What to Do in Paris at Night: From the Eiffel Tower Sparkle to the Sunday After
· Updated:
At night in Paris you can watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle at the top of every hour, eat at a dinner-club that turns into a party, see a drag cabaret at Madame Arthur, catch a gig that becomes a club at Nouveau Casino or Supersonic, dance on a boat on the Seine, go clubbing until 6am or 7am, and keep going at a Sunday-morning after at Glazart. Here's how to build the night, hour by hour.
A night in Paris at a glance
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| After nightfall | Watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle | Any view of the tower, on the hour |
| From 19:00–20:00 | Dinner that turns into a party | Manko, Matignon, Giulia, Pachamama |
| From 19:00 | A gig before the club | Nouveau Casino, Supersonic, Petit Bain, Le Trabendo |
| From 21:00 | Drag cabaret, then club | Madame Arthur |
| From 23:00–00:00 | Clubbing | Champs-Élysées, Pigalle, Oberkampf, the Seine quays |
| Sat, Sun and holidays from 06:00 | The after | Glazart, Essaim's Sunday sessions |
Start with the city: the Eiffel Tower and the rooftops
Every evening after nightfall, the Eiffel Tower puts on its golden lighting and sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour. You don't need a ticket for that: any spot with a view of the tower works, and the quays of the Seine are the classic choice. The time the lights go off has changed over the years, so if you're planning a late look, check on the day. For a view with a drink, Le 211 in La Villette has two terraces and a rooftop facing the Canal de l'Ourcq, La Bellevilloise has its roof terrace, Le Toit, and T7 offers a 180-degree view from the top of Paris Expo on its club nights.
Dinner that turns into a party
Paris does the dinner-club well. Manko, on avenue Montaigne, serves Peruvian and Japanese food, and from Wednesday to Saturday the evening turns into a party with DJs, live sax and percussion. Matignon, at the Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées, switches to club mode from 11pm every evening. Giulia, an Italian restaurant on rue Quentin Bauchart, brings in DJ sets and live acoustic music from Tuesday to Saturday. Near Bastille, Pachamama serves dinner from 8pm and opens its club from 10:30pm to 5:30am, Thursday to Saturday. Le 211 is a bar, restaurant and club rolled into one, open from noon until 6am from Wednesday to Sunday.
Cabaret and circus
Madame Arthur, a drag cabaret since 1946 at 75 bis rue des Martyrs, is the most Parisian way to start a night: shows from 9pm, Thursday to Saturday, then a club that plays only French-language music until 6am. For something stranger, Le Cirque Électrique at Porte des Lilas sets up a red big top, small tents and caravans for circus, cabaret and concerts, with techno nights on some weekends. In the Parc de la Villette, Cabaret Sauvage does concerts, cabaret and circus in a velvet-and-stained-glass tent that also turns into a club.
A gig that becomes a club
Several Paris venues run a concert early and a club late, so one ticket can cover the whole evening. Nouveau Casino, on rue Oberkampf, has gigs from about 7pm most nights and becomes a club from midnight to 6am on Fridays and Saturdays. Supersonic, by Bastille, has indie pop and rock concerts every night of the week and an electro club until dawn at weekends. Point Éphémère, on the Canal Saint-Martin, is open every day and stays open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays. On the water, Petit Bain mixes concerts and club nights, and the reborn Bus Palladium in Pigalle programmes gigs, DJ sets and aftershows from Thursday to Saturday.
Clubbing and the Seine
From Thursday to Saturday, most Paris clubs open between 11pm and midnight and close between 5am and 7am. Choose an area and stay in it: the Champs-Élysées and the Étoile for tables and a smart crowd, Pigalle for a bit of everything, Oberkampf and Bastille for clubs with a local crowd, La Villette for techno. If you'd rather dance on the water, Petit Bain and the Bateau Phare, both moored on the quai de la Gare in the 13th, run club nights on Fridays and Saturdays. On a weeknight, Le Duplex says it opens every night until 6am.
Coming as a group, or celebrating something? That changes the plan. In the west, a table is usually the way in; in Pigalle and the east, it's more about tickets and the door, and a few venues, like Rex Club, have no VIP tables at all. Tell us the date, the size of the group and the kind of night you want, and we'll suggest where to go and what's possible.
The best nightclubs in Paris →Club boats on the Seine →When the sun comes up: the after
Paris doesn't have to stop at 7am. Glazart, in a former coach station at Porte de la Villette, runs After O'Clock every Saturday, Sunday and public holiday from 6am to 4pm, with techno and drum & bass. Essaim, near La Chapelle, has extended Sunday sessions from 4pm on some dates. And in summer, the open-airs under the périphérique take over the weekend mornings until the season ends.
Afters in Paris →Getting around at night
The metro runs until about 1:15am from Sunday to Thursday and about 2:15am on Fridays, Saturdays and nights before a public holiday (at the end of the line). After that, the Noctilien night buses run from about 0:30 to 5:30, and a Navigo pass is valid on them. Many clubs close at 6am or 7am, just as the first metros start again. For the dates that change the rhythm of the year, from Fashion Week to public holidays, see our calendar.
The Paris party calendar →Planning a night in Paris? Tell us on WhatsApp and we'll help →Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in Paris at night?
Watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle, have a dinner that turns into a party, see a drag cabaret at Madame Arthur, catch a gig that becomes a club at Nouveau Casino or Supersonic, dance on a boat on the quai de la Gare, go clubbing, and finish at a Sunday-morning after at Glazart.
When does the Eiffel Tower sparkle?
Every evening after nightfall, the tower sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour, on top of its golden lighting. The time the lights go off has changed over the years, so check on the day if you plan a late visit.
Where can I go out in Paris on a weeknight?
Le Duplex says it opens every night from 11pm to 6am, Matignon's club starts at 11pm every evening, Supersonic has gigs all week, Point Éphémère is open daily, Petit Bain runs Monday to Thursday until 2am and Le 211 is open Wednesday to Sunday.
What can I do at night in Paris without going to a club?
A cabaret show at Madame Arthur from 9pm, a concert at Nouveau Casino, Petit Bain or Le Trabendo, a drink on a terrace like Le 211's rooftop, or a dinner at a dinner-club such as Pachamama, where you can leave before the club starts.
How do I get around Paris late at night?
The metro runs until about 1:15am from Sunday to Thursday and about 2:15am on Fridays, Saturdays and nights before a public holiday (at the end of the line). After that, the Noctilien night buses run from about 0:30 to 5:30, and taxis work all night.
Clubs mentioned
Ready for your night in Paris?
Tickets & clubs