3 Best Performing Arts in Paris, France

Many an arts career was launched at this institution, where Josephine Baker charmed the city clad in nothing but a banana skirt and pearls, and icons such as Charlie Chaplin, Maurice Chevalier, and Mistinguett made their big Paris debuts. The 1926 Art Deco facade is a listed historic monument, but the opulent interiors hark back to its Belle Époque heyday as Paris's most daring cabaret. Nowadays, Dita Von Teese and other cabaret acts perform here regularly, but you'll also find more family-style shows, including dance, solo acts, and musicals.

This acoustic jewel was built in 1929 by Auguste Perret, who promised to construct "a concert hall that sounds like a Stradivarius." You can buy tickets for jazz and classical concerts only at the box office 30 minutes before each show; check the website for information on advance purchases. Free student recitals are offered at 12:30 pm on Tuesday and Thursday from October to April, and on some Wednesday afternoons from January to May.

The 1,020-seat Salle Gaveau is a perfectly appointed gold-and-white hall with remarkable acoustics and a distinctly Parisian allure. It hosts chamber music, orchestral, piano, and vocal recitals.