Moulin Rouge’s Windmill Blades Come Crashing Down Overnight
Paris awoke to find one of its most iconic landmarks disfigured.
Benoit Tessier/Reuters
Quelle catastrophe! The Moulin Rouge suffered a bit of a faux pas early Thursday when the blades fell off the iconic red windmill that stands atop the theater and crashed down into the street below.
The world-famous cabaret joint in Paris said no one was hurt in the incident that unfolded shortly before 2 a.m. “The Moulin Rouge, in 135 years of history, has experienced many adventures but it is true that for the wings, this is the first time that this has happened,” General Manager Jean-Victor Clerico said, Reuters reports.
The blades also appear to have wiped out the first three letters of the neon “MOULIN ROUGE” sign on their way down.
Clerico said he is “relieved this morning especially to know that there were no injuries,” while a spokesperson for the theater said the venue will investigate the cause of the incident alongside insurers and experts. Clerico added that whatever caused the collapse, it was not deliberate.
The Moulin Rouge, which was originally opened in 1889, is now largely attended by groups of tourists. The damage to the windmill comes amid anxieties about Paris’ readiness for the millions of visitors set to arrive in the summer for the 2024 Olympic Games, with fears of transport disruption and security concerns looming over the tournament due to ongoing threats of public sector strikes.
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