The wings of the legendary Moulin Rouge collapsed in the middle of the night in Paris

There are no casualties. The cabaret rules out any malicious act and announces that it will perform the two shows scheduled for Thursday evening.

“I heard a loud crash of glass, like someone was throwing a bag full of bottles out of the third floor window.”, an employee of a nearby hotel, present at the time of the incident, told franceinfo. The wings of the legendary Moulin Rouge cabaret, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, collapsed on the roadway on the night of Wednesday April 24 to Thursday April 25. There were no injuries, firefighters told franceinfo. “Around 1:45 a.m.when the incident occurred, “there was no one on the sidewalk”, agrees a communicator from the cabaret, contacted by franceinfo. “We are very relieved that there were no victims”breathes its general director, Jean-Victor Clerico, on franceinfo.

At this moment, “the second show was over”, continues the Moulin Rouge’s spokesperson, who indicates that 850 people attended. The fall of these wings is “inexplicable at the moment” because “a service provider intervenes every two months to ensure proper functioning” of the mechanism. The technical director of the cabaret also controls it “every week”, assures the same source which excludes any malicious act.

UA police source estimates from Franceinfo that these are “climatic conditions” and an “possibly dilapidated” who contributed to the incident. “Last night, there were no gusts which could have explained this fall”contests Jean-Victor Clerico. “The wings, in any case, cannot freewheel, they are powered only by a motor,” he adds. Moreover, “no anomalies had been seen recently.” There was no “no reservations on the technical reports either”, assures Jean-Victor Clerico.

Shows maintained

Firefighters intervened around 2:45 a.m. to secure the area. A safety perimeter has been set up to prevent any risk of possible further falls. Shortly after 8 a.m., the wings, covered with a tarpaulin, were removed by a truck equipped with a crane, noted franceinfo and France Bleu Paris.

Despite the incident, “there will be two shows this evening, as planned”, assures the communicator. The cabaret has already been opened without its wings, “remade 20 years ago”. As for the building, it is not “not damaged”, with the exception of the sign which has lost several letters. In their fall, the wings actually took away part of the red light sign located below.

The famous Parisian cabaret Pigalle was founded in 1889 by the Catalan Josep Oller and Charles Zidler, who already owned the Olympia. Located on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, at the foot of the Butte Montmartre, it celebrated its 135th anniversary, in 2024. Every year, 600,000 spectators come to watch the famous “French Cancan” show.

In a tweet, the Minister of Culture Rachida Dati assures that “the protection and restoration of our heritage is one of [ses] priorities” and that his ministry “stands alongside the Moulin Rouge so that its special shine is restored”.