Groupama Stadium is the home of Olympique Lyonnais, a modern 59,186-capacity arena in the Décines-Charpieu district on the eastern edge of Lyon that opened in 2016 and quickly became one of the finest grounds in France. Demand for Groupama Stadium tickets is driven by a big, historically successful Ligue 1 club, by the visits of Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille, and by the ground's status as a major event venue that has staged the European Championship, a Europa League final and the Women's World Cup final. The stadium's formal name is the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, and it is nicknamed the Stade des Lumières. 1BoxOffice is a verified secondary marketplace established in 2006, with seat-level detail at checkout and a 150% money-back guarantee if a ticket fails to grant entry on matchday.
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This guide is written for the supporter making the trip, not the browser. It covers the tram out from Lyon Part-Dieu and the matchday shuttles, how the two virages and the side tribunes are arranged around the pitch, where away fans sit, the bag rules and the entry process, the food and wine of Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France, and the story of a club-built modern arena on the edge of the city. By the end you should know how an Olympique Lyonnais matchday runs.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Parc Olympique Lyonnais, known as Groupama Stadium |
| Location | Décines-Charpieu, Lyon, France |
| Capacity | 59,186 |
| Opened | 9 January 2016 |
| Architect | Populous |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Home Club | Olympique Lyonnais |
| Home Ends | Virage Nord and Virage Sud behind the goals |
| Record Attendance | 58,257 against Paris Saint-Germain in 2025 |
| Nearest Tram | Décines OL Vallée on the T3 line, then a short walk |
Groupama Stadium sits in Décines-Charpieu, around twelve kilometres east of the centre of Lyon, on a large site well away from the city that also holds the club's training centre, an indoor arena and a hotel. Because it is out of town, planning the journey matters more than at an inner-city ground, but the tram and the matchday shuttles connect it well to the centre and the airport. The usual approach is to base yourself in central Lyon, one of the great cities of France, and travel out to the ground by tram.
The most useful route is the T3 tram from Lyon Part-Dieu, the main railway station, running east to the Décines OL Vallée stop, from where it is around a ten-minute walk to the stadium. The T3 is frequent and the simplest way in for most supporters. On matchday additional shuttle trams and buses run to the ground from connection points on the network, starting a couple of hours before kick-off, so allow time and follow the matchday signs from the tram stop to the turnstiles.
From Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport the Rhônexpress tram runs into the city, and supporters can change at Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie for a matchday shuttle towards the stadium, or continue to Part-Dieu for the T3. On matchday a shuttle service links the ground to several points on the public-transport network, which is the easiest way to reach a stadium set well outside the centre. Check the current shuttle arrangements before you travel, as the exact points and times are set for each fixture.
Lyon Part-Dieu and Lyon Perrache are the main railway stations, both well connected to Paris by high-speed train in around two hours and to the rest of France, with Part-Dieu the natural interchange for the T3 out to the ground. The stadium is too far from the centre to walk, so the tram is essential, but from the Décines OL Vallée stop the final stretch is a short walk. For those staying nearer the ground in the eastern suburbs, local access is straightforward.
By road the stadium is reached from the ring roads and motorways around Lyon, and as a modern out-of-town ground it has large car parks on site, though spaces must be booked in advance through the stadium website, with a charge for cars and free parking for motorcycles. The car parks and the approach roads get busy for a sell-out, so book early and arrive in good time. Even with the parking provision, many supporters find the tram and the matchday shuttles easier than driving to a ground on the edge of the city.
Parking at Groupama Stadium is more plentiful than at most European grounds because it was built on a large open site, with several on-site car parks serving the stadium and the surrounding leisure complex. The key point is that spaces must be booked in advance through the stadium website, with a charge for cars and free parking for motorcycles, so turning up on spec is not the way to do it. The car parks and the roads around the site fill for a sell-out and clear slowly afterwards, so drivers should book early and arrive with time to spare. For many visitors the T3 tram and the matchday shuttles remain the simpler choice than driving out and parking, but the bookable car parks are a genuine option for those coming from further afield.
Groupama Stadium is a modern rectangular bowl with two continuous tiers running right around the pitch, topped by a distinctive wave-shaped roof that covers the seats, and with the stands built close to the pitch to keep the atmosphere strong. The ends behind the goals are the two virages, the home of the most vocal support, while the two long sides hold the main tribunes with the premium and hospitality areas. As a stadium built in 2016 it has excellent sightlines and modern facilities throughout, with few poor seats anywhere in the ground.
