Blades of Paris nightclub Moulin Rouge torn down: ‘It’s like cutting off the head of the Eiffel Tower’

Fragments of the blades and lettering landed on the street in front of the nightclub. No injuries were reported, the Paris fire brigade reported. When the blades were released, the Moulin Rouge had already been closed for hours.

The famous establishment, which celebrates its 135th anniversary on October 6, is located on Boulevard de Clichy, at the foot of the Montmartre hill and in the heart of the Pigalle district. The Moulin Rouge is best known for its shows with dancers performing the cancan and lido, dance forms that were labeled as ‘erotic’ in the mid-19th century. The church and conservative politicians opposed these obscene frivolities.

The Moulin Rouge welcomes 600,000 spectators annually, with two performances per evening all year round, and employs approximately 450 staff. Most tourists are satisfied with a photo or a selfie in front of the nightclub.

Still tickets for sale

The Moulin Rouge reports that it has no idea yet how the steel blades of the red windmill came loose. Technicians check the mechanism every week: no defects were noted at the last check. The steel blades have already been cleaned up this morning. There is no further risk of collapse.

It is not known whether the performances will be stopped for the time being. Tickets could still be reserved on the Moulin Rouge website on Thursday morning, for a price of 260 euros, for the 7 p.m. performance on the same day.

A passerby expressed his dismay to the AFP news agency. ‘It’s crazy. It’s like cutting off the head of the Eiffel Tower. It hurts me. I hope they will fix it soon,” said Daniel (58), who walks past the Moulin Rouge every day on his way to work.

Illegal cockfighting

The nightclub was founded by Catalan Josep Oller, who started his career as a bookmaker with illegal cockfights. He was the inventor of pari-mutuel, a betting system for more than two people that is often used in horse racing. From 1876, Oller focused on show business and, after a series of theaters, opened the Moulin Rouge in 1889.

It is not the first time that the Moulin Rouge has been seriously damaged. In 1915 the nightclub even burned down completely. It took until 1919 before the theater opened its doors again.