The secret had been well kept and the announcement this Tuesday at 11 a.m. will surprise more than one… Even the keenest observers of the music industry. The world leader in live entertainment, the American Live Nation, which produces, among others, shows by Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga and Coldplay, has acquired the largest indoor venue in France and Europe, the Paris La Défense Arena, in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine).
The purchase agreement has just been signed between Live Nation Entertainment, via its French subsidiary and its director, Angelo Gopee, and Ovalto, the company of Jacky Lorenzetti, the creator and owner in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine) of the U Arena, now Paris La Défense Arena, but also owner of the Racing 92 club. The amount of the transaction is not known. “A venue that sells well is a venue that is doing well,” summarizes the president of Paris La Défense Arena, Frédéric Longuépine.
Opened in October 2017 with three Rolling Stones concerts, this indoor stadium had several activities. But the two main ones were rugby, with a resident club, Racing 92, and music. After a longer-than-expected ramp-up, largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it has continued to expand – it can accommodate up to 45,000 spectators – and to expand its programming to accommodate a total of 339 events, including 90 this 2025-2026 season, a third of concerts…
“Welcome more concerts”
Already the owner of several arenas in Europe, in Brussels, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Copenhagen, this is the first performance hall that Live Nation has acquired in France. “It’s an opportunity, the first that really presents itself,” explains Angelo Gopee, director of Live Nation France. The owners of Paris La Défense Arena were not necessarily sellers, but we were able to convince them of the ambition we had for this magnificent project built by Jacky Lorenzetti. »
Racing 92 announced a few months ago that it would return at the beginning of 2027 to its historic stadium, Yves-du-Manoir, “modernized in the English style”, and would only play its gala matches at Paris La Défense Arena. This leaves the field freer for spectacle and entertainment. “Our objective is clear, to host more concerts there,” confirms Angelo Gopee. For two years, we have clearly seen that there are more and more concerts all year round. And we have a magnificent tool in Paris to host major concerts in winter. When we see the residency that Gims has just done in Nanterre or that the Backstreet Boys are doing in Düsseldorf, there are opportunities to seize or create. »
“This acquisition opens up an ambitious new era for our venue,” rejoices Frédéric Longupée, president of Paris La Défense Arena. In less than ten years, we managed to create a unique room in Europe. We didn’t necessarily aim to sell, but our success attracted interest and Live Nation convinced us of its ambition. The largest venue in Europe taken over by the world leader in entertainment is extremely promising. »
Live Nation knows the Paris La Défense Arena well. She rented the venue for around ten shows in 2025, Dua Lipa, Post Malone, Kendrick Lamar, Chris Brown, Vald… “It’s an excellent venue, but it’s a stadium with a fairly high roof,” analyzes the director of Live Nation France. It takes more than two days to put on and take down a show, while it takes less than 24 hours at the Accor Arena (formerly Bercy). We say to ourselves that there are technical improvements that can make it possible to go faster. »
“A business opportunity”
Why didn’t Live Nation buy rooms before in France? “All performance halls, with the exception of Paris La Défense Arena and the LDLC Arena in Lyon, belong to cities or territories under public service delegation (DSP). It’s not interesting for us. » Live Nation did not respond to the call for tenders launched by the city of Paris for the management of the Accor Arena, the Adidas Arena and the Bataclan. It was its American rival AEG, via its French subsidiary, which took a 40% stake.
This purchase, which must now be validated by the Competition Authority, which could take several months, will cause a strong reaction from live players who are worried about the increasingly large place of the American giants Live Nation and AEG in France. “It’s not a question of competition, it’s a business opportunity, period,” comments Angelo Gopee. We do fifty concerts a year at the Accor Arena and AEG is the co-owner… What we need to see is that this venue will remain in the hands of an entrepreneur with a vision and ambition in music. And Paris will strengthen its place among the world capitals of performing arts. »
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