The Virage Nord and Virage Sud behind the goals are the home of Olympique Lyonnais's ultras, the loudest sections of the ground where the flags, banners and singing come from. These are the areas to target for the fullest atmosphere, in the French tradition of the virage behind the goal, and they generate the noise that carries a big European or Ligue 1 night. The steep two-tier design puts the support close to the pitch and makes the virages the heart of the stadium.
The two long sides are the main tribunes, one carrying the premium seating, the hospitality boxes, the media positions and the tunnel, with the higher-priced seats and the best central view along the length of the pitch, and the other holding more general seating along the touchline. These side stands offer a calmer setting than the virages with clear views of the play, and as a modern ground the concourses, catering and facilities behind them are of a high standard. The central rows of the main tribune give the best tactical view of the game.
Visiting supporters are housed in a designated section of the ground, usually in a corner or a part of one of the virages, with the exact location and allocation set for each fixture, so away fans should check the details for their specific game. For a big Ligue 1 match or a European tie the arrangement can change, so confirm the section before travelling. As a modern stadium the ground has strong accessibility provision, including positions for wheelchair users with companion spaces and step-free access, though published detail on exact numbers is limited, so supporters with access requirements should contact the club before the match. The table below matches a section to what you want from the day.
| Priority | Recommended Sections |
|---|---|
| Atmosphere | Virage Nord or Virage Sud behind the goals |
| Tactical overview | Main tribune, central rows |
| Close to pitch | Front rows of the lower tier |
| Calmer view | Side tribune seated areas |
| Budget-friendly | Upper tier and the corners |
| Away fans | Designated away section (confirm per fixture) |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair-user bays with companion spaces (request at purchase) |
Lyon has a continental climate, with warm and sometimes hot summers, cold winters that can bring fog and frost, and changeable weather in spring and autumn. The wave-shaped roof of Groupama Stadium covers the seats well and keeps most of the crowd dry, a real advantage over an open ground, though wind-driven rain can still reach the front rows and the open corners. For an autumn or winter fixture a warm and waterproof layer is sensible, while the late-summer and early-season matches are usually comfortable under the covered stands, and an August evening in Lyon can be very warm.
Like other grounds in France, Groupama Stadium runs a firm bag policy with searches on entry, tightened by the security measures in place at French stadiums, so the sensible approach is to travel light. Large bags and rucksacks are best left at your accommodation, since oversized bags are refused and there is no guarantee of a bag store. Standard prohibited items apply, including bottles, cans, outside alcohol, pyrotechnics and flares, and any object judged dangerous. Bring photo identification, as it may be checked on entry for some fixtures. Check the club's matchday guidance for the current bag size limit before you travel, and arrive early to clear the search on a busy day.
Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France, with one of the greatest food and wine cultures of any city in Europe, so the build-up to a match is a real pleasure, even though the ground itself is out in Décines with the fuller choice in the city. Building the day around central Lyon, with the tram out to the ground, is the natural approach.
Lyon is famous for its bouchons, the traditional Lyonnais restaurants serving hearty local dishes such as quenelles, andouillette, salade lyonnaise and charcuterie, washed down with the wines of nearby Beaujolais and the Côtes du Rhône. The old town and the Presqu'île in the centre are full of bouchons, brasseries and wine bars, and a meal in the city before the match is one of the highlights of a football trip to Lyon. The city sits between two great wine regions, so the local wine list is exceptional.
Out at the stadium the surrounding OL Vallée complex has some bars and eating options, and the fan areas around the ground serve the usual matchday fare, but the choice is far greater in the city. Central Lyon, around Bellecour, the Presqu'île and the old town of Vieux Lyon, has a huge range of restaurants, bars and cafes that fill with supporters before a match. Because the ground is out of town, gathering in the centre and taking the tram out is the standard approach.
Inside Groupama Stadium the concourses are modern and serve French matchday food and drink, with a good standard of catering for a large arena. As a 2016 ground the facilities are excellent, with plenty of outlets around the concourses. For a fuller meal, eat in the city beforehand, where the bouchons and brasseries of Lyon are among the best reasons to make the trip, then take the tram out to the stadium.
Olympique Lyonnais use digital ticketing, so for most fixtures the ticket sits in your phone wallet or the club's app and is scanned at the turnstile. Load the ticket, charge your phone and turn the screen brightness up before you reach the entrance, since a saved screenshot can fail to scan when a barcode refreshes. Gates open ahead of kick-off to let the crowd filter in, and with a bag search, a possible identity check and a crowd arriving by tram and shuttle at once, the entrances get busy in the last half hour. Aim to be at the ground in good time rather than joining the final rush from the tram stop, particularly for a big Ligue 1 or European night.
