There, something I left out again, and found me a picture (even if not my best…. ) to write this post for the memories of always, I have to admit only been there once, for a Johnny Hallyday concert on May 30, 2009 at the high point of his Tour 66 tour ; surprise no sporting event , but passed by it several times over the years, This is team France home ,the Stade de France ,and it is in Saint Denis ,dept 93 Seine Saint Denis north of Paris. Come here for the sporting event with plenty of time as it gets crowded and not so much to go at nights. Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Stade de France is the largest French stadium, comprising 80,698 seats , The architecture of this stadium is inspired by the Worldport of the American airline Pan Am (my airline and proud to have worked in its credit union in blue lagoon miami!) which was located at John-F.-Kennedy International Airport in New York , Built for the needs of the 1998 Football/Soceer World Cup in France to replace the Parc des Princes deemed too small, it was also designed to host various sporting events: football, rugby, athletics, motor racing. It can also host concerts, major shows and events, etc, The construction site began on May 2, 1995 but the laying of the first stone took place on September 6, 1995, The stadium was inaugurated on January 28, 1998 during the France-Spain football match, Zinédine Zidane was the first football player to have scored there one goal, against Spain.
A floating structure 46 meters above the lawn, the roof is one of the most remarkable aspects of the Stade de France. Its surface area of 6 ha, and its mass 13,000 tons,( i.e. two Eiffel towers) constitute a technical feat. Resting on 18 stays attached to 18 javelin-shaped needles 60 meters high, it protects the spectators without covering the playing area. All the lighting and sound equipment with 550 projectors and 36 blocks of 5 acoustic speakers are housed inside so as not to obstruct visibility. All the facilities, which are reserved for players and personnel are located at lawn level, to the west, and are directly accessible by player buses , The Stade de France is built around three stands : The lower stand is a mobile stand for 25,000 seats. It is accessed via level 1. Access to the intermediate stand is via 22 footbridges and leads to level 3 where the restaurants, entertainment areas, shops and central security post are located. 18 monumental staircases lead the spectators to the upper stand which is located on level 6. Located 11 meters below the forecourt, the playground has an area of 15,000 m2 (119 meters long and 75 meters wide) for a grassed area of 8,000 m2, In 2016, the Stade de France was equipped with a Desso GrassMaster hybrid lawn (natural grass reinforced with synthetic fibres), a patented technology that makes it possible to reinforce the hold and the resistance of the grass and to accommodate football and rugby matches.
The Stade de France is located at the crossroads of the A1 and A86 highway/motorways, and many not recommended to go there by car, unless you have a reserved car park, because the stadium has only been provided with 3000 parking places. However, you can park by the train stations and walk to it much better crowd handling me think. Otherwise, get on the RER B via La Plaine – Stade de France station, RER D via Stade de France – Saint-Denis station, and Metro line 13 and Tramway T8 via Saint-Denis – Porte de Paris station.
And things to come around here ! One hundred years later, Paris is once again hosting the Olympic Games, in 2024. Even if 93% of the sites are already existing, a few new ones will be added to the list. Add to that the Grand Paris Express project … Things are going to change in the city! It is in Seine-Saint-Denis (dept 93) that the new Olympic village will come to nest on 46 hectares, 11,000 apartments, 120,000 m2 of offices, 3,200 m2 of shops, 7 hectares of green spaces… All to accommodate the some 17,000 athletes who will land from July 26 to August 11, 2024 (for the Olympics) and from August 28 to September 8 (for the Paralympic Games). Obviously, the Olympic Village could later be transformed into new housing for the residents of the city. A new Olympic aquatic center will be installed on the Plaine Saulnier, still in Saint-Denis, opposite the Stade de France. The new site will consist of 50 meter long pools and diving spots. The little extra? It will be equipped with 5,000 m2 of solar panels with an economical thermal design, a wooden roof and stands made of plastic recycled from corks. A new room will see the light of day in the Porte de la Chapelle neighborhood in Paris. 20,000 m2, 8,000 seats… It will mainly host wrestling, basketball, handball, etc. events. It will later become the main center of Paris Basketball, or even PSG Handball. The new climbing center at Le Bourget with six indoor and outdoor walls and a large gymnasium, that’s the project. For once, these are temporary facilities, except for the warm-up structure which will be kept. We will be entitled to green courtyards, pedestrianized streets, more developed cycle paths… All within the framework of the “Embellir votre quartier” or beautify your neighborhood project, an approach launched by the City of Paris. Other work is also planned as part of the Grand Paris Express, which should create 4 metro lines, 2 extensions and 60 new stations. This project is however likely not to be fully completed before the arrival of the Olympic Games. In a way, good because these areas needs revitalisations to say the least…
And the latest update: Future of the Stade de France: the State will study all the proposals, The State has not yet decided, and will open its two possibilities, as indicated by the Parisien newspaper on January 28 2023. It will publish a concession notice at the beginning of next week,(March 6-10) with an additional document relating to the transfer option. So its up for sale anyway….
The official Paris2024 organisation: https://www.paris2024.org/en/
The official Stade de France how to get there : https://www.stadefrance.com/en/practical-information/how-to-get-there
The Seine Saint Denis dept 93 tourist office on the stade de France : https://uk.tourisme93.com/document.php?pagendx=10013
The city of Saint Denis on its history: https://ville-saint-denis.fr/histoire-de-la-ville
There you go folks, a sight just outside Paris, great events are held at the Stade de France, and of course team France home, Hope you enjoy the post as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
Leave a Reply