Your Trip to Paris: The Complete Guide SEE FULL GUIDE prev next Live Music in Paris Shopping in Paris Bastille Day in Paris French Dishes to Try in Paris The Best Restaurants in Paris Where to Eat With Kids Nightlife in Paris Craft Beer Bars in Paris Weather & Climate The Airports of Paris The Best Paris Hotels Neighborhoods to Know Driving in Paris Paris Public Transportation Tipping in Paris Day Trips From Paris Best Paris Tours Top Things to Do Free Things to Do Things to Do With Kids Best Paris Parks & Gardens Best Museums in Paris Cabaret in Paris Your Trip to Paris: The Complete Guide close Overview Europe France 6 Best Traditional Cabarets in Paris By Courtney Traub Courtney Traub Facebook Twitter Courtney Traub has covered Paris and other European destinations for TripSavvy since 2006. She is co-author of the 2012 Michelin Green Guide to Northern France & the Paris Region. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 06/26/19 Fact checked by Michelai Graham Fact checked by Michelai Graham Michigan State University American University Michelai Graham is a technology and business reporter who has written for The Urban Institute and Scoop News. She reports for AfroTech, Lifewire, and The Plug. TripSavvy's fact-checking 01 of 07 For Great Classic Shows in the City of Light Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Ah, the traditional Paris cabaret. A show that has little to do with contemporary Parisian culture and everything to do with nostalgia, a good heaping of kitschy fun and a love for longstanding erotic codes. You won't, admittedly, find many Parisians lined up to catch a show at one of these places. But if you're hankering for French cancans, Vegas-style glitz and lots of skin, these top traditional Paris cabarets will provide delicious cliches up to your elbows-- for a hefty price, of course. There are plenty of more subdued, serious or arty cabaret-theatres in Paris, too, but the following are all cabaret classics. 02 of 07 Moulin Rouge TripSavvy / Ivey Redding For romantics, no visit to the city of lights would be complete without a night at the original Moulin Rouge cabaret in Paris. Built in 1889, the club was the essence of a bohemian, Belle Epoque Paris, where artists converged to produce and attend colorful and avant-garde performances. The Moulin Rouge in Paris has inspired scores of Hollywood homages, the most recent being director Baz Luhrmann's 2001 glitz fest starring Nicole Kidman. It also provided inspiration for 19th-century painter Toulouse Lautrec, whose portraits of Moulin Rouge performers are today housed in Paris’ Musee d’Orsay. 03 of 07 Lido: A Very Adult Classic Cabaret on the Champs-Elysées Keystone Features / Stringer / Getty Images Located on the Champs-Elysées, the Lido opened its doors in 1946, shortly after the end of World War II and the liberation of Paris. The ambiance of exhilaration and a distinctive Parisian classiness has stuck. Often cited as the preferred cabaret of local socialites and celebrities, the Lido has hosted a score of renowned performers over the years, from Elton John to Shirley Maclaine. The mainstay revue, famed for its elaborate, elegant costumes and multicultural twists, features 60 dancers, 600 costumes and 23 different sets. 04 of 07 Crazy Horse, for Artsy Burlesque Shows WireImage / Getty Images One of the racier traditional Paris cabarets, the Crazy Horse prides itself on its distinctly burlesque aesthetic and more contemporary style. It's seen a surge in popularity recently thanks to revues from burlesque superstar Dita Von Teese and from French bimbo-slash-intellectual-slash-actress Arielle Dombasle. This one's strictly for adults, whereas older teenagers might be brought along for a show at the Moulin Rouge or Lido. Continue to 5 of 7 below. 05 of 07 Le Zebre de Belleville Zebre de Belleville If you're looking for a Paris cabaret in an artier, more contemporary vein, the Zebre de Belleville is a good choice. Located smack in the middle of ultra-urban, multicultural Belleville, the Zebre (whose facade is graced with a large signpost featuring the eponymous animal) regularly puts on revues that stray from Parisian cancan standbys to explore themes more fitting of contemporary dance and circus acts. There's also a nightclub on certain evenings. Aside from the zany, offbeat cabaret revues, you can also expect to pay around half of what you would at the Lido or the Crazy Horse for a dinner and show-- a significant advantage by any count. 06 of 07 Au Lapin Agile, Traditional Cabaret in Montmartre Courtney Traub Dating to around the mid-19th-century, and the former haunt of struggling Montmartre artists from Modigliani to Toulouse-Lautrec, Au Lapin Agile is situated in a now iconic pink cottage, nestled on a quiet street in the heights of the hilly district. If you're looking for a slice of very traditional Paris, this cabaret is for you: chanson francaise and other classic tunes reign here, and visitors sing and raise their glasses in the cramped upstairs room, the walls plastered with paintings from some of the aforementioned artists. Zero glamour; lots of spirit. 07 of 07 Folies Bergère BIPS/Getty Images Another lesser-known cabaret among tourists but beloved by Parisians, this gem has hosted the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Josephine Baker. It also has run musicals including, fittingly, Cabaret. Live Music in Paris Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit Share Pin Email