Located in the north of the capital, a few steps from the Parc de la Villette, Glazart is a venue not to be missed on a night out in Paris.
This multidisciplinary art space draws people from all walks of life particularly foreign visitors to the
capital. Paris News met with its manager, Arnaud Perrine, who plays a big role on the Parisian nightlife scene.
How would you define Glazart?
A.P.: Glazart is an eclectic venue, both a concert hall and club, with an artistic programme representing all
musical genres, from electro to indie rock, as well as punk or even hip hop, but it’s still quite specialized. It’s
also a place where we organize exhibitions, which we generally try to link to the music programme. In fact,
Glazart is special in that it has various functions, each with a really strong identity, and their own rules and
audiences. Rock fans aren’t the same as those who like dubbed concerts, whilst electro clubbers are different
again. Yet we seek to create the same standards of artistic direction for each of these areas. We have a dedicated
team here for each job that really works hard with scheduling.
When is the best time to party at Glazart?
A.P.: Concerts are organized from Wednesday to Saturday, whilst Fridays and Saturdays are more about clubbing.
In the summer, we have an open-air programme at ‘la Plage’, a 400m2 space with soft sand and a real summery
feeling!
What are the advantages of being in the north of the capital? Does this lead to a certain type of audience?
A.P.: We’re aware that we are outside the main clubbing areas, and the capital’s general centre.
Nonetheless, this position does give us substantial benefits. Firstly, we have plenty of space – 300m2 indoors,
and a 400m2 beach – which would have been much more expensive in the centre. This space is also multipurpose,
due to its recent construction… We aren’t classed as a historical monument, and even better, we’re able
to do whatever we like with the walls! The other advantage is that we don’t have any neighbours, which enables
us to have our outdoor programme during the summer. Finally, Glazart’s clientele are motivated, involved, and
choose to come here; they’re not just here because they are passing by and see the lights. This allows us to
avoid a strict entry process, but to offer a secure, yet welcoming and convivial atmosphere from the moment
you enter.
The 19th arrondissement is also a continually-changing district, focused on culture …
A.P.: Yes, you can really tell, the 19th offers a huge number of cultural and musical sites per square kilometre!
There are the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie, the Zénith concert hall, the Grande Halle de la Villette, the
Trabendo, the Cabaret Sauvage, the Centquatre, Rosa Bonheur at the Buttes-Chaumont … all of which attract an
important audience, as well as lots of tourists. We have high hopes for the future in this district with all of the
development that’s going on: the tramway, the Macdonald hall. I’d recommend that foreigners come to Glazart,
to discover an authentic and contemporary side of Paris.
So, the capital’s foreign visitors are welcome at Glazart!
A.P.: More than ever! We really think that foreigners have less hang-ups when it comes to going clubbing in
Paris, and they will have even fewer if we give them a friendly and protective welcome, with advantages too.
Paris isn’t just the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre; it’s also all of these places that make the city lively in all respects.
And it’s especially a cosmopolitan city, made up of people from all over whose eclectic identity contributes to
that of the city. That is how we define ourselves as a Parisian venue without being ultra Parisian! We want
people to meet others from Spain, England, South America, New Zealand, etc. at Glazart. For the capital’s foreign
visitors, we’ve developed a special offer, in partnership with the St-Christopher’s Inn youth hostel, located close
to the canal Saint-Martin: guests there can buy priority entrance tickets in advance at half price, €5 instead of
€10.
Is this Parisian identity also reflected in the music programme?
A.P.: We have a really international programme, with well-known top billings (I’m thinking George Clinton) but
nonetheless, Paris is a real pool of talent that we regularly dip into, notably on the electro music scene. Things
have moved on a little since Piaf! Laurent Garnier, Daft Punk or David Guetta, in another genre, are a good
representation of this generation of internationally recognized Parisian DJs.
Which places in Paris would you say are like you?
A.P.: The Batofar is a bit like us, with good quality concerts and clubbing. As for electro, I think that Glazart is
similar to the Rex club, the reference in Paris for this music; even if the latter is unbeatable!
How would you describe a Parisian night out?
A.P.: I think that a Parisian night out is so many things, it would be best to talk about Parisian nights out as
a plural. All styles are represented, all ambiances: big cathedral discos, mini clubs, etc. The difficulty in the
past was to find information on nights out, places to go … In the past year, the Parisnightlife.fr website has
enabled people to get that information and it’s a real revolution! New technologies, Facebook and Twitter, also
contribute to this development. Finally, last month, the first Nuits Capitales took place in Paris. Five days of
partying in 50 places with over 500 artists; it was a great success. And it’s especially a sign of recognition of
the vitality of Parisian nights out and those who work each day to make them happen. Even if we’re historically
a rather “underground” site (Glazart has existed for 15 years), we are thrilled that Parisian nightlife is becoming
more accessible and that it’s interesting the wider public and institutions. The Techno Parade is no longer just
a place for a specific crowd, and today major national radio stations take part with floats! That’s great!
Do you think that we go out and party differently today?
A.P.: Yes, of course. Firstly, with new technologies, we exchange photos of nights out instantly; we let our friends
know where we are, etc. I also think that the public likes to party in 3D: it’s not just what you come to listen to
that counts, but also the place itself and the people who are there. This all gives a soul to partying.
GLAZART
7-15 avenue de la Porte de la Villette, Paris 19th
Tel +33 (0) 1 40 36 55 65
www.glazart.com
OTHER CULTURAL VENUES IN THE 19TH ARRONDISSEMENT
LE CABARET SAUVAGE
Parc de la Villette
Pedestrian access via 59 boulevard Macdonald, Paris 19th
Tel +33 (0) 1 42 09 01 09
www.cabaretsauvage.com
LE CENTQUATRE
104 rue d’Aubervilliers/5 rue Curial, Paris 19th
Tel +33 (0) 1 53 35 50 00
www.104.fr
CITÉ DES SCIENCES ET DE L’INDUSTRIE – UNIVERSCIENCE
30 avenue Corentin Cariou, Paris 19th
Tel +33 (0) 1 40 03 75 75
www.cite-sciences.fr
LA GRANDE HALLE DE LA VILLETTE
Parc de la Villette
211 avenue Jean Jaurès, Paris 19th
Tel +33 (0) 1 40 03 75 75
www.villette.com
ROSA BONHEUR
Parc des Buttes Chaumont
2 allée de la Cascade, Paris 19th
Tel +33 (0) 1 42 03 28 67
www.rosabonheur.fr
LE TRABENDO
Parc de la Villette
211 avenue Jean Jaurès, Paris 19th
Tel +33 (0) 1 49 25 89 99
www.trabendo.fr
LE ZÉNITH
Parc de la Villette
211 avenue Jean Jaurès, Paris 19th
www.zenith-paris.com
ARNAUD PERRINE’S ADDRESS BOOK
LE BATOFAR
Port de la Gare, Paris 13th
Tel +33 (0) 9 71 25 50 61
www.batofar.org
LE REX CLUB
5 boulevard Poissonnière, Paris 2nd
Tel +33 (0) 1 42 36 10 96
www.rexclub.com
ST. CHRISTOPHER’S INN
159 rue de Crimée, Paris 19th
Tel +33 (0) 1 40 34 34 40
www.st-christophers.co.uk/paris-hostels
Hotels in regio Parijs