This year marks the 25th anniversary of Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!. For many, the Australian director’s jukebox musical – or the real Parisian venue which inspired it – are still the go-to reference for all things cabaret. Others will think of Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles in Bob Fosse’s 1972 classic, Cabaret, or any of the films that came after it: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Chicago and Burlesque. 

Fewer people will have heard of La Bouche, the self-described “dyke cabaret” operating out of a cave at the foot of the Sacré-Cœur. Or Venus Noire (pictured), the cabaret troupe founded by Michelle Tshibola, featuring primarily Black queer performers. Paris is a city rich with history and culture, and cabaret has played a significant role in that. The Moulin Rouge welcomes an average of 600,000 visitors a year, while its smaller, sexier competitor, Crazy Horse, sells out months in advance. 

On the surface, it could be perceived as a relatively form of entertainment– conventionally beautiful women leaping into the splits wearing nothing but a pearl thong. Or stripteasing with ostrich feathers and throwing themselves around on a pommel horse, while wealthy older gentlemen watch from their usual spots. But queerness is embedded in cabaret’s DNA. 

Famously, in 1907, the now-celebrated French writer Colette performed on stage at the Moulin Rouge with her lover Missy. At the end of the show, the two women shared a passionate kiss, causing riots to erupt in the theatre. Then there’s Fosse’s Cabaret, which was inspired by Christopher Isherwood’s Goodbye to Berlin, which in turn, was inspired by Weimar Berlin’s openly queer cabaret club, Eldorado. 

In 1946, Madame Arthur opened its doors in Pigalle – a queer, gender-flipping alternative to its neighbouring Moulin Rouge. This year, the venue celebrates its 80th anniversary and remains as popular as ever. “For me, it’s the historic nature of Madame Arthur that truly sets it apart from all the others,” says La Biche, one of the venue's regular performers. “It blends the legacy of cabaret with a thoroughly queer and modern vibe,” says fellow performance artist, La Believance. “It’s a space where boldness and diversity shine, and frankly, it’s unlike anything else in Paris.” 

Madame Arthur’s pianist, Flack Fontaine, agrees with his colleagues, adding that the venue reminds him of Pigalle’s old-school drag scene. As for other LGBTQ+ cabaret options in the French capital, the Madame Arthur performers have a long list of recommendations: Pov'Konnes,  Les Meneuses, L'Heure Exquise, La Barbichette, Le Cabaret de Poussière, Afro Queer Rising and of course, Venus Noire. 

They al recommend La Bouche, the “dyke cabaret” founded by Bili Bellegarde and Mascare in early 2022. Beginning as a regular improvised performance during a restaurant’s dinner service, it soon evolved into a permanent space that they describe as a cave. Comprising just four artists, La Bouche’s cabaret show sells out week on week, acting as a space for lesbians to meet and be entertained. 

“Moulin Rouge is very mainstream” says Bellegrade, and Mascare agrees: “Mainstream cabarets do not represent the community. They are part of cabaret history, but so are queer cabarets. What we are doing today is carrying that heritage and continuing to create those safe spaces. It’s all about us telling our stories, and not more white straight men telling queer stories for us. We are a living archive.” 

Naturally, if you are planning a trip to Paris, the most efficient way to travel from London is by Eurostar. As for accommodation, to stay in the heart of the French capital’s cabaret scene, check in to boutique hotel Joli Môme. Or for something a little more swish, the InterContinental Paris Le Grand (part of IHG Hotels & Resorts), is just a stone’s throw away from all the action, overlooking the breathtaking Palais Garnier – perfec if you feel like chasing cabaret with opera. Pride month may have been and gone, but in Paris, the queer community is celebrated every night on makeshift stages, in unexplored corners of the city. You just need to know where to look.