Stade de France – stadium description

Why was Stade de France built?

The origins of the Stade de France date back to a key political decision taken in the late 1980s, seventy years after the construction of Stade Yves-du-Manoir. At the time, the French government pledged to provide France with a modern national stadium that would meet modern technical and commercial requirements. Discussions about building a new national venue began during the bidding process for the 1998 World Cup. During these preparations, it was noted that the lack of a suitable stadium infrastructure could be a weak point in the French bid for the Summer Olympics.

It was understood that without a stadium of this scale, France would risk being marginalised in the international sporting and cultural arena. The country would not be able to meet the increasingly demanding technical standards, the complex expectations of entertainment event producers or the growing commercial demands. Following the announcement of the decision to award France the hosting of the World Cup, on July 2, 1992, it was guaranteed that the new stadium would be fully covered and break the tradition of not building new facilities specifically for one-off sporting events.

Design work began in 1994 and was based on modern technology. The stadium design was tested in a wind tunnel to ensure that the structure could withstand winds in excess of 145 km/h. The use of crowd simulation software made it possible to design a facility that could be evacuated in less than 10 minutes. The stadium was designed to be modular, with wide movement zones, which allowed for easy adaptation to different types of events and efficient assembly and disassembly. It was the first stadium designed after the 1985 Stade du Heysel tragedy, which influenced the inclusion of the highest safety standards. The construction of the facility was also intended to revitalise the Plaine Saint-Denis area, which includes the municipalities of Saint-Denis, Aubervilliers and Saint-Ouen. It was planned that the development would attract new residential and commercial investment, supporting the development of this neglected area.

Due to the importance of the project, the Council of State oversaw the construction and financing of the stadium. It was agreed that the facility would be built in close proximity to the Paris metropolitan area, and that the investors and operators of the stadium would receive financial support for 30 months after completion. The architectural design was developed by renowned architects Michel Macary, Aymeric Zublena, Michel Regembal and Claude Constantini, associated with CR SCAU Architecture.

All building permits were obtained on April 30, 1995, and the first works started just two days later. The ceremonial laying of the foundation stone took place on September 6 of the same year. Construction of the roof cost €45 million and the mobile platform took more than a year to complete. The total cost of building the stadium was €364 million.

How did name Stade de France come about?

During the design phase, the stadium was referred to in French as the Grand Stade (Big Stadium). On December 4, 1995, the Ministry of Sport announced a competition for the official name of the venue. In the end, the stadium was named Stade de France (Stadium of France) on the recommendation of Michel Platini, who proposed the name.

When was Stade de France inaugurated?

The Stade de France was inaugurated on January 28, 1998 during a friendly football match between France and Spain. The meeting, which took place in front of 78 368 spectators including President Jacques Chirac, ended in a 1:0 victory for France. The first match of the national rugby team was played at the stadium just five days later, on 2 February, France defeating England 24:17 in front of 77 567 fans.

What does Stade de France look like?

The stadium's roof cost more than €45 million to build. Its elliptical shape symbolises the universality of sport in France. Covering six hectares and weighing 13,000 tonnes, the roof is considered a masterpiece of engineering. It was designed to protect 80,000 spectators without obstructing the view of the pitch. All lighting and sound systems, including 550 floodlights and 36 blocks with five speakers each, are housed inside the structure so as not to restrict visibility. Tinted glass in the roof reduces contrast and distributes natural light, filtering out red and infrared radiation but letting in blue and green light, essential for the health of the pitch.

The stadium's stands will accommodate 80,000 spectators in football and rugby configurations, 78,000 in athletics configurations, and up to 100,000 for concerts with a central stage. 25,000 seats are movable, allowing for flexible adaptation of the stadium layout. The Stade de France is the largest modular stadium in the world. The grandstands are divided into three levels, with the lower level holding 25,000 seats and being partially retractable. To reveal the running track and athletics jumps, the rear sections are lowered by 7.1 metres and the inner sections retract by 15 metres, using ten elements weighing 700 tonnes each. The transition to this configuration involves 40 people and takes 80 hours.

Access to the middle level is provided by 22 bridges, located on level 3, where restaurants, entertainment areas, shops and a central security point are located. The upper level, on level 6, is accessible via 18 staircases. Evacuation procedures at the Stade de France begin around 15 minutes before the venue closes, with full evacuation times depending on the number of participants and conditions.

