In Paris, where the Seine reflects the glow of streetlamps and the scent of fresh baguettes mingles with cigarette smoke outside late-night cafés, there’s one place that never fades: Rex Club. Tucked away in the 13th arrondissement, just a ten-minute walk from Place d’Italie, it’s not the flashiest spot in town-but it’s the one that stays open when everything else shuts down. While tourists flock to Le Baron or Concrete, and expats sip cocktails at Le Perchoir, the true Parisians-those who’ve danced through the ’80s, the ’90s, and now the 2020s-know where the real pulse lives. Rex Club isn’t just a nightclub. It’s a living archive of Parisian underground culture.
How Rex Club Survived When Other Clubs Disappeared
Paris has lost more than its share of legendary venues. Le Palace closed in 1994. Le Zénith shifted from underground to mainstream. Even the iconic Le Palace, once a haven for drag queens and New Wave kids, became a corporate event space. But Rex Club? It never changed its name. It never stopped playing techno. It never chased trends.
Opened in 1979 by Jean-Pierre Leduc, a former sound engineer who cut his teeth at Paris’s first discotheques, Rex Club was built for sound, not spectacle. The walls are thick, the speakers are custom-built, and the floor is still made of the original wooden planks worn smooth by decades of shuffling feet. Unlike clubs in the 1st or 8th arrondissements that charge €50 for entry and require a dress code, Rex Club charges €12 on a Tuesday and lets you come as you are-whether you’re a 70-year-old jazz collector, a 22-year-old student from École Normale Supérieure, or a Berlin DJ passing through.
The secret? It doesn’t market itself. No Instagram influencers. No branded cocktails. No velvet ropes. You find Rex Club by word of mouth. By following the bassline echoing from an unmarked door on Rue des Petits-Champs. By asking the barista at Café de la Mairie if they’ve been there this weekend. By showing up at 11 p.m. and waiting for the door to open.
A Place Where Generations Dance Together
On any given Friday night, you’ll see three generations in the same room. A grandmother who danced to Giorgio Moroder in 1982, now wearing a vintage Parisian beret and dancing with her grandson who just discovered Detroit techno on Bandcamp. A group of Lycée Janson-de-Sailly students who came after their final exams, still in their blazers. A French-Algerian producer from Saint-Denis who played his first set here in 2008 and now returns to spin for his daughter’s 18th birthday.
This isn’t a gimmick. It’s the result of consistency. Rex Club doesn’t host “themed nights.” No “80s Retro” or “EDM Explosion.” The music is always forward-moving: minimal techno, industrial rhythms, French house, ambient soundscapes. The DJs aren’t famous for their TikTok followers-they’re famous for their record crates. You’ll hear tracks from Parisian legends like Laurent Garnier, but also obscure tapes from Lyon’s underground scene or tapes recorded in a basement in Marseille.
There’s no VIP section. No bottle service. No one checking your ID for the third time. The staff knows regulars by name. The bouncer remembers who came last week with their dog. The bartender pours the same glass of red wine from a bottle they’ve kept since 2015.
Why Rex Club Feels Like Home to Parisians
Paris has a love-hate relationship with its own nightlife. Many clubs feel like performance spaces-designed for tourists to take selfies, not to lose themselves in music. Rex Club doesn’t care if you take a photo. But if you’re there to be seen, you’ll feel out of place.
Instead, it offers something rarer: belonging. In a city where the average rent is €1,800 a month and social life often happens over Zoom, Rex Club is one of the few places where silence isn’t awkward. Where you can stand in the corner for an hour, eyes closed, and not feel judged. Where the only thing that matters is the rhythm, the heat, the collective breath of the room.
It’s the same reason people still go to Marché d’Aligre on Saturday mornings, or why the same baker in the 11th still makes the same pain au chocolat using the same butter since 1973. Rex Club is a tradition-not because it’s old, but because it’s honest.
How to Experience Rex Club Like a Local
If you’re new to Paris-or even if you’ve lived here ten years-here’s how to get it right:
- Go on a weekday. Fridays and Saturdays are packed, but Tuesdays and Wednesdays have the best energy. You’ll get in faster, hear deeper cuts, and actually talk to someone.
