Moulin Rouge, cabaret on Boulevard de Clichy since 1889

The Moulin Rouge, the cabaret on Boulevard de Clichy at the foot of the Butte Montmartre, opened on 6 October 1889 on the site of the former Bal de la Reine Blanche. Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler conceived a hall topped by a great windmill painted red, lit at night and visible from the Grands Boulevards.

Here the quadrille became the French cancan, with La Goulue, Jane Avril and Valentin le Désossé. Toulouse-Lautrec, present on opening night, made his first poster for the house in 1891. In 1890 the Prince of Wales booked a table, and La Goulue called out to him to pay for the champagne. Mistinguett first appeared in 1907.

Destroyed by fire in 1915, the cabaret was rebuilt from 1921. Édith Piaf sang here in 1944 with the young Yves Montand. In 1951 Jo France bought it and brought back the cancan. In 1962 Jacki Clérico took over: since then every revue has had a title beginning with the letter F.

Today the Féerie revue brings together eighty artists and a thousand costumes of feathers, rhinestones and sequins, the feathers made by the Maison Février since 1957. The French cancan remains at the heart of the show.