© Corinne JAMET
This is also known as the “Grand Stade” - and for good reason! Just outside Paris, offering seating capacity for 80,000, a record surface area of 17 hectares and unusual architecture, this high-level sports complex can only be admired and is a unique draw for tourists from the world over. The top French and international sports and cultural events are all found on the Stade’s calendar. This major sports complex may be visited when events are not taking place, meaning visitors can get an overview of the Stade’s history.
Stade de France - La Plaine Saint-Denis, 93. RER Stade de France
© OTCP David Lefranc
The AccorHotels Arena is an extremely versatile sports centre, exceptionally adaptable to all kinds of events, making it the top "sports and entertainment" complex in the French capital. Competitions are held here, but also concerts and international events of all kinds. It can hold an impressive number of spectators: cycling trials can seat 7,000 spectators; competitive sports, 8,000; tennis, 14,000; boxing, 17,000, and so on.
AccorHotels Arena - 8 boulevard de Bercy, Paris 12e. Métro Bercy / RER Gare de Lyon, Bibliothèque François Mitterrand
© OTCP DR
The Parc des Princes was an Olympic site in 1900 and has hosted two World Cups and several European Cup finals. Open to both soccer and rugby (59 Five Nations Championships have been played here), it has also hosted 54 Tour de France finishes as well as a great many other major sports events. In recent times Parc de Princes has refocused on more medium-sized events as compared to the larger Stade de France. With seating for 48,000, the stadium is still a major monument in French sports and the third largest stadium in France; it has been home to the Paris-Saint-Germain Football Club since 1974.
Parc des Princes (Parc des Princes stadium) - 24 rue du Commandant Guilbaud, Paris 16e. Métro Porte de Saint-Cloud
© OTCP DR
The Roland Garros tennis stadium, at the Bois de Boulogne's edge, has been the temple of world clay-court tennis for over 80 years. Of its 24 courts, the three main ones are the central Philippe Chatrier court, the Suzanne Lenglen court and Court No. 1; it is here that each year tennis players and fans gather for the eagerly-awaited Roland Garros international tennis open. The greatest names in tennis have played historic matches here, and some of today's leading players achieved their top ranking on its famous red clay. Note: The ticket office at Roland Garros opens in February each year.
Stade Roland Garros (Roland Garros tennis stadium) - 2 avenue Gordon Bennett, Paris 16e. Métro Porte d'Auteuil
© OTCP Marc Bertrand
The three Parisian racecourses, each in its own domain, liberally sprinkle the international calendar with high-profile races. Horse racing has been a strong tradition in Paris for over a century now, and these major events (Prix d'Amérique, Grand Steeple Chase, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Prix du Président de la République...) draw a varied audience of connoisseurs and the curious.
2 route de la Ferme, Paris 12e - Métro Château de Vincennes
Named for its location in Paris alongside the Bois de Vincennes, this is France's top horse racing track for harness racing and the less well-known mounted trot racing. Each year Vincennes hosts 153 meets with 1 255 races.
Route des Lacs, Paris 16e – Métro Porte d’Auteuil
Covering 44 hectares, the Hippodrome d’Auteuil is considered the leading French horse riding venue for hunt racing (hurdles, chases). In 2012 the central lawns will be devoted to competitive sports, along with the field hockey to be transferred from nearby Stade Jean Bouin.
Route des Tribunes, bois de Boulogne, Paris 16e – M° Porte d’Auteuil
Architect Antoine-Nicolas Bailly built this hippodrome on the grounds of the Royal Abbey of Longchamp. Located today in western Paris, it has five galloping tracks ranging from 1 000 m to 2 750 m in length. Exhibition rugby matches are also staged here regularly.
© OTCP DR
The Stade Français (rugby), Paris Volley, Paris Handball, Paris Judo: the capital’s professional teams have sizeable local followings and give their fans their money’s worth at the many sporting events on the Paris calendar. And Paris-Saint-Germain, French champion and the current holder of the Ligue 1 Cup, needs no introduction: the club has won international renown since it was set up in 1970
Discipline: Handball - Level: Division 1
Discipline: Football - Level: League 1
Discipline: Rugby - Level: top 14
Discipline: Volleyball - Level: Pro A
Rugby was given a top-grade venue with the opening, in the summer of 2016, of the Stade Jean-Bouin, the home ground of rugby union club Stade Français. Located at Porte d’Auteuil, a stone’s throw from Parc des Princes, the stadium originally built in 1925 was given a complete makeover by architect Rudy Ricciotti. An asymmetric and undulating structure, this shrine to rugby now accommodates up to 20,000 spectators.
Rugby goes supersize! The future stadium of rugby club Racing Metro 92 will be located in the heart of La Défense. The Arena 92 is an ambitious project designed by French architect Christian de Portzamparc. Both a stadium and a show venue, the Arena 92, which will take the form of an amphitheatre, is a project on a very large scale with capacity for up to 40,000 concert-goers, plus a 2,400 m2 giant screen (the largest in the world).
Sebastien Charlety stages and Pershing are the two main stages featuring athletics in Paris.
Route du Bosquet Mortemart, Paris 12. Métro Porte de Vincennes
Near the Bois de Vincennes and long devoted to soccer, the Pershing Stadium is today a modern sports complex where basketball and competition sports have pride of place.
99 boulevard Kellermann, Paris 13. Métro Maison Blanche
Focused on competition sports, the Charléty has a soccer field; a multipurpose court seating 1500; rooms for specific sports such as weight lifting, gymnastics or martial arts; eight tennis courts; and squash courts.
