THE STORY OF LE BUS PALLADIUM

From a sleepy dance hall in Pigalle to the epicenter of Parisian nightlife, Le Bus Palladium has spanned six decades. Opened in 1965, closed in 2022, it reopens today, carried by a new generation of storytellers, without ever denying its rock DNA.

1965: THE NIGHT CHANGES FACE
James Arch is 22 years old. A dancer in the music halls of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and assistant to the filmmakers of the Nouvelle Vague, he dreams of bringing together worlds that never meet: the gilded youth and the outer neighborhoods, artists and strangers, on the same dance floor. On September 30, 1965, the year of "Satisfaction" and "Help," he switches on a red neon sign at 6 rue Fontaine, where the old dance hall L'Ange Rouge once slumbered.
THE MYTH
Serge Gainsbourg comes almost every night, and it's there that he writes "Qui est in? Qui est out?," with the Bus as its hero. Brian Jones plays harmonica for an entire night, Jimmy Cliff and Gloria Gaynor take the small stage. Jane Birkin sees it as a mental laboratory. Over the decades, Bashung, Les Rita Mitsouko, the Strokes, Al Pacino, and Yannick Noah all pass through.
THE DORMANT ADDRESS

In March 1966, Prefect Papon shuts down the club for noise disturbances. But the dream is too alive to die: in 1974, Sam Bernett and Richard Ermann relight it, and the Bus passes from hand to hand, ever faithful to its rock spirit. In 2010, Christopher Thompson dedicates a film to it. In July 2022, after 57 years of existence, the lights go out and the myth falls asleep in the memory of those who danced there.

THE REBIRTH

In 2019, over a game of backgammon, Christian Casmèze whose family has held the walls since 1924 meets Nicolas Saltiel. Together, they dream up a Parisian Chelsea Hotel. In 2026, the neon lights up again: Studio KO redesigns the space, Caroline de Maigret composes the atmosphere, Valentin Raffali signs the menu, Lionel Bensemoun revives the club. 35 rooms and suites, inhabited by music. The next chapter is written tonight.

EXPLORE MORE

In the heart of Pigalle, Bus Palladium reimagines this legendary venue as a design hotel and events destination at 6, rue Pierre Fontaine, Paris 9th. Its rock-inspired, contemporary rooms and suites combine comfort with character. The restaurant and bar keep the energy alive. Its spaces host parties, concerts, seminars and celebrations, all available for private hireHeir to a Parisian musical legend, Bus Palladium carries forward the creative energy of the capital.