Bordeaux: 168 dancers set a French cancan world record on the reflecting pool

Froufrou, froufrou... Under their colorful petticoats, more than a hundred women reaffirmed their love of freedom and gathered on the reflecting pool in Bordeaux, this Wednesday, to perform the largest French cancan in the world. According to the justice commissioner, present to observe the facts, exactly 168 people contributed to establishing this record on the legendary scene of the Place de la Bourse. The video, certified by the bailiff, must be filed with Guinness World Records to obtain the official world record label from the institution.

Organized as part of the Bordeaux Métropole International Arts Festival (FAB), this challenge brought together dancers from nine cabarets in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, including those from L'Ange Bleu, well known to Bordeaux residents, and students from the national cabaret school of Brive-la-Gaillarde. “When I was asked to organize this French cancan world record, I said okay, but we’re going out of cabarets, we’re going out of dark rooms, and we’re organizing it in this emblematic place that is the reflecting pool. What interests me within the framework of the FAB is to bring culture into the public space,” explains Sylvie Violan, the director of the FAB.

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Showcase of the cabaret season, organized by the Ministry of Culture from September 18 to December 18, 2026 in France, this giant French cancan wants to bring cabaret up to date. Popular dance is recognized by the State as a symbol of French heritage, which it carries within itself even in its name. To improve its image and make French people want to frequent the 200 establishments that exist in France, the Ministry of Culture launched the cabaret plan in 2025. “The cancan is a heritage space of joy and conviviality which connects all the cabarets of France. It is important that this dance is recognized and supported to begin its revival,” declares to Le Figaro Laurent Vinauger, delegate for Dance and cabaret referent for the Ministry of Culture.

The dancers present enjoyed performing on stage in the heart of the “Belle Endormie”, in front of the thousands of onlookers gathered for the occasion. “It was a chance to participate in this project, we had a lot of fun,” confides Marie, one of them. In her eyes, the French cancan is a symbol of “freedom”, “woman’s emancipation” and “sorority”. “The power of women taking back the streets a little, that doesn’t hurt,” adds another. In a much less modest society than that which saw the birth of the French cancan in the popular balls of the 1820s and 1830s, the event attracted a large audience. According to the FAB, nearly 8,000 people, including families and young children, attended the event.