Leaving an out-of-town ground means relying on the tram and the shuttles, which run late to clear the crowd back towards the city.
The T3 tram from Décines OL Vallée and the matchday shuttles carry the crowd back towards Part-Dieu and the connection points on the network, with services running late after the match, the last shuttle leaving close to midnight. The tram stop and the shuttle points are busy immediately after a sell-out, so either move quickly with the first wave or wait a few minutes for the initial crush to clear before heading back. The frequent late service means you are not stranded, but allow time to get back into the centre.
Drivers should expect the on-site car parks and the approach roads to clear slowly when a full house leaves at once, so a patient exit towards the ring roads and motorways is the usual pattern. Following the signed routes away from the site is the quickest way out, but the tram and shuttles avoid the worst of the congestion, which is why many supporters leave the car behind and take public transport to an out-of-town ground like this.
The natural way to end a matchday is to take the tram back into central Lyon and settle into a bouchon or a wine bar in one of the best cities in France for food and drink. The simplest way to beat any post-match crowd is to let the first wave clear before heading back, and with the late trams and shuttles there is no need to rush. An evening in the old town or on the Presqu'île is a fine end to a football trip to Lyon.
Groupama Stadium opened on 9 January 2016 as the new home of Olympique Lyonnais, replacing the old Stade de Gerland in the city, which had become too small and outdated for a club of Lyon's ambitions. The new ground was built out at Décines-Charpieu on the eastern edge of the city as the centrepiece of a large leisure and sporting complex, and it was privately financed by the club at a cost of around four hundred million euros, a landmark project in French football and one of the first big club-owned stadiums in the country. Designed by the stadium architects Populous, it gave Lyon a modern 59,186-capacity arena with a distinctive wave-shaped roof.
The stadium was built partly to serve as a venue for the 2016 European Championship, and it hosted six matches at that tournament, the first of many major events. In 2018 it staged the Europa League final, and in 2019 it hosted the semi-finals and the final of the Women's World Cup, a fitting stage given that the Olympique Lyonnais women's team is the most successful in European football. It has since hosted matches at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the football tournament of the 2024 Olympic Games, along with the Women's Nations League finals, confirming its place as one of the leading multi-event stadiums in France.
On the pitch Olympique Lyonnais are one of the most successful French clubs of the modern era, having won a long run of Ligue 1 titles in the 2000s and been a regular in the Champions League, with the men's and women's teams both bringing European nights to the ground. The move from Gerland to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais marked the club's shift to a modern, self-owned home, and the stadium has since set its attendance records against the biggest visitors, including a league record of 58,257 against Paris Saint-Germain in 2025 and a European record against Manchester United earlier the same year.
The stadium's history since 2016, verified by contemporary records, is already rich for so young a ground. It hosted matches at the 2016 European Championship, the 2018 Europa League final and the 2019 Women's World Cup final, when the United States won the tournament in front of a full house. Olympique Lyonnais's own European nights, against the leading clubs of the continent, have produced the biggest occasions for the home crowd, while the women's team has brought Champions League football to the ground. The visits of Paris Saint-Germain and the fierce Olympico against Marseille remain the standout Ligue 1 fixtures, drawing the record crowds that fill the virages.
Groupama Stadium is a modern, club-owned arena less than a decade old, so there is no question of a rebuild, and its future lies in continuing as one of the leading stadiums in France for both football and major events. The surrounding OL Vallée complex, with its indoor arena, training facilities and hotel, gives the site room to grow as a sporting and leisure destination, and the stadium itself remains a regular choice for finals, internationals and concerts alongside the club's home fixtures. The ground gives Olympique Lyonnais a stable, modern home for the long term, and its record as an event venue is likely to keep bringing big occasions to Décines.
As a stadium opened in 2016, Groupama Stadium has strong accessibility provision designed into a modern ground, including positions for wheelchair users with companion spaces, accessible facilities and step-free access. The exact number and location of accessible spaces are not widely published, so supporters with access requirements should contact the club well before the match to confirm the available seating, arrange any companion ticket and check the route into the ground and from the tram stop. The tram and the matchday shuttles give reasonable access to a ground set outside the city, and the club can advise on the most suitable arrangement for a given fixture, including the best transport option on the day.
