Stade Pierre-Mauroy (Villeneuve-d’Ascq)

The Stade Pierre-Mauroy is a multi-use (Arena), retractable roof stadium (50,186 seats) in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, Lille (European Metropolis of Lille), Hauts-de-France; that opened in August 2012. It is located in the Hôtel de Ville quarter of Villeneuve d’Ascq and is the home stadium of Lille OSC. Initially named Grand Stade Lille Métropole, the stadium was renamed on 21 June 2013, just after the death of the former Mayor of Lille and former Prime Minister of France Pierre Mauroy.

General information

Official website: http://www.stade-pierre-mauroy.co.uk/

Arena capacity: 50,186 spectators

Address: 261 Boulevard de Tournai, 59650 Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 50.6118833°N 3.13042778°E

Year of construction: 2012

Construction cost: €282 million

Field: AirFibr (hybrid grass) lawn

Seating plan of Stade Pierre-Mauroy

When choosing a place in the stadium, use the Stade Pierre-Mauroy scheme above.

Where to buy tickets?

Tickets for Lille games can be bought online, by phone, at the ticket office at the stadium (opened: 2pm – 7pm), or at any of the Francebillet and Ticketnet sales points.

If tickets remain available, these can be bought at the ticket windows of Stade Pierre Mauroy on the day of the match. Lille attract decent attendances in their new home, typically around 30,000, but tickets should be easily available for most home games. Ticket prices for a regular match range from €13.50 for the upper and lower corner sections to €37.00 for an upper tier seat at the long side, but prices rise for a number of higher-profile matches. Tickets tend to be more expensive if bought on the day.

How to get there?

Stade Pierre Mauroy is located in the Lille suburb of Villeneuve d’Ascq about 6 kilometres south-east of Lille’s city centre and main railway station.

The stadium lies adjacent to the N227 motorway, which connects with the A1 and A27 further south and with the A22 in the north. Take exit 3 Villeneuve d’Ascq from the N227.

If using public transport, Stade Pierre Maroy is easy to reach by metro. Metro station Cité Scientifique and 4 Cantons Grand Stade both lie a short walk away from the stadium. Both are on metro line 1, which can be boarded in Lille’s city centre and at main railway station Gare Lille Flanders. Gare Lille Europe, where the Eurostar trains arrive, is a short walk away from Gare Lille Flanders.

An alternative is bus 18, which can be taken from the southern parts of Lille’s centre, e.g. metro stops République Beaux-Arts or Porte de Valenciennes. Take the bus in the direction of Villeneuve d’Ascq. It will pass right by the stadium.

The Stadium’s Car-Parks

Don’t forget to reserve your parking space in advance when you prepare your visit to the Stadium. In most cases you will benefit from preferential prices (depending on the event) in doing so. The corresponding information sheet for the event will help you to find your parking spot.

Zone A Car-Parks

In Zone A of the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium there are parking spaces for more than 3,500 vehicles (A1, A2, A3 car-parks). These car-parks all have exits leading directly on to the Stadium’s parvis for quick and easy access to the entrances.

A1 Motorcycle-Park

The A1 MOTORCYCLE-park has room for around 500 motorcycles and is free of charge for motorcyclists on event-days, subject to availability.

Access: Zone A – Rue de la Volonté 59260 Lezennes – GPS 50.611421 / 3.132847

A2 Car-Park

The A2 car-park has around 3,000 parking spaces. This car-park has an exit leading directly on to the Stadium’s parvis for quick and easy access to the Stadium entrances.

Access: Zone A – Rue de la Volonté 59260 Lezennes – GPS 50.609392 / 3.131061

A3 Car-Park

The A3 car-park is an underground car-park for the “Stadium Terraces”. This car-park has around 350 spaces and provides privileged parking facilities for the site’s hotels and restaurants. You can use this car-park on event days for a fee, subject to availability.

Access: Zone A – Rue de la Volonté 59260 Lezennes – GPS 50.61333 / 3.133733

Zone B & C Car-Parks

The zone B and C car-parks are located less than 5 minutes walk from the stadium, providing easy nearby parking facilities.

B1 Car-Park

The B1 car-park has 1,400 places and is 6 minutes walk from the Stadium on the Boulevard de Tournai.

Access: Zone B – 1438 Boulevard de Tournai 59650 Villeneuve d’Ascq – GPS 50.614385 / 3.139055

C1 Car-Park

The C1 car-park has 700 places and is 5 minutes walk from the Stadium’s South entrances on the Rue du Virage.

Access: Zone C – D146 (continuation of rue de Chanzy) 59260 Lezennes – GPS 50.607237 / 3.127279

C4 Car-Park

The C4 car-park has a capacity of 1,500 spaces and a “P+R” space (accessible 7 days/week on presentation of a TRANSPOLE ticket) and/or may be available for a fee for certain events. This car-park is located next to the “Quatre Quantons” metro station, 10 minutes walk from the stadium on a special footpath.

