Stade de France

Before you travel

Confirmed · Bonjour RATP: Six Nations Tournament 2026: France / England, Saturday March 14 · Stade de France: How to get there · Stade de France: Stadium accessible arrival · Stade de France: What items/objects are prohibited at Stade de France? · Checked on 14 October 2026.

A national stadium on the Cornillon site

Stade de France opened on 28 January 1998 with a football friendly between France and Spain. Zinedine Zidane scored the only goal, giving France a 1–0 victory on the first evening in its new national stadium. Within the same year, the building became the setting for France’s World Cup triumph against Brazil.

The stadium was built in 31 months on a former industrial gas site in Saint-Denis. Construction required a system to capture gas emissions and protect people using the development. Michel Macary, Aymeric Zublena, Michel Regembal and Claude Costantini designed the building, with around 5,000 workers and more than 200 businesses contributing.

VINCI’s construction account dates the selection of the winning design to October 1994 and the building permit to 30 April 1995. The brief called for an 80,000-seat venue suitable for the 1998 football World Cup, with athletics and other uses built into the design. The architects took inspiration from the Pan Am Worldport terminal at New York’s JFK airport. That influence can be seen in the broad suspended roof, which reads as a separate floating element above the seating.

In 2025, GL events received the French state’s new 30-year concession to operate the stadium. Its announcement proposed €120 million of investment without interrupting activity, including hospitality changes and reconfigured visitor spaces. It also identified possible new formats such as baseball, American football and esports, alongside museum and restaurant development.

The Rolling Stones were the stadium’s first concert headliners on 25 July 1998, with Jean-Louis Aubert supporting. Subsequent performers listed by the venue include Johnny Hallyday, Céline Dion, Prince, U2, Beyoncé and Coldplay. That concert history began in the stadium’s opening year, alongside football and rugby.

New Zealand retained the women’s Olympic sevens title here on 30 July 2024, beating Canada 19–12. Risi Pouri-Lane ran 50 metres for the opening try, but Canada fought back after Portia Woodman-Wickliffe was sin-binned. Chloe Daniels levelled the score and Alysha Corrigan intercepted a pass to give Canada the half-time lead. Michaela Blyde scored after a quick tap by Jorja Miller, before Sarah Hirini broke through and passed to Stacey Waaka for the final New Zealand try. The result gave Woodman-Wickliffe and Tyla King a second Olympic gold as they retired. Earlier that day, Canada had beaten Australia 21–12 in the semi-final. The United States then took bronze with a 14–12 victory over Australia, Alex Sedrick running almost the length of the pitch for the decisive late try. USA coach Emilie Bydwell became the first woman head coach to win an Olympic rugby medal. France finished fifth after beating China 21–7, with Chloé Pelle scoring in her final appearance for the host nation. Great Britain defeated Ireland 28–12 in the seventh-place match, while South Africa earned their first Olympic victory against Fiji.

The 2025 Top 14 final required extra time before Toulouse beat Bordeaux-Bègles 39–33. Anthony Jelonch scored Toulouse’s first try and Jack Willis added two more, while Damian Penaud, Matthieu Jalibert and Guido Petti crossed for Bordeaux. Toulouse led 20–16 at half-time and later moved ten points ahead, but Petti’s try and Maxime Lucu’s conversion brought Bordeaux back into the contest. Lucu then kicked a late penalty to level the score at 33–33 and force extra time. Neither side scored during its first ten minutes. Thomas Ramos eventually settled the final with two penalties, securing Toulouse’s third consecutive championship and their 24th French league title. It was the first championship final to go to extra time in 20 years. Bordeaux had arrived as the recently crowned Champions Cup winners; the Toulouse victory prevented them from adding the domestic title to their European success. Lucu opened the scoring with a third-minute penalty and also landed a kick from around halfway. Ramos answered with penalties before the first tries. Pierre Bochaton’s second-half yellow card reduced Bordeaux to 14 during Toulouse’s pressure.