The fixtures that move Groupama Stadium tickets fastest are the visits of the biggest French clubs and Olympique Lyonnais's European nights. The match against Paris Saint-Germain is the standout league draw, and you can follow it on the Lyon vs Paris Saint-Germain tickets page, with the visitors' own listings on the Paris Saint-Germain tickets page. The fierce Olympico against Marseille is the other huge fixture, covered on the Lyon vs Marseille tickets page and the Marseille tickets listings. The full home programme sits on the Lyon tickets page. When the club qualifies, the knockout and group nights of the Champions League tickets calendar bring the biggest European occasions to the ground, where the virages are at their loudest. Early-season fixtures against mid-table sides are the most accessible and sometimes available closer to kick-off. Secondary-market prices move with demand, so treat any figure as indicative rather than fixed and buy early for the marquee matches.
1BoxOffice is a verified secondary marketplace that has operated since 2006, showing seat-level detail before you pay and backing every order with a 150% money-back guarantee if a ticket fails to grant entry on matchday. The eight steps below cover the process from finding a fixture to tracking your order.
Step1
Find the fixture
Go to the Groupama Stadium listing on 1BoxOffice and select the match you want. Each fixture shows the available stands, rows and current pricing before you commit to a seat.
Step2
Check the seat detail
Use the stand and price filters to compare sections. Seat location and row are shown against the venue layout, so you can weigh a virage behind the goal against a calmer main-tribune seat before deciding.
Step3
Confirm the supporter section
Make sure the block matches who you are travelling with. Home and visiting-supporter areas are listed separately, and away fans are routed to the designated away section confirmed for each fixture.
Step4
Review before checkout
Check the delivery method and the kick-off time against your travel plans, and remember the ground is out at Décines, so allow for the tram journey. Ligue 1 and European kick-off times can shift with broadcast scheduling, so verify the date and time before you book travel or a hotel.
Step5
Create your account
First-time buyers should create an account to complete checkout and receive the ticket. Returning customers simply log in. An account keeps your order and delivery details in one place.
Step6
Complete payment
All major credit and debit cards are accepted. The 150% money-back guarantee applies automatically to every order if the ticket fails to grant entry on matchday.
Step7
Receive your ticket
Tickets for Olympique Lyonnais fixtures are typically issued digitally. Keep the live ticket in your wallet or the club's app ready to scan, and avoid relying on a saved screenshot that may fail at the turnstile.
Step8
Track your order
Follow delivery status and manage your booking through track order. Digital tickets arrive ahead of the match so you can travel with everything ready.
Lyon makes a rewarding football trip, one of the great cities of France, famous for its food and wine, its Renaissance old town and its position between the Alps, Provence and Burgundy. Fly into Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport and take the Rhônexpress into the city, or arrive by high-speed train from Paris in around two hours. Base yourself in central Lyon, around Bellecour, the Presqu'île or Vieux Lyon, with the T3 tram out to the ground on matchday. Remember that the stadium is well outside the centre at Décines, so allow time for the tram and shuttle, that photo identification may be checked on entry, and that booking any car parking in advance is essential. Set aside time for the bouchons and the wines of Beaujolais and the Rhône.
With the region rich in things to see, many supporters build a longer trip around the match. If you are lining up other fixtures, the football tickets hub, the wider football tournaments calendar and the venues tickets directory show what else is on, while tournament travellers follow the World Cup tickets hub. In and around Lyon, the Renaissance old town of Vieux Lyon, the Fourvière basilica on the hill, the traboules and the Presqu'île, and the wine country of Beaujolais and the Rhône valley all reward a matchday trip to the city.
Groupama Stadium holds 59,186, making it one of the largest club grounds in France. Opened in 2016, it is a modern two-tier bowl with a wave-shaped roof covering the seats, excellent sightlines and the two virages behind the goals as the loudest sections. It has set attendance records of over 58,000 against Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United.
Take the T3 tram from Lyon Part-Dieu east to the Décines OL Vallée stop, then walk around ten minutes to the ground. On matchday extra shuttle trams and buses run from connection points on the network, starting a couple of hours before kick-off. The stadium is around twelve kilometres from the centre, so the tram is essential.
Yes. Groupama Stadium is at Décines-Charpieu on the eastern edge of the city, around twelve kilometres from the centre, too far to walk. The T3 tram from Part-Dieu and the matchday shuttles are the way to reach it, so base yourself in central Lyon and allow time for the journey out and back.
Yes, there are large on-site car parks, but spaces must be booked in advance through the stadium website, with a charge for cars and free parking for motorcycles. They fill for a sell-out and the roads clear slowly afterwards. With the tram and shuttles available, many supporters find public transport easier than driving out and parking.
