Le Grand Rex
A landmark Paris cinema and live-entertainment venue known for its monumental Art Deco auditorium, film premieres, concerts, festivals, themed marathons, and immersive visitor experiences.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Le Grand Rex, commonly called the Grand Rex, is a major cinema and live-entertainment venue on Paris's grands boulevards. Located at 1 boulevard Poissonnière in the 2nd arrondissement, it combines large-scale film exhibition with concerts, premieres, festivals, artist appearances, seasonal spectacles, and visitor attractions. Its identity is inseparable from its architecture: the main auditorium presents an atmospheric Mediterranean-style city beneath a luminous sky, reflecting the grand cinema palaces developed in the United States during the interwar period. The building was conceived as an exceptionally ambitious movie theatre by Jacques Haïk, a film producer, distributor, and owner of the Olympia. Architect Auguste Bluysen and engineer John Eberson developed the design, while Henri-Édouard Navarre created the façade and Maurice Dufrêne worked on the decoration of the great hall. The project was influenced by the atmospheric-theatre tradition and has often been described as a French counterpart or scaled interpretation of New York's Radio City Music Hall. The venue opened on December 8, 1932, with Henri Diamant-Berger's The Three Musketeers on the program and Louis Lumière among the guests. Although the original ambition was to accommodate more than 5,000 spectators, the main auditorium opened with approximately 3,300 seats and today holds more than 2,700 people. The cinema quickly became one of Paris's defining large-format exhibition spaces, but financial difficulties led Haïk to sell it to Gaumont. It was later acquired by Jean Hellmann, Alan Byre, and Laudy Lawrence. During the German Occupation, the building was requisitioned and operated as a soldiers' cinema. It was damaged in a September 1942 bombing and reopened after the Liberation of Paris in October 1944. In 1945 it temporarily served as a reception centre for repatriated prisoners of war. The postwar period brought major changes in programming and technology. The Grand Rex presented musical openings, newsreels, stage attractions, and film screenings, and in 1946 hosted the first Paris presentation of a Disney feature, Pinocchio. It was also among the Paris venues associated with the introduction of CinemaScope, showing The Robe in 1953. Its most enduring theatrical innovation, the Féerie des eaux, began in 1954 after an earlier water attraction had failed. The show combines hundreds of coloured water jets, lighting, music, and a large pool on the stage, traditionally preceding a year-end Disney film in the main auditorium. In subsequent decades, the venue added smaller screening rooms, installed one of Europe's first cinema escalators, and developed a reputation for major premieres and film events. The Grand Rex's large-format screen, Le Grand Large, was introduced in 1988. Measuring roughly 24.9 metres by 11.35 metres in its current configuration, it occupies almost the full width of the great hall and is deployed from the ceiling for selected screenings. The venue's Art Deco façade, roofs, hall, and interior decoration were protected as a French Monument historique by decree in 1981. The complex later expanded its role beyond conventional cinema. From the late 1990s it increasingly hosted festivals, concerts, solo performances, and special presentations. Its programming includes franchise marathons dedicated to properties such as Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Marvel films, Star Wars, and works connected with J. R. R. Tolkien. Rex Studios offers an interactive, approximately 50-minute behind-the-scenes course covering the building's history, cinema occupations, production techniques, and special effects. In 2021, the venue added an escape game created within the Rex Studios experience. Renovation has remained an ongoing priority: the great hall was refurbished in 2017, and the cinema underwent further renovation during the COVID-19 period. The pandemic caused a major interruption to operations in 2020, after a short-lived attempt to restart with retrospectives and themed marathons. Today, the Grand Rex operates as a hybrid cultural venue rather than simply a multiplex. It retains its role as a high-capacity cinema while selling a distinctive experience built around heritage architecture, technological spectacle, large-format presentation, seasonal water shows, celebrity appearances, and live events. It typically attracts close to one million visitors annually, although attendance varies with programming and external disruptions.