- Take the metro. The club is a 5-minute walk from Porte d’Italie (Line 6). Don’t drive. Parking is impossible, and you’ll miss the walk through the quiet streets of the 13th, where the only lights are from boulangeries still open at midnight.
- Wear something comfortable. No need for heels or suits. Jeans, a sweater, sneakers. If you’re wearing a blazer, you’re probably already in the wrong place.
- Bring cash. Card machines are unreliable. The bar only takes euros. Keep €20 on you-enough for a drink, a snack from the little kiosk outside, and maybe a record from the vinyl stall that appears on weekends.
- Stay late. The real magic starts after 2 a.m. That’s when the DJs drop the tracks no one else plays. When the crowd thins out, and the sound becomes something almost spiritual.
What Makes Rex Club Different From Other Paris Nightclubs
Compare it to Le Baron: loud, expensive, designed for Instagram. Or to Concrete: trendy, overbooked, with a dress code that feels like a test. Rex Club doesn’t ask you to prove you belong. It lets you simply be.
Other clubs in Paris sell experiences. Rex Club offers presence. You don’t leave there with a photo. You leave with a memory you can’t describe-just like the first time you heard a Serge Gainsbourg record at 3 a.m. in your parents’ kitchen, or the first time you danced without caring who was watching.
It’s not about being cool. It’s about being real.
When to Visit and What to Expect
Rex Club doesn’t post its full schedule online. You won’t find it on Resident Advisor or even on Instagram. The best way to know what’s happening is to check their actual website-rexclub.com-every Tuesday morning. Updates go live at 9 a.m. Paris time. If you miss it, ask someone who’s been there recently. Someone always knows.
Events are rarely advertised. A DJ set might be announced only hours before. Sometimes it’s a surprise guest-like when Laurent Garnier showed up unannounced in 2023 and played for five hours straight. Other times, it’s a local artist from the suburbs playing their first live set. The crowd doesn’t care about fame. They care about feeling something.
Expect the lights to stay low. Expect the sound to be loud enough to shake your ribs. Expect to sweat. Expect to forget your phone in your jacket pocket. And expect to leave at 6 a.m., blinking in the morning light, wondering why you haven’t done this sooner.
Why Rex Club Will Outlast the Trends
Paris changes fast. The Eiffel Tower gets new lighting. The Louvre adds a new wing. Even the boulangeries now serve matcha croissants. But Rex Club? It stays the same because it doesn’t need to change.
In a city obsessed with the new, it’s the old things that hold the soul. Rex Club is one of them. It’s not a venue. It’s a ritual. A place where Parisians-of all ages, all backgrounds, all walks of life-come to remember what it feels like to be part of something bigger than themselves.
So if you’re looking for the real Paris nightlife-beyond the clichés, the influencers, the overpriced cocktails-find the unmarked door. Walk in. Let the music take over. And don’t worry. You’ll be back.
Is Rex Club still open in 2025?
Yes. Rex Club remains open and active in 2025, operating primarily on weekends with occasional weekday events. It has never closed for renovations or rebranding, making it one of the few Paris nightclubs to maintain continuous operation since 1979.
What time does Rex Club open and close?
The doors usually open at 11 p.m., and the club runs until 7 a.m. or later, depending on the night. The most intense energy happens after 2 a.m., when the main DJ sets begin. Most locals arrive between midnight and 1 a.m.
Do I need to book tickets in advance?
No. Rex Club does not sell tickets online. Entry is at the door, cash only, usually €12-€18 depending on the night. Lines are shortest on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. On weekends, expect to wait 15-30 minutes, but the wait is part of the experience.
Is Rex Club LGBTQ+ friendly?
Absolutely. Since the 1980s, Rex Club has been a safe, inclusive space for LGBTQ+ communities in Paris. Drag performers, queer DJs, and non-binary dancers have always been central to its culture. You’ll find no discrimination-only music, movement, and mutual respect.
Can I bring my own drinks to Rex Club?
No. Outside drinks are not permitted. But the bar offers affordable drinks: €6 for a pint of beer, €7 for a glass of natural wine, and €8 for a simple cocktail. There’s also a small snack stand outside selling warm crêpes and coffee at 3 a.m.
