Scala

La Scala Paris is a theatre at 13 boulevard de Strasbourg, in the heart of the 10th arrondissement — a building whose past is almost as dramatic as anything staged inside it today.

How do you get to La Scala Paris?

The venue sits just steps from Strasbourg-Saint-Denis metro station, served by lines 4, 8 and 9, making it an easy stop from almost anywhere in the city. Château d'Eau (line 4) and Gare de l'Est (lines 4, 5 and 7) are close alternatives, both a short walk away. The stretch of boulevard de Strasbourg around the theatre is a lively, everyday corner of northern Paris, lined with cafés and small shops.

What's the story behind the building?

Long before La Scala existed, the site hosted a roadside inn called Le Cheval Blanc, which turned into a café-chantant in 1857. The theatre itself was built by Marie-Reine Rameau, owner of the famous Élysée Montmartre ballroom, and opened in 1874 as a 1,400-seat café-concert. Singer Félix Mayol jokingly dubbed it "the Comédie-Française of song," and its stage hosted the biggest names of the era's café-concert scene — Polin, Yvette Guilbert, Fragson, Mayol, Polaire, Paulette Darty, Max Dearly, and Mistinguett herself.

The hall later became a music-hall, then an Art Deco cinema in 1936. A further transformation came in 1977, when the building was rebuilt into Paris's first multi-screen cinema complex specializing in adult films. In 1999 the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God bought the property, but local opposition and a refusal from the Paris city council stopped the deal — the venue closed and sat derelict for the next 16 years. Its revival came on 12 February 2016, when Mélanie and Frédéric Biessy bought the building and restored it to its original purpose as a performance venue.

What will you see today?

The restored La Scala now operates as a theatre dedicated to the performing arts, music and visual arts, staging both French and international productions. It's a place where more than 150 years of architectural history meet a contemporary artistic programme — the building itself, having passed through phases as a café-concert, music-hall, cinema and a long abandonment, mirrors the shifting tastes of Parisian audiences over a century and a half.

When should you visit?

Since La Scala is a working theatre rather than a fixed sightseeing attraction, check the current programme and ticket availability before planning your visit. Evening performances are the norm, and booking ahead is advisable for popular shows.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is La Scala Paris located? At 13 boulevard de Strasbourg, in the 10th arrondissement, right next to Strasbourg-Saint-Denis metro station.

Is this the same venue as the famous La Scala in Milan? No. Despite sharing the name, they are entirely separate places — Paris's La Scala is a theatre on boulevard de Strasbourg, unrelated to Milan's opera house.

How has the building's purpose changed over time? From an inn and café-concert (1874) to a music-hall and Art Deco cinema (1936), then an adult cinema (1977) and years of abandonment, before becoming today's performing-arts theatre (since 2016).

When did the theatre reopen after being closed for years? On 12 February 2016, when Mélanie and Frédéric Biessy purchased the building.