France retained the Six Nations title at Stade de France on 14 March 2026 with a 48–46 victory over England. Thomas Ramos kicked the winning penalty after the clock had passed 80 minutes. Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored four tries, two in each half, while England’s Ollie Chessum crossed twice, including a long interception run. England led 27–24 at the interval after France received a penalty try and Ellis Genge was sin-binned. Antoine Dupont then helped create tries for Bielle-Biarrey and Théo Attissogbe during the numerical advantage. Marcus Smith came off the bench to score on his 50th England appearance, and Tommy Freeman’s late try appeared to have secured the visitors’ victory before Ramos’s final kick. France wore a light-blue strip marking 120 years of the fixture. The teams scored 13 tries between them, seven for England and six for France. An English win would have given the championship to Ireland. England’s other tries came from Tom Roebuck, Cadan Murley and Alex Coles. France prop Demba Bamba was also sin-binned late in the game, before Freeman’s score put the visitors ahead for the final time.

Ireland beat defending champions South Africa 13–8 here in the 2023 Rugby World Cup pool stage. Mack Hansen scored Ireland’s only try in the 33rd minute, with Johnny Sexton converting. Cheslin Kolbe replied after half-time, but South Africa missed four attempts at goal through Manie Libbok and Faf de Klerk. Sexton’s penalty restored Ireland’s lead, and replacement Jack Crowley added another with three minutes remaining. South Africa selected seven forwards and one back on their replacements bench; scrum-half Cobus Reinach was the sole reserve back. Ireland lost six attacking lineout throws but resisted the Springboks’ final rolling maul close to their own line. Bundee Aki was named player of the match. Jamison Gibson-Park had returned to the starting side, with Conor Murray moving to the bench. Murray later forced a crucial Pieter-Steph du Toit handling error as South Africa pressed inside the Irish 22. James Lowe also forced an important turnover by holding Eben Etzebeth upright to form a maul. Crowley’s final penalty followed an Irish scrum close to the South African line, after his attempted drop goal had been charged down.

Zinedine Zidane’s first goal in the 1998 World Cup final came in the 27th minute, when he headed Emmanuel Petit’s corner past Brazil goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel. Zidane scored again before half-time, also from a corner. France played the closing stages with ten men after Marcel Desailly received a second yellow card in the 68th minute. Petit completed the 3–0 victory in added time, finishing a counterattack. The final took place on 12 July at Saint-Denis, with Aimé Jacquet managing the French team.

Our pick (opinion): The 2025 Top 14 final is our favourite story to revisit before coming here: Toulouse and Bordeaux took the championship into extra time on this pitch.

Confirmed · UEFA: Fine first decade for Stade de France · Stade de France: The Stade de France, a courageous gamble that has become the pride of France · VINCI Construction Projets: Stade de France · GL Events: GL events concession announcement for Stade de France · Stade de France: Our main events · World Rugby: Olympic Games Paris 2024: New Zealand claim back-to-back gold on dramatic finals day · LNR: Finale TOP 14 : Le Stade Toulousain est sacré champion de France ! · FIFA: Zidane’s 1998 final · Reported · Sky Sports: France 48-46 England: Thomas Ramos' last-gasp penalty snatches Six Nations title win after 13-try thriller · Sky Sports: Match Report - South Africa 8 - 13 Ireland · Checked on 14 October 2026.

World Cup tension and a home Olympic gold

South Africa won the 2023 Rugby World Cup final here by beating New Zealand 12–11. Handré Pollard supplied all twelve Springbok points through four penalties, while New Zealand stayed within one score despite playing much of the match a man down. A late Jordie Barrett penalty attempt missed, and South Africa secured a fourth men’s world title.

The 2007 Rugby World Cup final also ended with South Africa lifting the trophy at Stade de France. They beat England 15–6 in a match settled entirely by penalty goals: four from Percy Montgomery and one from François Steyn against two from Jonny Wilkinson. The official match record places the game at Saint-Denis on 20 October.

