Paris — The iconic Moulin Rouge in the French capital had a new look on Thursday morning. The sails of the famous red windmill fell to the ground overnight, leaving the structure looking unusually bare.
The owners of the entertainment venue are unsure of how the sails fell, also taking the first three letters of the Moulin Rouge sign with them. They have promised to repair the structure and confirmed that there was no further damage.
The bar on the roof closed at midnight, followed by the last cabaret show an hour later, with the structure still standing at that time.
"It's sad, just sad," remarked Danish tourist Lars Thygesen as he gazed at the building on Thursday.
"I hope they will build it up again, so it will be as it always has been, the old Moulin Rouge," added his partner Lise.
The director of Moulin Rouge, Jean-Victor Clerico, stated that there were no signs of intentional damage, attributing the collapse to "obviously a technical problem."
"We'll rise to the challenge," Clerico said, as reported by the French news agency AFP. "The Moulin Rouge is 135 years old, so it's seen all kinds of things."
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The development occurs shortly before the commencement of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, which are anticipated to attract a large number of visitors to the city.
The Moulin Rouge is renowned for its daily cabaret performances that captivate hundreds of thousands of spectators annually. Additionally, as highlighted by AFP, thousands more individuals pause to admire and capture photos of the distinctive structure situated at the base of Montmartre hill in Paris.