History
The Grand Rex was created during the expansion of the cinema palace in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Jacques Haïk, a producer, distributor, and cinema owner, wanted to build an unusually large and theatrical Paris venue capable of turning film exhibition into a complete spectacle. The design was entrusted to architect Auguste Bluysen and engineer John Eberson, specialists in the atmospheric-cinema tradition. Henri-Édouard Navarre designed the façade, while Maurice Dufrêne contributed to the interior decoration. Their concept placed spectators in an imagined open-air Mediterranean city beneath an artificial sky, with architectural reliefs and lighting creating the impression of an outdoor resort. The building was conceived in dialogue with American movie palaces, particularly Radio City Music Hall, although its final capacity was smaller than originally intended. The main hall opened on December 8, 1932, with The Three Musketeers and a large inaugural gathering that included Louis Lumière. Haïk's financial difficulties soon affected ownership, and the venue was sold to Gaumont before being acquired by Jean Hellmann, Alan Byre, and Laudy Lawrence. Its unusual scale and theatrical programming nevertheless established it as one of Paris's most important cinemas. During the Second World War and the German Occupation, the Grand Rex was requisitioned and used as a soldiers' cinema. A bombing in September 1942 damaged the building. It resumed public operations on October 13, 1944, after the Liberation of Paris, and briefly became a reception centre for repatriated prisoners of war between April and June 1945. The postwar Grand Rex developed a format that mixed cinema with stagecraft. Programs could include musical openings, newsreels, live performers, mechanical attractions, and a feature film separated by an intermission. In 1946, Pinocchio became the first Disney feature presented there. The venue participated in the transition to widescreen cinema, including a 1953 presentation of The Robe in CinemaScope. It also experimented with spectacular attractions. After the unsuccessful Miroir de Neptune in 1953, the Féerie des eaux premiered in 1954. Its combination of water jets, coloured lighting, music, and stage machinery proved successful and evolved into an annual Christmas tradition linked to Disney releases. Other notable developments included the inauguration of a large escalator in 1957 and the addition of smaller halls in 1974. The venue was officially protected as a Monument historique in 1981, covering its façade, roofs, main hall, and decoration. Its continued expansion added screening capacity without dividing the great hall, preserving the architectural impact of the original auditorium. In 1988, the Grand Rex installed Le Grand Large, a very wide screen designed to occupy nearly the full width of the hall. Its opening was associated with Luc Besson's The Big Blue, which achieved a substantial long-running ticket performance at the venue. By the late 1990s, the Grand Rex had expanded beyond regular film schedules to include festivals, concerts, individual performances, and promotional events. It became a regular location for premieres and appearances by directors, performers, and actors. The cinema's programming also developed a strong fan-event dimension through franchise marathons involving major fantasy, science-fiction, superhero, and young-adult properties. The 2000s brought both celebrity-driven attention and modernization. A 2002 appearance by Britney Spears for Crossroads caused a crowd disturbance outside the building, while digital signage was installed on the façade in 2009. The main hall underwent renovation in 2017, and the wider complex has continued to refurbish individual halls. Rex Studios transformed backstage and technical areas into an interactive visitor route explaining the venue's history and the work of cinema professionals. The experience includes filmed and live elements that place visitors in a simulated production environment. In 2021, an escape game was added to the attraction. The COVID-19 pandemic severely interrupted the venue's operations. An attempted reopening with retrospectives and themed marathons was followed by closure and further renovation. Despite the disruption, the Grand Rex retained its position as a major Parisian cinema and event venue. Its current business model combines mainstream and event cinema, large-format screenings, premieres, concerts, festivals, live shows, corporate or private events, educational entertainment, and seasonal attractions. The main auditorium seats more than 2,700 people, while the complex also contains several smaller rooms. The venue's long-term differentiation comes from the combination of historic architecture and contemporary event programming: visitors are offered not only a film but also a recognizable place, a stage spectacle, and a sense of occasion.