France completed the 2022 Six Nations Grand Slam with a 25–13 victory over England at Stade de France. It was the team’s first championship title and clean sweep since 2010. Antoine Dupont scored the third French try as the home side pulled clear after England had kept the contest alive.

France won men’s rugby sevens gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics by beating Fiji 28–7 in this stadium. The final was level at 7–7 at half-time before Antoine Dupont entered and changed the second half. He created Aaron Grandidier Nkanang’s try and scored twice himself. Fiji had won both previous Olympic men’s tournaments without losing a match, so the French victory ended that unbeaten run as well as delivering a home gold medal.

The same Olympic medal session gave South Africa bronze after a 26–19 victory over Australia. In the final, France’s last try came after a lineout with the clock already red, extending the celebration beyond the moment when the result was effectively secured.

Confirmed · World Rugby: NZL 11-12 RSA: South Africa win tense final to claim fourth men's Rugby World Cup · World Rugby: World Rugby 2007 final statistics · Six Nations Rugby: France are 2022 Guinness Six Nations champions! - Guinness Men's Six Nations · World Rugby: Olympic Games Paris 2024: France win gold after Dupont brace · Checked on 14 October 2026.

Choose the railway for your side of the stadium

For its 2026 France–England travel guide, RATP gives Saint-Denis–Porte de Paris on Métro line 13 a five-minute approach to the north-side gates J, K, L, N, R and S. The train must be on the Saint-Denis Université branch of line 13. The same operator directs east-side spectators at gates A, B, C, D, E, G and H towards La Plaine–Stade de France on RER B, with a ten-minute walk.

RATP’s general stadium guide identifies both RER B at La Plaine–Stade de France and RER D at Stade de France–Saint-Denis as rail options. It also lists tram T8 to Saint-Denis–Porte de Paris.

RATP’s 2026 rugby guide also includes line 14 to Saint-Denis–Pleyel, with a twenty-minute walk for the southwest side, and line 12 to Front Populaire, with a twenty-five-minute walk. Its departure advice allows substantially longer for some walks when crowds are leaving together.

The stadium’s driving directions identify exit 2 on the A1 and exit 9 on the A86 for the stadium area. Event parking must be purchased in advance because parking tickets are not sold on the day. Its gate allocation recommends P1 for N, R, S, T, U, X and Y; P2 for H, J, K, L, N and R; and P3 for Z through K on the eastern side.

Cyclists have a dedicated parking area on Rue de Brennus, less than 200 metres from the stadium, with 1,000 self-service spaces listed by the venue. Secure cycle parking is also available at the RER B and D stations through Île-de-France Mobilités. The stadium distinguishes these from the nearby shared-bike docking stations, including Place du Cornillon and Francis de Pressensé.

Confirmed · Bonjour RATP: Six Nations Tournament 2026: France / England, Saturday March 14 · RATP: How do I get to the Stade de France? · Stade de France: How to get there · Checked on 14 October 2026.

Sixty food outlets and Avenue Jules Rimet restaurants

The stadium advertises sixty catering outlets with hot, cold, sweet and savoury choices. Its catering statement says sandwiches are prepared on the event day and highlights suppliers based within one hundred kilometres of the ground. Reusable cups form part of the offer.

La 3ème Mi-temps is at 33 Avenue Jules Rimet, 93210 Saint-Denis, opposite Porte B. The restaurant has a terrace and advertises sports broadcasts, with a DJ during stadium events. Its example menu includes an Auvergne salad with Cantal cheese, potatoes and country ham, salmon, pasta and pizzas.

Le Balyann is at 23 Avenue Jules Rimet, 93210 Saint-Denis, opposite Porte C. Its published examples include Angus beef onglet, sea bream with sweet potato and lamb shank with rosemary. It also describes a selected wine list and a DJ for stadium events.

