Paris - Entertainment
Paris Entertainment
Traditionally the epitome of style, it has become an unwritten custom for Parisians to move quietly from one area of the city to another, creating a new centre of activity and setting a trend that often escalates and survives for a long time, sometimes many years. The focus of the latest place to be seen is often a collection of cafés, a gallery, a shopping centre or theatre. To find out where Parisians go to relax and be seen, visitors only have to ask. There is nothing more pleasing to the French than someone from foreign parts enjoying their country as much as they do.
Naturally, café culture is ingrained in Parisian life, offering many a pleasurable hour to indulge a political debate while watching the city go by. You can find alluring cafés and bars in every Parisian district, but areas like the Bastille, Marais, Montmartre, Saint Germain de Près, Rue Mouffetard and Oberkampf-Ménilmontant are particularly notable for their lively evening atmosphere. And it’s easy to find equally authentic versions of tourist meccas such as Harry’s Bar, Café de la Paix and the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz all across the city.
The kitsch and the cool happily co-exist in Parisian nightlife: whether you want to be entertained in the Vegas-style cabaret clubs; join a trendy crowd in the city’s elegant zinc bars, or are drawn to the sensual allure of the smoky basement jazz club: it all happens late at night in Paris. French music rarely lands on the radar of English-speaking countries with the recent exception of Gallic instrumental bands such as Air and Daft Punk, pioneers of electro pop. Meanwhile, young-at-heart couples can enjoy Parisian ballroom dancing – accompanied by an accordion – at Bals Musette traditional afternoon dances.
Arts and Events in Paris
Theatre-goers are spoilt for choice as the city has a rich artistic scene, boasting over 100 venues for comedy, plays, ballet, contemporary dance, opera and much more.
Paris' Opera, Music and Ballet
Paris is still considered Europe’s leading city for jazz music, and world music, particularly African and Latin, is in resurgence. Classical music is not the city’s selling point, though events such as the summer classical concerts in the Bois de Boulogne’s Parc Floral, the month-long Chopin Festival at Orangerie de Bagatelle, and medieval music at Saint-Chappelle stand out.
Decadent styling at the Opéra Garnier is 19th century Parisian architecture at its most theatrically opulent, with the marble Grand Staircase its showpiece. Ballet is still performed there, whilst more of the city’s operas are now staged at the Bastille Opéra, a contemporary architectural masterpiece with a stunning glass-facade.
Cabaret and Theatre
Night theatre in Paris is synonymous with a dash of humour and a great deal of flesh on show, particularly in the cabaret area of Montmarte where the world-famous Moulin Rouge is situated. There are several other cabaret theatres in this area and although they lack the history of the Moulin rouge, entry prices are often significantly cheaper. The Le Lido, along the Avenue des Champs Elysées, is another well-known cabaret venue.
Theatre tends to the heavweight: Paris likes to revisit the classic works from its favourite scribes such as Moliere and Racine at prestigious venues like the Comedie-Francaise, while contemporary plays don’t get much of a look in. However, if you prefer your theatre with less ‘can can’ dancing and more soliliquies, the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, Théâtre de la Huchette and Comédie Française are excellent venues for catching more serious theatre, with performances mostly in French although occasionally well-known plays in English. The Comédie Française is located in the 1st arrondissement alongside other Paris landmarks such as the Louvre and the Arc De Triopmphe, and is home to the Parisian theatre troupe of the same name.
Visual Art in Paris
Paris is home to two of the world’s most-loved museums, the famous Louvre and the D’Orsay. The Louvre is a former royal residence, today holding countless works of art works and antiquities, including paintings, sculpture and artefacts, from ancient history through to the 1800s, and has an equally impressive exterior façade and central square. One could say the D’Orsay ‘picks up’ from where the Louvre left off, as it displays artworks from 1848 to 1914, including many Impressionist and Post-Impressionist pieces by artists such as Picasso, Van Gogh, Gauguin and Renoir.
Those seeking modern art and installations should visit the Pompodeou, a rather strange-looking structure located in central Paris, in the 4th arrondissement. The vision of the centre’s founder, former French president Georges Pompidou, was to create a central which combined visual art with music and performance arts, and as such the centre houses an expansive modern art museum as well as a vast public library and centre for music research.
Paris After Dark: Nightlife and Bars in Pairs
There are several options for those seeking after dark entertainment in Paris, from the vibey cobbled streets and bars in Montmartre to the many plush restaurants and ‘members only’ clubs along the Champs Elysees. Those who feel a bit braver may wish to try some of the late-night bars in the ‘red light district’ of Pigalle (also home to the Moulin Rouge) – as a popular tourist area, bars here are likely to remain open later on weekday and Sunday nights.