Moulin Rouge Keeps the ‘Parisian Party Alive’ After Iconic Windmill Falls Off
The Moulin Rouge has been around since Oct. 6, 1889, with its famous windmill spinning since the very beginning.
Andrea Savorani Neri/Getty Images
The iconic windmill sails on the Moulin Rouge in Paris unexpectedly fell off on Thursday, just months ahead of an expected influx of tourists for the Paris Olympics.
The blades crashed to the street early Thursday morning along with the first three letters of the Moulin Rouge sign, the BBC reported. There were no injuries as a result of the crash and the cause was not immediately clear.
“Thank you all for your many messages of support,” the cabaret show wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday. “We are open this evening to keep the spirit of the Parisian party alive!”
Firefighters in Paris told the BBC there was no further risk of collapse. Jean-Victor Clerico, the director of the cabaret, told the network the cause was "obviously a technical problem.”
The Moulin Rouge has been around since Oct. 6, 1889, with its famous windmill spinning since the very beginning, according to the venue. Over the years, it has played hosts to famous acts like Edith Piaf, featured a secret Airbnb apartment, and inspired stage and film adaptations, including a movie of the same name starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
It was also the site of tragedy when a fire erupted in 1915 that saw the original venue burned to the ground, according to The New York Times. Only the façade and a portion of the stage survived the flames.
Today, the Moulin Rouge is still a favorite among visitors and Parisians alike, delighting hundreds of guests per night with dinner and a show complete with iconic French dishes like pressed beef cheek confit and truffle risotto along with a parade of feathers, sequins, rhinestones, and more.
The building sits in Paris’ Montmartre neighborhood, which itself is famous for its artistic — and sometimes seedy — history. The area sits atop a hill and, in addition to the Moulin Rouge, boasts the famous Sacré-Cœur Basilica, a dizzying array of local restaurants, and dozens of artists selling their works.
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