- 2021
Escape game added
[1]The Grand Rex added a cinema-themed escape game within Rex Studios.
- 2017
Great hall renovated
[1]The principal auditorium underwent renovation as part of the venue's continuing refurbishment program.
- 1997
Programming broadens to live events
[1]The Grand Rex increasingly opened its program to festivals, concerts, and solo performances.
- 1988
Le Grand Large installed
[1]The venue introduced a very wide screen designed to use the full span of the great hall.
- 1981
Historic protection granted
[1]The façade, roofs, great hall, and decorative elements were listed as a French Monument historique.
- 1974
Complex expands
[1]Three smaller halls were created in areas formerly used for dressing and rehearsal rooms, and the Rex Club replaced the former Rêve dance venue.
- 1954
Féerie des eaux begins
[1]The Grand Rex launched its successful water-and-light spectacle, later established as a Christmas tradition.
- 1944
Post-Liberation reopening
[1]The cinema reopened on October 13 after the Liberation of Paris.
- 1942
Wartime bombing
[1]The venue was damaged in a bombing during the German Occupation.
- 1932
Grand Rex opens
[1]The cinema opened on December 8 with The Three Musketeers and an inaugural audience of approximately 3,300 guests.
Products and positioning
A heritage-led, experience-oriented cinema and entertainment venue that combines monumental Art Deco architecture, large-format film exhibition, live performance, seasonal spectacle, and interactive cinema-themed attractions.
Cinema auditorium and live-event hall · 1932
The Great Hall
The signature auditorium seats more than 2,700 people and combines a large stage, balconies, leather seating, a luminous arch, and an atmospheric Mediterranean-style architectural setting beneath a simulated sky. It supports both film projection and live events, allowing the venue to alternate between large-format cinema, concerts, premieres, water spectacles, and other staged presentations.
Large-format cinema screen · 1988
Le Grand Large
Le Grand Large is a very wide retractable screen installed in the great hall. It is stored above the auditorium and lowered for selected screenings, occupying most of the available width. The screen is approximately 24.9 metres wide and 11.35 metres high, with projection supported by 4K equipment.
Seasonal stage spectacle · 1954
La Féerie des eaux
The Féerie des eaux is the Grand Rex's annual water, music, and lighting show. A large pool and hundreds of coloured water jets are installed on the stage, with water projected high into the air before a film screening. It is traditionally paired with a year-end Disney release and has been a recurring part of the venue's identity since 1954.
Interactive cinema attraction
Rex Studios
Rex Studios is an approximately 50-minute interactive route located behind the main screen and in backstage and technical areas. It presents the history of the Grand Rex, introduces cinema occupations and special effects, and uses filmed and pedestrian sequences to place visitors inside a simulated film-production experience.
Immersive entertainment · 2021
Cinema-themed escape game
Introduced within Rex Studios in 2021, the escape game uses several rooms inspired by themes and practices associated with cinema. It extends the venue's visitor-attraction strategy beyond guided interpretation into participatory entertainment.
Event cinema
Film premieres and themed marathons
The Grand Rex regularly hosts premieres involving film crews, as well as long-form franchise marathons. Past examples cited in reference material include Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Marvel, Star Wars, and works associated with J. R. R. Tolkien. These events turn screenings into fan gatherings with a strong ceremonial and community dimension.
Marketing campaigns
- 1988Le Grand Large launch presentation
France
The venue introduced its large-format screen with a high-profile presentation associated with Luc Besson's The Big Blue.
Outcome. The film had a long run and sold approximately 700,000 tickets at the Grand Rex according to the reference material.
- 1954La Féerie des eaux
France
The Grand Rex created a recurring water-and-light stage attraction to complement its film program after an earlier aquatic experiment failed. The spectacle became closely associated with the venue's Christmas programming.
Outcome. The attraction became an enduring annual tradition and a core part of the Grand Rex brand.
