The City of Lights glitters when the sun goes down, lighting up the skyline of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are some things in Paris one can only do when it’s dark out, whether you’re looking for entertainment or simply a different perspective of the French capital.
Cabaret Shows
Start off your evening with a cabaret show, and Paris is home to some of the best in the world. Cabaret is a form of entertainment that combines song, music, dance and other forms of performing arts. Shows are typically very theatrical in nature, with eye-catching costumes from Parisian ateliers and elaborate set designs.
Of course, the best known of these cabaret shows is the Moulin Rouge, in the Pigalle district of the 18th arrondissement. Immortalised in films such as Baz Luhrman’s 2001 Moulin Rouge!, this club has been around for more than a century, staging magnificent performances that are unique to this establishment - it’s the birthplace of the can-can line after all. Though you won’t find Nicole Kidman or Ewan McGregor belting out the Elephant Love Medley, their resident stage show, Féerie, more than makes up for it.
Cabaret shows aren’t the only performances Paris has to offer at night though. If your taste tends towards something more old-school, look no further than the opera.
L’Opera
The Opéra National de Paris mainly operates out of the Opéra Bastille, built on the site of the former Bastille Prison, putting up operas and recitals that attract a diverse group of audiences. The company also performs in the older and more distinguished Palais Garnier, the inspiration for Victor Hugo’s The Phantom of the Opera, mainly showing ballet recitals, and some operas. Both theatres offer tours as well, allowing visitors a backstage pass into their operations as well as a chance to wander through their halls.
Museums
For those who prefer the visual arts over the performing arts, some of Paris’ museums are also opened late in the evening.
The Louvre, housed in the former Louvre Palace, is open until 9:45pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and the first Sunday of each month, allowing visitors more time to explore over 35,000 displays. The Musée d’Orsay, housed in a former railway station, is also open until 9:45pm on Thursdays, so visitors can appreciate their collection of French art even longer. And the Palais de Tokyo, dedicated to modern and contemporary art, is open until midnight every night of the week except Tuesdays.
For those planning a trip in May, Paris has also La Nuit des Musée, an annual one-night only event where more than 100 of Paris’ museums are open from sundown and close near midnight, with some museums having special performances, guided tours, workshops and more, making this event is one of the most anticipated in the year.
To round off your night, take a stroll along the Seine, the river that runs through this beautiful city, and admire the lights of monuments like the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral. As you admire how the light glints off of the water, it’s easy to understand why Paris is called the City of Lights.
