Top 5 Places to Listen to Live Music in Paris

The city of lights. The city of love. You’ve heard these Paris nicknames before… but what about the city of music? 

As French writer Victor Hugo once said, “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” In other words, music transcends the experiences and emotions we experience in our day-to-day lives, and what better medium to bridge the diversity of languages in Paris, bringing people together, than through the universal language of music? Contributing to the global allure of art in Paris, live music stands at the forefront of the city’s artistic output — widely available for all to enjoy if you know where to go, and how to find it. 

From a year spent exploring the city nightlife, I want to share my list of five live music venues that are definitely worth a visit the next time you are in town.  

La Boule Noire 

When I visited La Boule Noire, I was with two friends — one Parisian, and one British. I believe my company that evening best summarized the essence of this Pigalle venue, where emerging local talent met the indie rock music of late 20th century Britain. I knew I would be in for a memorable night when my Parisian friend informed me that her older sister used to go to the venue during her teenage years. It was, and still is, an understated, yet exciting hangout in the 18ème arrondissement. The headline act was a brilliant all-male crew reminiscent of Status Quo meets Oasis, with recognizable songs from the 60s that called upon every member of the audience to sing along.  

Historically, La Boule Noire grew with the city. Once welcoming cabaret in the Roaring Twenties, the venue turned into a cinema/dance hall, before hosting live gig music from 1990 onwards. Their stage has seen the likes of Metallica, The Kills, The Libertines and Cat Power over the years, and continues to welcome up-and-coming artists of the rock and pop music scene. With low ceilings and yellow glowing lights which shine off the polished wooden floors amid the ambient darkness — some may say that La Boule Noire pays homage to traditional pool halls, to coincide with the eponymous, 7-point “black ball” name.   

“In the night we shine” are the glowing red words hoisted above the concert hall’s entrance, stirring up the nocturnal and unique thrill of La Boule Noire before the night begins. 

DETAILS

120 boulevard de Rochechouart, 18th 
Métro: Anvers or Pigalle 
Tél: +33 (0) 1 49 25 81 75 
www.laboule-noire.fr 
Instagram: @laboulenoire

 

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Le Duc des Lombards 

Grab a pair of your darkest shades and a trilby hat, and you are ready to grace Le Duc des Lombards. Located on the party street near Châtelet, this long-standing jazz club hosts guests with a stream of appetizers and drinks while you are serenaded by the band’s instrumental blues notes — often within touching distance. From the saxophonists’ swing to the piano keys’ improvisation, the live jazz sets do not disappoint. Indeed, Le Duc accommodates a broad range of jazz styles from Swing, Ragtime, Latin Jazz, and Bebop to free jazz and Gypsy. Small, contemporary and intimate, the venue hosts two sets Monday to Saturday (7:30 pm to 10:00 pm), with free Jam Sessions taking place on Fridays and Saturdays, from midnight to 4 am.  

There’s a reason why the Le Duc is still going strong some 40 years after its opening performance. This is because the club abides by some “5 commandments,” traceable to American pianist Bobby Few, who played at Le Duc in the early 1980s. For Bobby, the 5 elements that make up a real jazz club are as follows (translations): 

1. A good piano 
2. An open-minded owner for creative music 
3. An audience with a penchant for listening 
4. A place where musicians can go after the concert to relax or improvise for their own pleasure 
5. The proximity of people 

…it seems that Bobby isn’t the only one to work with lists of 5s! 

Admission fees depend on the concert, from €29 to €41. There are reduced rates for youth, students and jobseekers. 

DETAILS

42 rue des Lombards, 1st arrondissement
Tél: +33 (0) 1 42 33 22 88 
https://ducdeslombards.com 
Instagram: @ducdeslombards

 

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Supersonic Club 

In what used to be a former factory in Bastille, the three-story Supersonic Club now makes for a great night out for fans of live rock music and bright light displays. At first glance, a queue leading out of the venue’s doors might put some visitors off, but on the contrary, it’s a testament to its sheer popularity. Labeled the “essential place of rock in Paris,” Supersonic is daring and youthful – entertaining crowds with three free concerts per evening. First opened in 2016, the club gained a loyal audience with its live indie rock, synth-wave, punk, garage, post-rock, psychedelic and pop music.  

Benefit from free entrance between 7 pm and midnight on Sundays at the Supersonic for a “Sunday Tribute” evening, where artists pay homage to key figures in rock and pop, from Nirvana to Amy Winehouse. Like La Boule Noire, Supersonic promotes local artists in their evening sets, so you might even discover the next rockstar tucked away in the unsuspecting Rue Biscornet. If you tend to let your hair down on the dancefloor, Supersonic is the venue for you. With towering ceilings and large bay windows, the concert hall feels spacious even in an intimate 350m2 venue. My friend met her partner of two years at Supersonic, so be prepared to be surrounded by fun, like-minded individuals who all share a common passion for live rock. 

DETAILS

9 Rue Biscornet, 12th arrondissement 
Métro: Bastille (exit rue de Lyon) 
Tél: +33 1 49 23 41 90 
https://supersonic-club.fr 
Instagram: @supersonicclub 

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La Machine du Moulin Rouge

While the Moulin Rouge cabaret is globally recognized, the club venue known as La Machine du Moulin Rouge is arguably just as famous among the locals in Pigalle. Formerly La Locomotive, or “La Loco” for short, the nightclub was established in 1960 and spearheaded the Parisian club scene, hosting the likes of The Who and David Bowie, who performed over the years. Now, amassing a grand 2500m2 across four levels and four spaces, La Machine is one of the largest clubs in Europe. This ambitious venue hosts a range of typical club music, but for live music and concerts, La Machine leans towards rock, metal, hip-hop and jazz shows.   

The clubs value the innovation of artistic purpose, supporting new talent in the industry while defying the boundaries between music genres. When I went to La Machine, it was for a concert by the independent artist, PinkPantheress. Her songs are relatively short in length, merging dance and electronic music to include alt-pop, D&B, bedroom pop and 2-step garage with sampled beats from the 1990s/2000s. Some of her more well-known tunes from her set included “Just for me” and “Pain.”  

Did you know that the venue used to be the boiler room for the Moulin Rouge for decades before it was finally transformed into a club? 

DETAILS

90 Boulevard de Clichy, 18th arrondissement  
Métro: Blanche (L2), Pigalle (L12), Place de Clichy (L13) 
Tél: +33 1 53 41 88 89 
https://www.lamachinedumoulinrouge.com 
Instagram: @lamachineparis

The Philharmonie de Paris 

With a grand reveal in 2015, the Philharmonie de Paris swiftly became the heart of music in Paris. The concert halls are modern and cutting-edge, designed by architect Jean Nouvel to reflect the modernity in his design. As you join the Grande Salle before a show begins — a room which can fit up to 2,400 people — you feel like you are a member of the orchestra, surrounded by the impressive acoustic configurations of the landscape. The venue hosts music genres from baroque to world music, but my experience was broadly with classical music, attending a concert conducted by Klaus Mäkelä, featuring the world-renowned pianist Yuja Wang. When we talk about music transcending that which cannot be said, I believe this concert did exactly this. With the best musicians in the world performing in front of me, with a variety of different music styles under the classical umbrella, the audience was transported to a realm of musical bliss.  

DETAILS

221 avenue Jean Jaurès, 19th arrondissement  
Métro: Porte de Pantin (L5) 
Tél: +33 (0)1 44 84 45 00 
https://philharmoniedeparis.fr/en 
Instagram: @philharmoniedeparis