Yes, though members and season-ticket holders get first access and the biggest fixtures against Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille sell out fast. Public sales for remaining tickets are limited, which is why a verified secondary marketplace is often the realistic route for visitors, with seat detail shown before you pay. Photo identification may be checked on entry.
Travel light, as large bags and rucksacks are refused and there is no guarantee of a bag store. Expect a search, and possibly an identity check, at the entrance under French stadium security rules. Bottles, cans, outside alcohol, pyrotechnics and flares are prohibited. Check the club's matchday guidance for the current bag size limit before you travel.
The two virages behind the goals, the Virage Nord and Virage Sud, are the home of Olympique Lyonnais's ultras and the loudest parts of the ground, with flags, banners and singing. Target them for the fullest atmosphere. The main tribunes along the sides are calmer and better suited to a clear tactical view of the game.
Visiting supporters are housed in a designated section, usually in a corner or part of one of the virages, with the exact location and allocation set for each fixture. The arrangement can change for a big Ligue 1 match or a European tie, so away fans should always check the details for their specific game and follow the guidance issued with the ticket.
Yes. As a ground opened in 2016 it has strong accessibility provision designed in, including positions for wheelchair users with companion spaces and step-free access. The exact number of spaces is not widely published, so contact the club before the match to confirm the seating and arrange it in advance, including the best route from the tram stop.
Gates open ahead of kick-off to let the crowd in, typically well over an hour before a Ligue 1 match. With a bag search, a possible identity check and a crowd arriving by tram and shuttle at once, the entrances get busy in the last half hour, so aim to arrive in good time. The precise opening time is confirmed with your ticket.
The concourses serve French matchday food and drink, and the surrounding OL Vallée complex has some bars and eating options. The real draw is Lyon itself, the gastronomic capital of France, with its bouchons serving quenelles and charcuterie and the wines of Beaujolais and the Rhône. Eat in the city before taking the tram out to the ground.
Groupama Stadium opened on 9 January 2016, replacing the old Stade de Gerland. It was privately financed by Olympique Lyonnais at a cost of around four hundred million euros and designed by the architects Populous, giving the club a modern 59,186-capacity home built partly to host matches at the 2016 European Championship.
It hosted six matches at the 2016 European Championship, the 2018 Europa League final and the semi-finals and final of the 2019 Women's World Cup. It has also staged 2023 Rugby World Cup matches, the football tournament of the 2024 Olympic Games, the Women's Nations League finals and major concerts, making it one of the leading event stadiums in France.
Face-value Ligue 1 prices at Lyon are reasonable by European standards, with the upper tier and the virages among the cheaper areas. Resale prices depend heavily on the opponent, with Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille and European nights the most expensive. Secondary-market prices move with demand, so treat any figure as indicative rather than a promise.
Central Lyon is the best base, around Bellecour, the Presqu'île or the old town of Vieux Lyon, with the T3 tram out to the ground on matchday. Staying central puts you among the bouchons, wine bars and sights of one of the great cities of France, and near Part-Dieu for the tram to the stadium and back after the match.
Olympique Lyonnais issue tickets digitally, so the barcode sits in your phone wallet or the club's app and is scanned at the turnstile. Charge your phone, turn up the screen brightness and load the ticket before you arrive. A saved screenshot can fail to scan when a barcode refreshes, so rely on the live ticket, and bring identification in case it is checked.
It is known as one of the best modern stadiums in France, a club-owned arena with a distinctive wave-shaped roof that has hosted the European Championship, a Europa League final and the Women's World Cup final. It is the home of Olympique Lyonnais and their record-breaking women's team, and the loud virages behind the goals give it a strong atmosphere.
The ground is out at Décines, so the attractions are in the city. The Renaissance old town of Vieux Lyon, the Fourvière basilica on its hill, the traboules and the Presqu'île, and the bouchons and wine bars of the centre all reward a trip, with the wine country of Beaujolais and the Rhône valley a short journey away.
Groupama Stadium is the home of Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1, and the ground for the club's highly successful women's team, the most decorated in European football. It also hosts France national team matches, major finals, rugby and concerts, making it a leading multi-event venue as well as a club ground.
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Sources: Olympique Lyonnais (ol.fr), Groupama Stadium and OL Vallée access information, TCL and Rhônexpress transport, and Ligue 1 and stadium reference records. Information was gathered in July 2026 and may change; check sources for the latest details. 1BoxOffice is not affiliated with Olympique Lyonnais or Groupama Stadium. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.