The stadium's pitch is 11 metres below ground level and covers an area of 9,000 square metres (120 metres long and 75 metres wide). The first pitch was sown in 1997 using almost a billion seeds. Today, the grass is delivered in 1.2m x 8m rolls, and changing the turf requires three days of preparation and five days of installation. Changes are made several times a year as required. Unlike many stadiums, the Stade de France does not have a turf heating system, due to the fact that the venue was built on the site of a former gas plant where there was a risk of explosion.

As part of the infrastructure upgrade, the stadium was fitted with two new giant screens in September 2006. Their surface area is 58% larger than the previous screens installed in 1998. The new screens consist of almost 4.5 million LEDs, providing faster response times and higher brightness.

In 2002, the International Association of Bridges and Structures (IABSE) gave the stadium an award for its exceptional structure, highlighting the "attractiveness of the open architecture, elegance and natural lightness" of the facility. On 26 November 2021, the Stade de France was awarded "Outstanding Contemporary Architecture" status. This distinction highlights its importance as a key element of the relationship between Paris and its suburbs, contributing to the revitalisation of the Greater Paris area.

What happened at Stade de France in 2015?

On November 13, 2015, in one of a series of coordinated shootings and bombings in Paris, the Stade de France was the target of a terrorist attack. Two small explosions took place outside the stadium during a friendly match between France and Germany, attended by the then French President François Hollande. However, the terrorists did not manage to enter the stands of the stadium. An explosion could be heard inside the stadium and many thought it was a firework explosion inside the stadium. The attacker wanted to infiltrate the stadium but was panicked when he saw security. The authorities, aware of what had happened outside the stadium, decided to continue with the match for fear that its cancellation would cause panic. Since then, the stadium has improved its counter-attack training and strengthened its security and French police have issued new guidelines, which have been met with mixed reactions.

How is Stade de France perceived by French?

Stade de France is an undisputed symbol of sporting France and a favourite venue for sporting events, as evidenced by the data. As many as 93% of French people are familiar with the stadium and 88% of visitors consider it part of the national heritage. Moreover, 80% of visitors feel a strong connection to its name. This information comes from a survey conducted in 2023 by Opinion Way.

What sporting events has Stade de France hosted?

Six months after the inauguration of Stade de France, the French national football team returned to the stadium and defeated Brazil in the final of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, winning their first world title. The stadium hosted the group matches, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of this tournament. In 2003, the Confederations Cup matches were also played here.

Stade de France has also hosted three UEFA Champions League finals - in 2001, 2006 and 2023. In each of these, a team from Spain triumphed: twice Real Madrid and once FC Barcelona.

The stadium is also the home of the French national rugby team, hosting key matches for Les Bleus. The venue has hosted two Rugby World Cup tournaments - in 2007 and 2023 - becoming the only stadium in the world to have hosted both the Football and Rugby World Cup finals.

During UEFA Euro 2016, Stade de France was one of the main stadiums of the tournament, hosting the opening match (France's 2:1 victory over Romania), the final (Portugal's 1:0 win over France after extra time) and three other matches, including the quarter-finals.

During the 2024 Paris Olympics, Stade de France became the central arena for athletics. It also hosted the 7-a-side rugby competition and the closing ceremony of the Games.

On April 11, 2015, the noise generated by 80,000 fans at Stade de France during the Coupe de la Ligue final reached 109 decibels, setting a world record for the loudest stadium recorded during a football match.

What non-sporting events did Stade de France host?

As only national teams play at Stade de France, the stadium is also used for concerts to reduce the annual maintenance costs of the venue. The first concert here was performed by The Rolling Stones.

Some of the world's biggest stars have performed on this iconic stage, including Céline Dion, whose concert attracted over 180,000 spectators and was immortalised in an album and concert film. Bands such as U2, Madonna, Beyoncé, Coldplay and Metallica have also filled the stadium.

In particular, Coldplay's 2022 concert series stands out, when the band gathered more than 300,000 spectators during four performances, setting several attendance records.

On May 12, 2012, French heavy metal band Gojira performed at the Stade de France in support of Metallica during their European Black Album Tour. The sound during Gojira's performance reached 120 decibels in the backstage corridors, breaking the record for the loudest sound recorded in the stadium.