Paris’ World-Famous Cabaret Club Moulin Rouge Loses Its Windmill Sails Overnight

The sails of Paris’ iconic Moulin Rouge windmill have collapsed overnight for the first time in the 134 year history of the cabaret club.

The accident is believed to have occurred at 2 a.m. local time, less than an hour after the venue’s last show had ended, according to the club owners. There is no further risk of collapse, Paris firefighters have said.

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“Fortunately this happened after closing,” a Moulin Rouge official told Agence France-Presse on condition of anonymity, the Telegraph reported. “Every week, the cabaret’s technical teams check the windmill mechanism and did not note any problems,” the source said. They did not provide further information on the cause of the collapse.

Jean-Victor Clerico, director of the cabaret, said there was no sign of “foul play” but the damage was likely caused by a technical failure, BBC reported.

The fall of the sails led to the first three letters of “Moulin” being knocked off the venue’s signage. Footage on Thursday morning showed the windmill sails had been loaded into a truck. 

Founded in 1889, the club is located at the foot of Montmartre hill, in the 18th arrondissement. The venue has been a longstanding symbol of Paris nightlife and is credited as the birthplace of the can-can dance. Moulin Rouge will mark its 135th anniversary on Oct. 6.  

Its name in French literally translates to red mill and it has become one of the city’s most recognizable monuments. The only previous recorded incident was a fire in 1915, which resulted in the burnt venue remaining closed for nine years.

Moulin Rouge garnered more global fascination after the release of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 musical film of the same name, starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Despite being set in Paris, filming primarily took place in an Australian studio. 

The accident comes three month’s ahead of Paris hosting the Olympics for the third time. The French capital also hosted the games in 1900 and 1924. 

“Paris without its windmill is like Paris without its Eiffel Tower,” André Duval, a former head waiter at the Moulin Rouge who has lived in the neighborhood for 50 years, told Le Parisien newspaper. 

“I’m waiting to see the reaction of the thousands of tourists who come every day to see it. Not one person comes to visit Paris without coming to take a photo of it.”