Live Music and Art in Paris: Off the Beaten Path

Last Updated:

6/5/2023

When people think of jazz in Paris, rue des Lombards often comes to mind. But art and music is alive and kicking elsewhere in the city too. Where to go when you want to wander outside the comfort zone to hear and experience the unexpected? Here are our picks for some of the most exciting places, off the beaten path in Paris, to experience music and art. Let the magic of live performance transport you while rubbing shoulders with locals in the know.

Top: A woman in a black dress sits on a stool and sings into an old-style microphone in a dimly lit music club. There is a man playing the piano on the left and two men playing a saxophone and bass guitar.
Above: Left: A view of a nicely lit Parisian street at twilight, people filling the street. Right: A woman sings into an old style mic, the bright spotlight illuminating the haze around her. There is a man looking down at music as he plays the piano. — Top: A jazz singer and her supporting band by cottonbro studio
Above: The streets of Paris at night by Diogo Brandao / cottonbro studio

New Morning

Jazz might have been born in the States, but like many ex-pats, it’s found a second lease on life in Paris. If you’re looking to regain your joie de vivre head down to New Morning for an intimate night of live music at this venue known as the temple of jazz. Whether its jazz, reggae, rock or Cuban music, the world’s greats have passed through these doors including the likes of Chet Baker, Stan Getz, and even Dizzie Gillespie.

La Gare / Le Gore

If you love jazz, but it’s not the only thing for you, look no further than La Gare / Le Gore. Located in the hall of what was formerly Flandre station (a stone’s throw from La Villette) you’ll hear household names from the world of jazz, musicians in residence and students from the Paris Conservatoire. This spot transforms from a concert venue into a club at the stroke of midnight. Imagine if Cinderella’s pumpkin were a club. Here you can go from pensive listening to dancing the night away, forgetting who you are in the process.

Au Chat Noir

When we say “underground” venue, we mean it. Au Chat Noir looks like a traditional Parisian bar, but it’s the basement where the magic happens. It is here where you can listen to live music, poetry, and cabaret on any night of the week until 2 am. They even host open mic nights, so you can take the stage too. When in Rome… bon courage!

Left: A man walks down a street that is illuminated by bright neon pink and purple lights, a street lamp in front of him. Right: A man plays a trumpet in a hazy club, the lights illuminating the haze a bright yellow and pink. — The City of Light in the early morning hours by Nicola Fioravanti / Jazz musicians performing live by Lucas Allmann

Le café de la plage

With concerts almost every night, Le café de la plage is another small Parisian bar with a basement concert venue. The drinks are inexpensive, the crowd is cool, and the space is intimate. It’s a beautiful marriage between a club and a cozy bar.

Point Éphémère

For a taste of multiple artistic disciplines all in one space, look no further than Point Éphémère. Billed as a “creative space,” and located on the banks of the Canal St. Martin, Point Éphémère is home to a concert hall, exhibition space, and rehearsal spaces. There is a lovely outdoor eating area overlooking the canal. Events feature everything from DJ sets, to soul rap and indie pop, release parties, and even experimental theater.

Right: A crowd is seen surrounding a man singing into a microphone. Several are recording him and have their hands up in the air, enjoying the music. Left: A view of a street near Canal Saint Martin in the evening with many cafes open and the facades of Parisian buildings nicely lit by the afternoon and evening sun. — Point Éphémère / The nearby Canal Saint-Martin neighborhood by Luc Mercelis

Halle Saint Pierre

Though it’s mostly known as a museum, and operates as such on a daily basis, Halle Saint Pierre also includes a listening room, gallery, bookstore, and cafe. Halle Saint Pierre’s permanent collection houses works by Max Fourney. The space often hosts events across various artistic disciplines. Montmartre is a stone’s throw away.

Le CENTQUATRE

Another collaborative space, CENTQUATRE is a unique arts venue, in that it is also home to shops and restaurants. Intended to be a collaborative space, it hosts artist residences and productions. Their last season included music, dance, theater, visual and digital arts, and even some circus! Great for kids too as there are a host of children’s activities.

Left: Men and woman dancing in duos in an open court with white tiled flooring. Right: A salon with a band of musicians playing the piano, contrabass, saxophone, and drums. — Le CENTQUATRE by Quentin Chevrier / Park Avenue Pianos Salon by Dorry Segev

Park Avenue Pianos Music Salons

Yes, we’re talking salons like the ones Hemingway and Matisse would attend at Gertrude Stein’s. The roaring ’20s are back. Everything from well-known pianists trying their repertoire before a Carnegie Hall recital, to songwriters, premieres of new music, and poets share their work at Park Avenue Pianos Music Salons around the city. The location moves between different beautiful Parisian homes, and the list is invite-only. You can contact them here or at info@parkavenuepianos.com for a chance to get on the list.

Le Bal Blomet

Le Bal Blomet it is the oldest jazz club in Europe. Part art cabaret and part jazz club, this venue plays host to a mixture of classical and jazz concerts, and assorted cultural events. However, it’s not just the music that takes the stage at Le Bal Blomet. This bar has a long history of attracting a famous audience – everyone from Albert Camus to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Josephine Baker, and Pablo Picasso. Come for the music, stay for the company.

Le Comptoire Général

A seafood bar and restaurant, Le Comptoire Général is a Parisian go-to for private events. If you aren’t lucky enough to find an invite, you’re still in luck. They’ve got a set of evolving exhibitions celebrating nature, as well as multiple spaces to enjoy brunch, dinner, and more.

Right: A view down a hallway in Le Comptoire General. The interior is dark and there are chandeliers that illuminate the hallway, a thin carpet stretching down it. There is a window with curtains drawn at the end of the hallway. Right: A view inside Le Comptoire General's cafe. Blue wicker chairs surround wooden tables, intermingled by the same wicker chairs in brown. The bar is in the center and there are palms. — The interior of Le Comptoire Général by Cyril Jerusalmi

Carbone

At the very end of our list, and probably the most mysterious is the techno club, Carbone. The club opened in September 2022 and is a collaboration between Parisian event agencies Culture, Entourage Paris, and HAïKU. To keep it exclusive, visitors have to call Carbone’s phone number to find out the line-up. Photos are banned, and the capacity is always kept at 500. Don’t be shy – pick up your phone and dial +33 7 56 81 51 56.