The ground’s permitted-items list includes homemade sandwiches, individual pieces of fruit, small binoculars, external phone batteries and standard backpacks up to fifteen litres. Its prohibited list includes suitcases of any size and larger bags, which cannot be left in the gate deposit service.

The stadium lists plastic water bottles of up to fifty centilitres without caps among accepted items, while noting that organisers can vary container rules. Non-folding umbrellas, prams, scooters, professional cameras and detachable-lens cameras appear on the prohibited list. The policy also distinguishes small flexible flagpoles from rigid large-diameter poles.

Confirmed · Stade de France: Catering Offer at Stade de France: Menus for Your Events · Stade de France Restaurants: La 3ème Mi-temps · Stade de France Restaurants: Le Balyann · Stade de France: What items/objects are prohibited at Stade de France? · Checked on 14 October 2026.

A floating roof above a movable lower tier

The stadium gives its football and rugby configuration as 80,000 spectators and its athletics configuration as 78,000. Around 25,000 seats can move to achieve the required layout. Eighteen monumental staircases form a visible part of the architecture and lead towards the upper seating. The roof is suspended from eighteen masts, each sixty-one metres high, and sits forty-two metres above the pitch.

VINCI describes a roof covering about six hectares, including a one-hectare glazed portion. Rainwater runs through pipes inside the supporting masts, and the original lighting and sound equipment were incorporated into the roof. The glass was designed to moderate contrast for spectators while admitting sufficient daylight for the grass. The contractor’s account also describes lifting thirty-six heavy roof components into position, illustrating why the seemingly light floating outline was a substantial engineering undertaking.

The stadium’s own rugby seating guide points to the lower East Stand for proximity to the pitch and to the middle tier’s quarter bends for a broader view of play and goal-kicking. It identifies the north corner of the middle stand as an area associated with a livelier supporter atmosphere.

The official seat viewer is event-specific and asks visitors to enter their seat details before displaying the corresponding perspective. The stadium labels that view as non-contractual. Its guidance also separates ordinary seats from private boxes and hospitality areas, which have their own service arrangements.

For Paris 2024, Mondo replaced the stadium’s blue athletics surface with a purple track chosen to match the Games’ visual identity. Grey areas recalled the cinder track used when Paris hosted the Olympics in 1924. The stadium installation covered 15,570 square metres, with another 7,544 square metres laid at the neighbouring training track. Across the two sites, Mondo supplied 1,168 rolls of prefabricated surface, averaging 250 kilograms each. The material was manufactured in Alba, Italy, over roughly two months. Six installers and technicians worked at the main stadium between March and June 2024; two additional workers joined the team for the training-track installation. The finished surface was the company’s Mondotrack with Ellipse Impulse Technology. Mondo also supplied athletics equipment including hurdles, landing beds, high-jump and pole-vault bars, cones and lane markers. After the Games, some equipment was redistributed, while other items were checked and reconditioned for further use.

Our advice (opinion): We would use the stadium’s seat viewer before choosing a block: in a bowl this large, the actual perspective matters more to us than a stand name.

Confirmed · Stade de France: The Stade de France, a courageous gamble that has become the pride of France · VINCI Construction Projets: Stade de France · Stade de France: Where's my seat? · Mondo Worldwide: Athletics Track and Equipment for Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 · Checked on 14 October 2026.

White-jacket assistants and a sensory room

The stadium’s accessible-arrival guidance says PSH ticket holders and their companion can use the closest gate, even when it differs from the gate printed on the ticket. Inside, access assistants wear white jackets and can accompany spectators by the most suitable route to their place. A dedicated assistance hotline, 01 55 93 00 31, operates during events.

A free sensory room provides a quieter place for people sensitive to noise, lights or crowds. Depending on the event organiser, audio-description equipment, touchscreen tablets or vibrating vests may also be available on loan against identification, with collection inside Gate S. The stadium identifies priority service counters at the side of refreshment stands and states that seat delivery and click-and-collect are currently unavailable.