- Franchise and themed film marathons
France
The Grand Rex organizes extended screenings built around major film franchises and fictional universes, including Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Marvel, Star Wars, and Tolkien adaptations.
Outcome. These events reinforce the venue's reputation as a fan-oriented destination for communal cinema experiences.
Brand decisions
2021
Add an escape game to Rex StudiosProduct launchBackground
The venue's visitor-attraction business already used interactive interpretation and behind-the-scenes access.
Action taken
An escape game was created within Rex Studios using several cinema-themed rooms and puzzles.
Aftermath
The addition expanded the Grand Rex's experiential offer beyond screenings and guided tours.
1997
Broaden from cinema to live entertainmentStrategyBackground
The venue's stage, capacity, and architectural identity provided an opportunity to diversify beyond regular film exhibition.
Action taken
Programming was opened more broadly to festivals, concerts, solo performances, and other special events.
Aftermath
The Grand Rex developed into a hybrid cinema and concert venue with a broader cultural and commercial offer.
1988
Install Le Grand LargeProduct launchBackground
Large-format presentation was becoming an important differentiator for major cinemas.
Action taken
The Grand Rex installed a retractable screen spanning almost the entire width of the great hall and paired its launch with The Big Blue.
Aftermath
The screen strengthened the venue's position as a destination for unusually large-scale film presentation.
1954
Launch the Féerie des eauxProduct launchBackground
The venue wanted to restore a successful stage-attraction format after the failure of the Miroir de Neptune water presentation.
Action taken
It introduced a more elaborate water, lighting, and music spectacle using a large pool and high water jets.
Aftermath
The show became an annual Christmas feature and remains one of the venue's best-known offerings.
1932
Build a theatrical mega-cinemaStrategyBackground
Jacques Haïk sought to create a cinema substantially larger and more spectacular than a conventional Paris screening venue.
Action taken
The project used atmospheric-theatre architecture, a large auditorium, an elaborate façade, and an interior designed to simulate an open-air Mediterranean city.
Aftermath
The Grand Rex became one of Paris's most recognizable cinema palaces, although its original owner later encountered financial difficulties.
Recent events
- 2023
Oppenheimer premieres at Grand Rex[1]
Product launch
Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer was among the films receiving a premiere presentation at the venue.
- 2021
Grand Rex launches a cinema-themed escape game[1]
Product launch
An escape game was introduced within the Rex Studios experience, using rooms inspired by major themes of cinema.
- 2020
Madonna performs Madame X shows at Grand Rex[1]
Campaign · Other
Madonna staged eight performances of the Madame X Tour at the venue between February 22 and March 11; three planned performances were cancelled.
- 2020
COVID-19 disruption leads to closure and renovation[1]
Other
After a limited reopening with retrospectives and themed marathons, the cinema closed during the pandemic and underwent extensive renovation from December.
- 2009
Digital signage added to the historic façade[1]
Other
The façade received digital signs designed to illuminate and emphasize its Art Deco structure.
- 2002
Britney Spears appearance causes crowd disturbance[1]
Other
A screening of Crossroads attended by Britney Spears drew a large crowd; the resulting disturbance damaged some exterior windows.
- 1988
Le Grand Large opens as a landmark large-format screen[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The Grand Rex introduced Le Grand Large, a screen spanning much of the great hall and promoted as one of Europe's largest non-IMAX screens at the time.
- 1957
Grand Rex introduces a pioneering cinema escalator[1]
Other
An escalator replaced the venue's elevators and was inaugurated by Gary Cooper and Mylène Demongeot.
- 1954
The Féerie des eaux becomes a recurring Grand Rex attraction[1]
Campaign · Product launch
Following an earlier unsuccessful water attraction, the venue launched its successful water, music, and lighting spectacle, which became a Christmas tradition.
- 1946
Pinocchio becomes the first Disney feature shown at Grand Rex[1]
Product launch
The venue presented Pinocchio as its first Disney feature film screening.
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