France’s largest sports stadium the Stade de France is set to be unavailable for use from start of next year until the beginning of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to allow preparatory work to take place.
The Saint-Denis-based venue is set to have a capacity of 77,083 for the duration of Paris 2024, hosting events in athletics and rugby sevens at the Olympics and Para athletics at the Paralympics.
France’s RMC Sport has reported that it will be unable to host sports events or concerts in the lead-up to Paris 2024, starting from the beginning of 2024.
The 2023-2024 Top 14 final in domestic rugby union has already been moved from the Stade de France to Marseille’s Stade Vélodrome.
Preparations on the Stade de France, including the installation of an athletics track, are also now set to impact France’s Six Nations campaign, the annual rugby union tournament usually beginning in February.
RMC Sport reports that Marseille is likely to step in as an alternative host for one of the matches, having previously staged a Six Nations match against Italy in 2018.
The Stade Vélodrome was renovated for the 2016 UEFA European Championship, and is a venue for the men’s Rugby World Cup in France later this year and football matches at Paris 2024.
Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Lyon is another reported potential host for matches.
A compensation package for the French Rugby Federation (FFR) of approximately €9 million (£7.9 million/$9.6 million) at around €3 million (£2.7 million/$3.2 million) per match needs to be agreed, according to RMC Sport.
The French Football Federation (FFF) is also expected to be affected, requiring a stadium for the international window from March 18 to 26 2024 and the Coupe de France final on May 25 later that year.
insidethegames has asked the FFR, FFF and Paris 2024 for a comment.
The Stade de France was built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, in which it held the final.
It has also staged matches at the 1997 and 2007 Rugby World Cups, and is set to be used as a venue again for the tournament later this year.
The 2003 World Athletics Championships, the 2016 UEFA European Championship final and UEFA Champions League finals in 2000, 2006 and 2022 are among the other major events held at the Stade de France.