Access: Zone C – Avenue Henri Poincaré 59650 Villeneuve d’Ascq – GPS 50.604874 / 3.138459

C2 Bus Park

The C2 BUS-park provides free parking during Stadium events for coaches, subject to availability. It has spaces for 40 buses and is located near to the Stadium, access via a footbridge over the N227 main road.

Access: Zone C – 7 Rue Elisée Reclus 59650 Villeneuve d’Ascq – GPS 50.607965 / 3.133324

Car-parks are usually open 1h30 before the Stadium opens to the public and are closed one hour after the end of the event. We strongly recommend that you check the precise times in the event descriptions provided with ticket sales or on the Stadium website.

There are no special prices for disabled drivers. Special disabled parking spaces are available in each car-park (on purchase of a normal parking space). Maximum height is 1.9m, if your vehicle will not fit we recommend that you use the C1 car-park which has an uncovered area (normal parking space ticket).

Where to eat?

Outside the stadium, restaurants and kiosks provide good nourishment options.  The Stade Mauroy is an ‘out of town stadium,’ but the norm seems to be to head to the ground and soak up the surprisingly chilled atmosphere.  An English style pub called The Factory, a wine bar, Japanese cuisine and pizza are all found in an area called the terraces opposite the main club shop.

Additional food outlets include a quick burger restaurant, a panini café, and a Subway.  You can eat from a stall serving sausage & chips, beer, and soft drinks and sit outside, catching the last of the day’s sunshine.

Inside, there are the usual catering outlets ready to take your money.  Each seems to serve something different. The queues move very slowly, so you’ll have to be patient or very hungry to eat at the stadium.  Prices for a Parisienne or rosette baguette and a soda is 7 Euros.

Atmosphere

Architect firm Valode & Pistre, together with Pierre Ferret, were involved in the designs for this striking modern stadium, and they did a fine job.  The roof is retractable (in just 30 minutes). The pitch is sunk one tier below ground level and so from the outside the stadium does not look particularly imposing. Incredibly, the playing surface is built on massive tracks that hydraulically lift the pitch, making a more intimate capacity of 30k, all in the top stand.

There is a huge screen built into the outside of the stadium which has a covering of around 12,000 polycarbonate tubes and 70,000 LED lights.  Solar panels on the roof help to make the stadium self-sufficient.

Inside the stadium there are three tiers, with numerous hospitality boxes situated at the back of the second tier.  The noise is generated from the ultras behind both goals, starting with a rousing rendition of the club anthem to the tune of ‘Amazing Grace.’

The view from the corner of the third tier is good.

The lower tier has quite a meagre incline, but in the top tier, the steep steps ensure that you feel part of the action.

Neighborhood

During our visit we had the choice to eat in the centre of Lille, outside the stadium or inside the stadium.  We chose all three!

In Lille there is a fantastic rooftop restaurant called ‘Le Garden’ situated in the historic centre, Vieux-Lille,.  On a sunny day you’ll find a relaxed atmosphere, helpful service, and excellent cuisine.

Hotels, restaurants and large car parks are all available on the footprint of the stadium meaning if time is tight, you can avoid the city completely.

The recommendation however is to make time.  Lille is the tenth largest city in France, and fourth largest metropolitan area. In 2004 it was named the European Capital of Culture and is often known as the ‘Capital des Flandres.’ Visit the excellent tourism website before you set off. Here you can find details for the 24 and 48 hour City Tourism Pass, which provides unlimited access to 28 attractions across Lille and admission to the local metro, tram, and bus.

Be sure to spend some time in Vieux Lille (old Lille), the medieval city centre. It is the cultural heart of the city with cafes, restaurants, museums, old cobbled streets, and some great architecture.

Make sure you tick off Lille’s UNESCO world heritage site – the 104 metre high Bell Tower attached to the Hotel de Ville. It provides excellent views over the city and is one of 23 belfries in the north of France (and one in Belgium) recognised by UNESCO.

The city has numerous museums and art galleries. The Palais des Beaux-Arts museum is a beautiful looking building and second only to the Louvre in Paris.  Pop in to catch a glimpse of a Rubens or a Rembrandt.

Lille was traditionally a textile city and if you or the partner want to shop, head to the ‘Grand Place’ area of the city and you will literally find thousands of shops wanting to help you part with your Euros.  If you prefer markets, the Wazemmes is the one to head for.

For accommodations, the Mercure Lille Centre Grand Place is in a good location and has some good reviews.  If you want to stay out near the ground, then the Tulip Inn or the Park Lane are within a stone’s throw. Still near the stadium, but a bit cheaper, is the Hotel Premiere Classe.

Fans

In April 2018 it was reported that Lille players were forced to leave the field after being attacked by their own fans following a 1-1 draw with Montpellier. Security failed as hundreds of fans invaded the pitch after the full-time whistle to confront the home team.

