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yesterday

Moulin Rouge Windmill Sails Resume Rotation After 14 Months

A freshly fitted electric motor has powered the return of the 12-metre sails, restoring the cabaret's iconic facade.

FILE - Dancers perform in front of the Moulin Rouge cabaret during the inauguration of the theatre's windmill in Paris, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
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Overview

  • The 12-metre aluminum blades collapsed in April 2024 following a central axis failure, but no one was hurt.
  • Temporary sails were fitted for the Paris Olympics in summer 2024, but rotation remained stalled pending installation of a new electric motor.
  • On July 10, 2025, the freshly installed motor enabled the sails to rotate daily again, ending a 14-month grounding.
  • Hundreds gathered in Montmartre as 60 can-can dancers performed in Place Blanche and rooftop fireworks lit up the cabaret’s facade.
  • The windmill’s revival restores a Belle Époque symbol immortalized by Toulouse-Lautrec and celebrated in Baz Luhrmann’s film; the cabaret draws around 600,000 visitors annually.