Where can I watch sport in Lyon?

Where to watch football?

How could one not start with the flagship stadium based in Décines-Charpieu? The setting for Olympique Lyonnais’ future exploits, the Groupama Stadium hosts OL matches twice a month, with a capacity of nearly 60,000 seats. The stadium also hosted the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

If women’s football is more your speed, the Terrain Gérard Houllier stadium, located at the heart of the men’s team’s training centre and named after the late back-to-back winning French championship manager, is home to the OL women’s team for most of their first division championship matches, with a capacity of 1,524 seats.

Undoubtedly the liveliest facility in the entire region, equipped with its Stéphane Diagana athletics hall, the Stade de Balmont, is the “Mecca” for professionals in this category. The stadium comes alive thanks to the AS Duchère team’s footballing talents.

Where to watch basketball?

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GUINAND Léo

Inaugurated in 1995, the Astroballe offers a capacity of 5,600 seats. It is the stronghold where the still legendary French basketball club ASVEL’s prowess shines. Delaney Rudd, Jim Bilba, Alain Digbeu, Tony Parker, Greg Beugnot, Edwin Jackson, Alain Gilles (who never actually played there), and so on. All these names feature on the ceiling of this Villeurbanne temple.

Since its inauguration in November 2023, the LDLC Arena has been the location of LDLC ASVEL’s major European fixtures in the EuroLeague. You can watch their games in this recently built behemoth that further enhances Lyon’s sports scene, which was already well-equipped to host sporting events. The Arena, which also serves as a concert venue, can accommodate 16,000 people, a sufficient capacity for watching French national basketball games or even American wrestling during the WWE Backlash event.

The ASVEL women’s team’s competitions are changing location, now taking place at the Palais des sports de Gerland – Grand palais. Previously, ASVEL played in the Mado Bonnet hall, in the 8^th arrondissement, but this 1,200-seat venue proved too small, particularly for hosting European matches.  The team has found a new home at the Palais des Sports, which has been renovated to accommodate nearly 5,300 seats.

Where to watch rugby?

Once a prime location for the men’s OL team’s greatest successes, the Matmut Stadium Gerland, former stronghold of Lyon football, was transformed in 2017. Since then, it has become the playing field for LOU Rugby, a team that has established itself as a safe bet in the Top 14.

Function room

Matmut Stadium de Gerland

353 avenue Jean Jaurès - 69007 Lyon 7ème

Voir la fiche

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Ingrid Moya

Where to watch ice sports?

Whether it’s ice hockey or figure skating, you will be well catered for. With its public capacity of 4,200 seats, the Charlemagne ice rink is an impressive municipal facility that does not just welcome casual skaters. You can also see ice dancing, figure skating or even intense hockey with the Lyon Hockey Club…

Similarly, the Baraban, Lyon’s second ice rink, welcomes the public for several competitions. Short-track speed skating, figure skating and amateur hockey tournaments can all be viewed here.

Where to watch tennis?

While it is usually a temple for basketball players, the LDLC Arena is also set to be the venue for the first edition of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Grand Prix in October 2026. This ATP 250 tournament marks the grand return of top-level tennis to Lyon, bringing together some of the best players on the circuit alongside stars of the discipline, such as the so-called “4 Musketeers” Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gaël Monfils, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon.                        

Competitive sport

Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

5 Avenue Simone Veil - 69150 Décines-Charpieu

www.olvallee.fr/evenement/grand-prix-auvergne-rhone-alpes-lyon-2026/

Voir la fiche

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LDLC Arena

To make sure you don’t miss a thing, here’s our selection of the major sporting events taking place in Lyon over the coming months and years!