Accessible seats are described as being at the top of the lower stands, with several seat categories available. For France rugby internationals, the stadium directs ticket and parking enquiries to the French Rugby Federation; for the Top 14 final, it directs them to the Ligue Nationale de Rugby.

The accessible parking page provides one complimentary parking space per order and event for eligible parking-card holders, subject to availability. It recommends P1 and P3 and identifies P4 as a possible drop-off location. Requests for French rugby matches go through the FFR, while Top 14 requests go through the LNR.

The stadium’s accessibility register, updated in July 2025, records a first phase of works during 2019–2021 and completion of the final phase in 2022. Authorities gave a favourable opinion on the completion file in September 2023, with seven requested exemptions accepted by the relevant commissions.

Confirmed · Stade de France: Stadium accessible arrival · Stade de France: How to book your tickets · Stade de France: Book Parking · Stade de France: Accessibility for People with Disabilities · Checked on 14 October 2026.

Sleeping opposite the gates and exploring Saint-Denis

Novotel Suites Paris Stade de France is at 31 Avenue Jules Rimet, 93210 Saint-Denis, opposite the stadium. Accor lists thirty-square-metre suites accommodating up to four people, with a refrigerator, microwave, kettle and separate shower, bath and toilet arrangements.

Accor identifies four rooms for people with reduced mobility at this property and describes the hotel as wheelchair accessible. Its food offer includes a shop with prepared dishes, salads and desserts that can be taken to the suite.

Saint-Denis has a major historic destination beyond the stadium: the basilica cathedral and its royal necropolis. The Centre des monuments nationaux describes the building as a twelfth- and thirteenth-century Gothic monument, becoming a cathedral in 1966, with around seventy recumbent sculptures and tombs. Among the royal figures represented are Dagobert, Francis I, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette.

The basilica’s visitor programme includes the royal necropolis, crypt and apse, together with access to the Fabrique de la Flèche construction site. Visitor guides are available in English as well as French, German, Spanish and Italian. Its interpretation also highlights the south rose window restored in 2021 and chancel stained glass restored in 2023.

Confirmed · Accor: Novotel Suites Paris Stade de France · Basilica of Saint-Denis: History of the monument · Basilica of Saint-Denis: Tours and activities - CMN · Checked on 14 October 2026.

What the tour and mobile ticket actually include

The stadium tour follows a behind-the-scenes route through players’ changing rooms and the tunnel towards the pitch. The permanent exhibition is included in the tour ticket and can be visited beforehand. Its collection covers construction and events from 1995 onwards through archives, models, videos, shirts, costumes and signed guitars. The stadium warns that works and event preparations can change the route and sometimes hide the pitch, so a tour offers access to the building without promising an identical itinerary on every date.

Cultival, the booking operator linked by the stadium, describes the standard guided visit as approximately ninety minutes. Its route includes the dressing rooms, players’ tunnel, press room and presidential boxes, allowing visitors to see spaces not normally accessible with a spectator seat. The tour also explains the different people working behind an event, from production and sound teams to hospitality and security.

For events using the STADEFRANCE Tickets app, the official guide says tickets become active the day before the event. The buyer signs in with the purchasing email address and can transfer tickets to guests through the app. Minors without their own smartphone can have their tickets presented by an accompanying adult.

The stadium supplies a free high-density Wi-Fi network named Stade de France. Its published connection process uses a web identification portal, where visitors can enter an email-based account or the other listed sign-in method. The service is described as available throughout the ground.

The stadium’s official ticket exchange operates for only part of its programme. It handles eligible tickets bought through the stadium website, while packages and VIP seats are excluded from resale. The published system limits resale prices to no more than face value.

Explore Paris club rugby, the Six Nations and rugby accommodation.

Confirmed · Stade de France: Official stadium tour · Cultival: Cultival stadium tour operator · Stade de France: Easily retrieve and transfer your m-ticket · Stade de France: Stadium Wi-Fi · Stade de France: Stade de France ticket exchange: Buy & Resell tickets · Checked on 14 October 2026.

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