Lille Ultras groups met with owner Gerard Lopez, who purchased the club in 2017, to agree on a way forward together; the subsequent pitch invasion suggests not all is well between fan and club.  One factor is the heightened expectation after the 2011 title win and another is five managers in a four year period.

Their main rain rivals are Lens – two big northern clubs, perhaps divided by class Lille (middle) and Lens (working).

Geographically they are just a 30 minute drive apart.

Average attendances peaked in the first season at the new stadium at an average of 40k. The following two seasons it fell to 38k then 36k.  The highest attendance during that time was 48,960 in 2014 v PSG. From 2016-2018 the average attendance has hovered around 30k.

Features

Stade Pierre-Mauroy has two floors or main levels. The full stadium level or Grand Stade reaches a height of 31 m (101 feet) and has a total capacity of 50,186 seats including 4,965 business seats, 1,842 luxury-box seats, 448 protocol seats and 326 reserved for the press.

The stadium has also a peculiarity: half of the Grand Stade field is situated on hydraulics lift and massive tracks that raise and slide it above the other half of the field in three hours. This creates a second lower level floor plan and surrounding seats called Boîte à Spectacles, where basketball, tennis or music shows can take place. The Boîte à Spectacles can be configured to have a variable capacity, from 6,900 to 30,000 seats. In November 2014, it hosted the 2014 Davis Cup finals between France and Switzerland, where an attendance record was broken for the highest-ever officially sanctioned competition tennis match. In 2017 it hosted the Davis Cup final again.

In addition, Stade Pierre-Mauroy has a retractable roof which opens and shuts in 15 minutes. The stadium is also recognised as a HQE Building with solar panels and two windmills to provide as electrical supply. The stadium is fully accessible by metro stations and road and includes 7,000 parking spaces.

History

Before the Grand Stade

In 1975, Lille OSC began playing at the Stade Grimonprez-Jooris, a 21,128-seat facility. When the club began to play European Competitions, the venue did not match UEFA standards, prompting the club to play its UEFA Champions League games at the Stade Félix-Bollaert, home of rival RC Lens, in 2001. Plans were soon made to build a new stadium which would match UEFA demands, but the project was postponed and finally cancelled due to struggle with preservationists who stated that the location chosen for the new stadium was too close to the 17th Century Citadel.

The club, left without a place to play, moved to the Stadium Nord which was smaller than Grimonprez-Jooris (18,154 seats) and did not fulfill UEFA demands. This situation forced the team, who had qualified for 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, to play at the Stade de France for its European matches. This solution was abandoned after two young LOSC fans lost their lives when they got hit by an incoming train after a game against Olympique Lyonnais.

New administration, new project

While LOSC was struggling with its stadium problems, the administrative landscape of the Lille area changed. The city was now included in a vast association with its enclosed neighbours, forming the Urban Community of Lille Métropole. The new administration, now in charge of the whole area, decided to launch a new stadium project. On 5 December 2006, an industrial bid for a 50,000-seat multi-purpose stadium, able to receive sport competitions, cultural shows and hold seminars, was launched.

The following January, three worldwide construction companies answered the call, each one with ambitious projects:

• Eiffage: a 50,000-seat capacity multi-purpose stadium, Meeting HQE standards with a retractable roof. The stadium has also a particularity: it can become a fully functional arena of 30,000 seats in only one hour: the Boite à spectacle.
• Bouygues: The project proposed by the company was highly effective in energy saving. The structure was geothermic and most of its power was produced by Renewable energy. The stadium would have a 50,127-seat capacity.
• Vinci: The project proposed by Vinci was the largest of the competition with a 50,921-seat capacity and a retractable roof. It would have been powered by 8000 m² of Solar panels

On February 2008, Eiffage was selected during a general meeting to build the stadium. The contract was officially signed between the two parties on October of the same year. Eiffage was given 45 months to complete the project

Stadium construction

On 10 July 2009, Eiffage received the building permit and authorisation to start preparatory works for the construction at the Borne de l’Espoir location in Villeneuve-d’Ascq. In December 2009, the final two cities of the Lille Métropole who had yet to sign the building permit joined the project and gave their authorisation. In February 2010, France officially became a candidate to organize the UEFA Euro 2016. The Grand Stade become the symbol of the candidature, boosting its public support. In March 2010, construction of access infrastructure (Subway, Highway, parking lots) began followed one week after by the beginning of the construction of the arena itself.

On 28 May 2010, France was officially chosen to organize the Euro 2016. Martine Aubry, who succeeded Pierre Mauroy at the head of LCMU and a big supporter of LOSC and the Grand Stade, expressed her wish to see the Grand Stade given a prominent amount of competition for the upcoming competition. Construction accelerated, with the first brick laid by the Eiffage CEO in September 2010. In 2011, the structure supporting the roof was put in place and constructions of the northern stand was completed by the end of that year. In 2012, the retractable roof, constructed in one piece, was successfully put in place in one day. Despite some legal delays, the stadium was delivered on schedule during the summer of 2012, in time for the 2012–13 LOSC season.