulin Rouge is located at 82 Boulevard de Clichy, in the Pigalle district, at the foot of Montmartre hill. This area is known for its vibrant nightlife and is even called the "red light district" of Paris. Here are the different ways to get there:

• Metro: the most convenient and direct way to get there is to take line 2 and get off at Blanche station, located opposite the Moulin Rouge.
• Bus: lines 30, 54, 68 and 74 have stops near the Moulin Rouge.
• Taxis and VTC: a convenient option if you are travelling in a group.

Be sure to read our post on How to get to the Moulin Rouge for more information.

To attend the show, the dress code is formal without the compulsory jacket and tie. Inside you'll find everything from the odd morning coat in the VIP boxes to jeans. The best, the classic "smart casual". Just keep in mind that:

• Sportswear and shorts are not allowed.
• Jeans are allowed if they are in good condition and if they are worn with smart clothes.

If when booking tickets for the Moulin Rouge with dinner you choose the second session of the show, which starts at 11pm, please note that you may miss the last metro on the way out, as the closing time is 1:15am. In this case, there are both taxis at the taxi rank opposite and VTCs at your disposal.

If you want to save money, I recommend choosing a Friday or Saturday as the day to see the second shift of the show, as the Paris metro closes an hour later on these days and you will have no problem catching it.

Children from the age of six (always accompanied by an adult) are admitted to the show. This is something that, considering the history of the cabaret and the current atmosphere of the area, is often surprising, but the truth is that the show is suitable for all ages. When I went to see the show I didn't see any children and I don't think it's usual to see them, both for the time of the show and the price.

If you're thinking of taking your camera (or even your mobile phone) with a fully charged battery to this show, you can scrap the idea. No photography or video of any kind is allowed during the show or dinner. Waiters may attract attention and the organisers themselves will offer you an official photo during the dinner for a fee of approximately €20.

The Pigalle area is one of the most picturesque in Paris, where you'll find huge erotic shops (many with shows included) that attract attention not only because of their content, but also because of their neon lights. Pigalle by night is a lively area and it's hard to find comparisons to describe it.

My advice is that before or after your date at the Moulin Rouge you walk around this area (you can get off at the metro stop 'Pigalle' and from there walk to 'Blanche') and soak up the essence of this daring and energetic Paris. You can also take a sightseeing bus tourand explore the Parisian nightlife in the different areas, each with its own magic.

Ana's Traveller Tip

To get the most out of the area, choose the 21:00 show. Beforehand, visit the upper part of Montmartre with the Sacré Coeur and the Place des Painters, and after the show, stroll around Pigalle and have a drink in one of its clubs.

Whether it's the same day you go to see the Moulin Rouge show or a different day, you can't miss exploring the area on a visit to the Montmartre neighbourhood during your trip to Paris. The history of the belle époque is not complete with a visit to the cabaret; Montmartre hides many more stories that will seduce you with the same intensity as that of the red mill.

Of all the tours I've taken in Paris, which you can read more about in this article on Paris ToursMontmartre is the one I have repeated most often precisely because I never tire of hearing the stories of all the artists who found in that neighbourhood the true meaning of the famous slogan 'Liberté, Égalite, Fraternité'.

The tour route

Who are they going to tell you about on this tour? Tolouse Lautrec, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Edith Piaf, the film Amélie or the gay icon Dalida. Many stories, all intermingled and all this while you stroll through the narrow streets of Montmartre in the evening light (for me one of the most beautiful moments to do this tour) and then sit and contemplate the city from the stairs of the Sacré Coeur.

The Montmartre Tour with the Paris Pass

This is a city pass which gives you free access to different tourist attractions and museums in Paris. Entry to the Moulin Rouge show is not included with this card, but a two-hour guided tour of the neighbourhood is.

Whether you're visiting Paris for the first time or not, if you're going to visit several of the main sights, the Paris Pass is worth it: it has over 60 sites included, includes Paris public transport and there are different prices depending on how many days you want to use it. You can read more about Paris Pass in this article.

The Moulin Rouge is an icon of bohemian life in Paris at the end of the 19th century, but it is not the only one. The city of Paris, and in particular the Montmartre district, is full of places that speak of this era. If you want to take a stroll through the most bohemian corners of the city of light, as well as, of course, strolling through the narrow streets of Montmartre, don't miss places like the following:

• Montmartre Museum: A neighbourhood like this had to have somewhere to tell its story. In this museum located on rue Cortot you will see everything from images of the neighbourhood from different periods to objects that tell you about the cabarets and the accursed poets who stayed in this enclave.
• Literary cafés: You're probably familiar with the Chat Noir café from the famous black cat posters you'll see in every souvenir shop in Paris, but it's not the only one. Both in Montmartre and in the Montparnasse district, in the south of Paris, you can find places frequented by intellectuals such as Paul Verlaine, Baudelaire, Apollinaire or Hemingway.
• Moulin de la Galette: This is one of the 30 mills that existed in this neighbourhood at the beginning of the last century. Although during the day it is easy to find walking along rue Lepic, at night it can be more complicated due to the branches that hide it. Today it is an elegant restaurant, but its merit lies in the fact that it was one of the cabarets most represented in the work of different bohemian artists, including Renoir.