Live music in Paris: the 10 best bars and venues

Is La Maroquinerie one of the best concert venues in Paris? Probably. The venue, tucked away in the heights of Ménilmontant, boasts quality acoustics and an amphitheatre that holds up to 500, with a clear view even from the back. Concerts here have that extra something, with a stage almost at ground level that puts you in almost physical contact with the musicians. Here, you’ll see established bands and tomorrow’s international stars (Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran both played here in their early days). The programming is avant-garde, eclectic, leaning towards pop and indie rock, but also featuring rap, funk, folk, hip-hop, soul, jazz, and sometimes hardcore, metal, and punk.

Built in the spring of 2011 by a collective of architects, this barge has quite a look with its 45 meters long, 11 meters wide, and 6 meters high structure, featuring a restaurant, a rooftop with a view of the Seine, and a 450-seat concert hall. While the programmers’ indie rock bias is evident, the programming has continued to broaden, both in styles and in time zones – the clubbing nights at Petit Bain are top-notch, pioneering and sharp no matter the kind of music. Lastly, an important detail: the sound system is of such quality that it delights both the audience and the artists.

On April 16, 1981, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers inaugurated a venue on Rue des Petites-Écuries. The New Morning was born, and continued to thrive for decades, pulsating with the greatest names from the worlds of jazz, reggae, soul, and funk. Today, standing tall at over 40 years old, with its unparalleled history and acoustics, the venue attracts new faces, successfully evolving with new styles like hip-hop or electronic music. The New Morning is a musical temple like few others in Paris, and regular pilgrimages are highly recommended.

After etching its legend in the now-iconic Station Sud, the Mu Collective has been maintaining it since 2020 in the grandiose space opposite, La Station, designed by their comrades at Atelier Craft: 5,000 square meters spread between the exteriors – with a restaurant – a blockhouse with 8m-high ceilings, modular speakers, and a capacity of up to 750 people. It’s here that every weekend, a mix of trendy and eclectic crowd gathers, drawn by an artistic program ranging from rock to electronic music; sharp, diverse, sometimes bewildering but never dull. 

The Philharmonie, with a grand hall of 2,400 seats, offers a rich and abundant program, led notably by the resident musicians of the Orchestre de Paris, who indulge themselves by inviting prestigious foreign conductors all the time. Jean Nouvel’s flagship also hosts a few dates from the Days Off festival in early July and Jazz à la Villette at the end of August.

A flagship of classical music in Paris since its creation in 1927, Salle Pleyelhas since 2015 transitioned into the realm of contemporary music, bringing a new audience to discover the Ternes area. Even its walls have undergone significant changes. The concert hall has unveiled a much cosier design, with warm lighting and wooden hues. And a big plus? It’s increased its capacity, now accommodating 2,500 seats compared to 1,900 (with a modular pit) and has undergone substantial acoustic work to adapt to amplified music. Naturally, the lineup spans a wide range, from K-pop to hip-hop to international pop.

La Boule Noire concert hall, with nearly two centuries to its name, has seen its fair share of excitement. After starting as a social club in the 19th century, it became a dance hall, then a cabaret and cinema, before embracing rock in the 1990s, hosting bands for their first performances in Paris (like Franz Ferdinand and Phoenix). With a new programming team in 2019, and Laure Togola joining in September 2023, the venue has discovered the fountain of youth. The lineup now includes the best international indie rock bands from all stylistic backgrounds, exceptionally good hip-hop nights and electronic influences.