It’s nice outside. The giant shell calmly waits for someone to come and tickle it. Silence reigns all around. The barriers that surround it seem abandoned to their fate. This Saturday afternoon, the La Défense district where the performance hall sits still seems asleep, bathed in a timid sun, below around ten degrees Celsius.
The first signs of excitement appeared shortly before 3 p.m., 90 minutes before kickoff of the Top 14 match between Racing and Lyon. Jerseys and sky and white flags flourish here and there. A few pieces of red and black fabric, the colors of LOU, too. Then the cords are unhooked and the silhouettes rush inside the enclosure, joining the stands in the noise and lights.
“It’s beautiful,” exclaims Kevin, a teenager who discovers the place. The schoolboy came with his family, with his parents and his sister, from the Côte-d’Or, to support his favorite club, Racing, which until then he had only seen on TV. “When we learned that rugby here was over, we said to ourselves that we had to hurry up and give him this gift,” smiles Caroline, the mother.
“On this pitch, we saw a lot of beautiful things, a spectacular game”
This ritual is indeed coming to an end, because Paris La Défense Arena has been sold by Ovalto, the company of Jacky Lorenzetti, also owner of the Ile-de-France club to the American giant Live Nation, world leader in live entertainment. The signature was revealed on January 6 and the act will be effective from the moment the Competition Authority gives the green light, in approximately six months. Consequently, the year 2026 will see the last bounces of the oval ball on the synthetic turf of Nanterre, which became the lair of Ciel et Blanc since its inauguration in October 2017. That is to say around ten more matches, including four next fall.
From the first days of 2027, the Hauts-de-Seine team will reinvest its renovated Yves-du-Manoir stadium in Colombes, even if all the stands are not yet finished. “It’s a shame that this is the end,” says Sébastien, who came from Asnières just next door, with his children Maxence, 14, and Eva, 10. I already went to Colombes from time to time before and since Racing plays here (at Paris La Défense Arena), I come two or three times per season. I like it. This room was a bit of a change from field rugby. The concept was avant-garde. We are seeing more and more multi-performance venues today across the world. It’s the future. »
Will the forty-year-old return to Colombes? “Yes, but it will be more complicated in terms of public transport,” he explains. And the atmosphere will be different. In winter, when it rains, being sheltered in this room is not like staying in the cold. On this pitch, we saw a lot of beautiful things, a spectacular game. It won’t be the same outdoors. »
Stéphanie asks herself the same questions. She followed her partner, Marc, but she is not particularly passionate about rugby. “I think I will only come for the concerts,” announces the Yvelinoise. This room is magnificent and very easy to access. I’m not sure I’m interested enough in this sport to go to a stadium. »
“It’s when we’re no longer there that we’ll understand how much we miss it”
Perhaps she will go see a tennis match during the Rolex Paris Masters or the Supercross, which will continue every fall under the American banner… Shows that fill the arena which can accommodate up to 45,000 spectators.
This Saturday afternoon, there were 8,569. Far from being enough when the profitability gauge is set at 22,000. In a good-natured atmosphere, Racing defeated LOU at the last minute (35-34). A relief for the Ile-de-France residents, and regrets too. “It’s a field that requires a lot of energy,” says manager Patrice Collazo. Here we were able to play very solid matches. Let us enjoy these moments. Because Paris La Défense Arena is something out of the ordinary. It’s when we’re no longer there that we’ll understand how much we miss it. »
