Allianz Riviera / Stade de Nice (Nice)

Allianz Riviera is a multi-use stadium in Nice, France, used mostly for football matches of host OGC Nice and also for occasional home matches of rugby union club Toulon.

General information

Official website: allianz-riviera.fr

Arena capacity:  spectators

Address:

GPS coordinates for the navigator:

Year of construction: 

Construction cost:  million

Field: grass lawn with dimensions of

Seating plan of Allianz Riviera

The Allianz Riviera is designed in the bowl style that has now become de rigeur for modern stadiums. Even though it is in a bowl style it still has four sections and these are called Ray, Garibaldi, Populaire and Segurane. Ray is the stand that is located to the North, Garibaldi is in the East, Populaire is in the South and Segurane is in the West.

The stadium has three tiers that are separated by executive boxes and lounges. There are also numerous fan specific areas where supporters can get a drink and watch the football from. Away fans are located in the North-East corner of the stadium and will find perspex panels either side of them. The stadium has fantastic views, throughout, however, so you won’t be disappointed with wherever you end up sitting.

Where to buy tickets?

How much you’ll pay for tickets at the Allianz Riviera will depend on what game you’re going to see and where about in the ground you’re hoping to sit. As is often the case with games in modern leagues you’ll also find that tickets are categorised but general information isn’t easily obtainable.

You can, of course, make online reservations through the club’s official website. That isn’t the only way to buy tickets, though, with the club’s official store in Nice also selling them. You can pick tickets up from the box office at the Allianz Riviera and there also the opportunity to buy tickets from the club’s remote sales outlets throughout the country. According to the club’s website these sales outlets include Carrefour, Leclerc, Fnac, Géant and Auchan. One thing to bear in mind, however, is that you’ll pay full price for your tickets from these locations.

How to get there?

The Allianz Riviera is about 10 km to the West of the centre of Nice, but there are many excellent transport options to get you to and from the ground.

Train

If you want to get the train to Nice then you can do so reasonably easily, though it will take a while. You’ll get the train from London St. Pancras International to Paris before then catching an internal from the City of Love through to the Riviera. It will take about nine hours in total, though, so make sure you pack your sleeping pills!

Gare de Nice-Ville is the main station that serves the city of Nice. From there you can get a train to Saint-Augustin Station and either get shuttle bus to the ground or else another train to Saint-Isodore Station. The stadium is a ten minute walk from there.

Bus

There is a special match day service that runs from Nice’s city centre to the ground. The number 95 takes just under an hour to complete its journey and buses leave every five minutes or so. Alternatively the local buses numbered 9 and 10 also run to the stadium, though they take more like an hour and a quarter to get there so it’s not the most exciting alternative, to be honest.

Car

The Allianz Riviera is reasonably easy to access via by car. It is located by a motorway and a dual carriageway. If you’re on the A8 motorway then take Exit 52 and keep an eye out for the ground.

By Air

Arriving in Nice by plane is not only an easy option it’s also an exciting one. Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is the one you’ll be flying into and it serves over ten million passengers a year. The airport is about 7 km West of the city centre. You’ll be able to get the 98 shuttle bus to the centre of town from the airport.

Taxi

If you’re hoping to get a taxi from the airport to the ground then expect to pay something in the region of €20. It should take about 15 minutes, but if it takes longer because of traffic then you’ll obviously end up paying more!

Parking

There are over 11,000 parking spaces at the stadium itself, so that will be your number one port of call if you’re driving to the arena and looking for somewhere to park your car.

Where to eat and sleep?

Nice is on the famed Riviera, so you’re not going to be short of top-class places to stay in the city. We’ve picked some good hotels for your perusal, though, just in case you’re unsure of where to start.

1. Kyriad Nice Ouest Saint Isidore. The Kyriad is located in the West Saint Isidore area of Nice and is perhaps best described as functional. It has a restaurant, though, as well as a conference space and even mini-golf if you’re going with your family. It is also located less than half a mile from the stadium, so if you’re hoping to get somewhere with easy accessibility to the ground then this is a good place to start.
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2. Radisson Blu Hotel. The Radisson Blu is a lovely hotel with excellent facilities. They often have good offers on, so keep your eye out in the usual places. The hotel is on a private beach, has a rooftop terrace and an outdoor pool. It also has a fitness centre, a business centre and free Wi-Fi. Location wise it’s about two and a half miles from the stadium, but for a private beach who cares?
3. Servotel Saint-Vincent. The Servotel is another hotel that takes advantage of the amazing weather in the South of France. It is 0.2 miles from the stadium, has a restaurant, a bar and a rooftop terrace. There’s also an outdoor pool and a garden, so there are loads of places to chill out before and after the match itself.
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Much like with the hotels, the fact that Nice is such a desired location in the South of France means that there are plenty of bars and restaurants for you to consider visiting before you head to the ground. Most of them are in the centre of the city, though, so don’t head to the ground unless you want to get a drink and bite to eat inside it.

1. Brewdog Nice. You know what you’re going to get at a Brewdog. Great beer and big portions of brilliant food – excellent for meat eaters especially but not exclusively. It’s about 20 minutes in a taxi to the stadium.
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2. Ma Nolan’s. The French sure do love their Irish bars! Ma Nolan’s serves tasty food in their restaurant section as well good drinks. It’s a stylish bar that promises good craic and they also specialise in sport, so this is the place to head to if you’re keen to watch anything from football to rugby.
3. Pub Oxford. This English named pub actually has quite an Irish feel when you get inside, with plenty of good whiskeys and Irish stouts, as well as your typical French beers. They show sport on huge projectors too so it’s a decent place to watch a match. It’s not huge but is always bustling.
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Facilities

The Allianz Riviera has all of the top-class facilities you’d expect from one of the most modern stadiums in the country. You’ll be able to buy food and drink inside the ground and the atmosphere you’ll experience will be one of the best around. There are also nice concourses with grandstands from which you can watch the football unimpeded.

There are a number of excellent hospitality options at the Allianz Riviera. The club has VIP lodges that it uses to house those supporters that want to splash out in order to experience the very best in hospitality. You’ll benefit from attentive service, excellent cuisine and access to your VIP rooms after the match.

The catering at the ground is done by Lenôtre and can be enjoyed before, during and after the game. You’ll also get a private, underground parking space for every two tickets you buy. If you attend for matches against premier opposition such as PSG or Olympique Marseille then you’ll receive a souvenir gift from the club as well.

As one of the newest stadiums in France there’s no question that there are private hire options at the Allianz Riviera. If you fancy then you’ll also want to consider hiring space at the National Sports Museum. There you’ll be able to host cocktail receptions, dinners, seminars, symposiums and even film screenings in an 80-seat auditorium.

History

The stadium replaced the city’s former stadium Stade Municipal du Ray. Construction started in 2011 and was completed two years later. Allianz Riviera ‘s opening was on 22 September 2013, for a match between OGC Nice and Valenciennes. The arena hosted three of the group matches in the first round as well as one of the last 16 matches during the 2016 UEFA European Championships. It also hosted six matches at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.