Cabaret Lido

Le Lido was for over 75 years one of the three classic Paris revue theatres alongside the Moulin Rouge and Crazy Horse. Italian brothers Joseph and Louis Clerico founded it in 1946 in a former Italian-themed swimming bath on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees; hence the name Lido after the Venetian beach. In 1977 the theatre moved into a new underground hall in the Normandie block just above, with a revolving stage, water pool and ice rink. It became famous for the Bluebell Girls, the Irish-British dance troupe of Margaret Kelly, and for guest appearances by Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich, Elton John and Shirley Bassey. The classic revue run ended in March 2022 after the Accor group took over; since 2024 the Cirque du Soleil has used the venue. The building itself and its 1970s foyer remain an essential chapter of Paris show history.