All the details, venue by venue, and all the new stuff for 2009! Where is the first Parisian firemen’s ball not being organised in a fire station (but in a spectacular outdoor venue)? Where will you be able to dance to the sounds of DJ Mr. Bunny-Wunny (Monsieur Lapinou)? Where is there a firemen striptease? We give you all the details…

photo by franck_torralba used under cc licence

At last, the info is out for the 2009 Paris Firemen’s Balls. Usually it’s more or less the same thing year in year out, but this year there are quite a few interesting new events happening.

For example, the firemen’s ball being organised in the Arènes de Lutèce, the vestiges of a Roman arena! With a gymnastic display by the firemen! Details below…

Or the fire station in the 18th arrondissement that is re-opening after two years of renovation. Follow the parade from the town hall in the 18th arrondissement and you’ll find it…

Or DJs Stéph P & Monsieur Lapinou who will setting 400m² of dancefloor on fire at the Blanche fire station in the 9th arrondissement.

Or the firemen’s striptease at the Saint Fargeau fire station in the 20th arrondissement…

Here’s the list of everything that’s on. Have fun!

photo by tchuntfr used under cc licence

Paris 1er – Rousseau – 21 rue du Jour (map)

Dates: 13th & 14th July
Opening hours: from 9pm to 4am
What’s on: group, champagne bar with DJ indoors
Style: French ‘variété’ outside, house/techno for the DJ
Entrance fee: free, but you’ll be asked to donate something

Paris 4th arrondissement – Sévigné – 7 rue de Sévigné (map)

photo by philyook used under cc licence

Dates: 13th & 14th July
Opening hours: from 9pm to 4am
What’s on: orchestra in the courtyard, DJ inside
Style: very varied for the orchestra, the DJ will be playing club stuff
Entrance fee: 6 euros, which includes a free drink
Please note that this fire station is very small and very quickly full. Get there early!

Paris 5ème – Les Arènes de Lutèce (map) – NEW !!!

For the first time in paris, a firemen’s ball is is not taking place in a fire station but in the superb setting of the Arènes de Lutèce, a Roman vestige on the Left Bank. Up until now, the 5th arrondissement didn’t have a firemen’s ball at all!

Dates: 13th July only
Opening hours: from 10pm to 3am
What’s on: gymnastics show (15 minutes),followed by the ball with the Gérard Derein orchestra and luscious lady dancers. Drinks stand, champagne bar, light food available.
Style: French ‘variété’
Entrance fee: free, but you’ll be asked to donate something

Paris 6th arrondissement – Colombier – 11 rue du Vieux-Colombier (map)

Dates : 13th & 14th July
Horaires : from 9pm to 4am
Animation : DJ (all types of music)
Ambiance : champagne bar, soft drinks (no food available)
Prix : free, but you’ll be asked to donate something
One of the best in the city!

photo: MorganeC

Paris 9th arrondissement – Blanche – 28 rue Blanche (map)

Dates: 13th & 14th July
Opening hours: from 9pm to 4am
What’s on: DJs Stéph P & Mister Bunny-Wunny (Monsieur Lapinou) with a 400m² dancefloor, bar, tombola, champagne bar.
Style: varied
Entrance fee: free, but you’ll be asked to donate something

Paris 10th arrondissement – Château-Landon – 186 quai de Valmy (map)

Dates: 13th & 14th July
Opening hours: Starts 9pm
What’s on: Orchestra
Style: French ‘variété’ et more current stuff
Entrance fee: free, but you’ll be asked to donate something

Paris 12th arrondissement – Chaligny – 57 boulevard Diderot / 26 rue Chaligny (map)

Dates: 13th & 14th July
Opening hours: from 9pm to 4am
What’s on: The Orchestre Normandie will be playing, drinks, knock-em-down style country fair games…
Style: French ‘variété’
Entrance fee: free, but you’ll be asked to donate something

Paris 13th arrondissement – Port-Royal – 55 boulevard de Port-Royal (map)

Dates: 13th & 14th July
Opening hours: from 9pm to 4am
What’s on: DJ
Entrance fee: 5 euros

Paris 13th arrondissement – Masséna – 39 boulevard Masséna (map)

Dates: 13th & 14th July
Opening hours: should be starting 9pm
What’s on: last they refused to answer any questions and this year the person with the info ‘isn’t here’. Sorry…
Style: last they refused to answer any questions and this year the person with the info ‘isn’t here’. Sorry…
Entrance fee: All we know is that everything is indoors, which could be handy if the weather turns nasty.

Paris 15th arrondissement – Grenelle – 6 place Violet (map)

Dates: 13th & 14th July
Opening hours: from 9pm to 4am
What’s on: DJ (all styles), champagne bar, snacks
Entrance fee: free, but you’ll be asked to donate something

Paris 17th arrondissement – Champerret – 1 place Jules Renard (map)

Dates: 13th & 14th July
Opening hours: from 9pm to 4am
What’s on: very large fire station with an orchestra in the courtyard and DJ indoors
Entrance fee: free, but you’ll be asked to donate something

Paris 17th arrondissement – Boursault – 27 rue Boursault (map)

Dates: 13th July 2008 only
Opening hours: from 9pm to 4am
What’s on: An English rock group (with the delightful name of Spirit of Saint Louis!), tombola, bar
Entrance fee: free, but you’ll be asked to donate something

Paris 18th arrondissement – Carpeaux – 12 rue Carpeaux (ici) – NEW!!!

Dates : evening of the 13th, 2pm-7pm on the 14th
Horaires : on the 13th, 9pm – 4am
What’s on: the fire station has just reopened after 2 years.

On the 13th July, ther’s a Grand Firemen’s Ball parade!

Starting at 8.30pm, lots of stuff going on in front of the town hall of the 18th arrondissement (place Jules-Joffrin) : the Echos Râleurs, a group of 35 singers will be belting out classics, followed by Moleque de Rua, a group of street kids from Brazil with their batucada sound…

At 9.30pm, the Montmartre little train will lead the joyous parade up to the rue Carpeaux fire station, helping the old folks up the steep hill! The march will be accompanied by the music of the P’tits Poulbots.

And the party carries on until late with an orchestra playing from 9.30pm – 4am!

Prix : gratuit, à l’entrée chacun donne ce qu’il veut

Paris 19th arrondissement – Bitche – 2 place de Bitche (map)

Dates: 13th July 2008 only
Opening hours: from 9pm to 4am
Style: French ‘variété’ and more current stuff
Entrance fee: free, but you’ll be asked to donate something

Paris 20th arrondissement – Ménilmontant – 47 rue Saint-Fargeau (map)

photo by hotzeplotz used under cc licence

Dates: 13th & 14th July
Opening hours: from 8pm – 4am
What’s on: DJ, tombola, bars and Firemen striptease show!!!
Entrance fee: 3 euros

photo by Aldor used under cc licence

For further information, you can try the official Paris Firemen site (but there’s really not much on there). Enjoy yourselves!