Stade Vélodrome (Marseille)

The Stade Vélodrome, known as the Orange Vélodrome for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1 since it opened in 1937, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 2007 Rugby World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2016. It occasionally hosts RC Toulon rugby club of the Top 14. It is the largest club football ground in France, with a capacity of 67,394 spectators. The stadium is also used regularly by the France national rugby union team.

General information

Official website: https://www.orangevelodrome.com/en/le-stade/

Arena capacity: 67,394 spectators

Address: 3, Boulevard Michelet 13008 Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 43°16′11″N 5°23′45″E

Year of construction: 1937

Construction cost: €273 million

Field: AirFibr hybrid grass lawn

Seating plan of Stade Vélodrome

Like most stadiums in the modern era the Stade Velodrome is built in a bowl style. It still has four stands officially named Tribune Jean Bouin, Tribune Ganay, Virage Sud and Virage Nord, The North and South stands are the ones traditionally occupied by Marseille’s more hardcore fans, whilst away fans are normally housed between the Virage Nord and the Tribune Ganay in the lower tier. It is called the Zone de Visiteur by the club. There are three tiers to the stands, though the Nord and Sud stands look like one large concourse.

Away fans who make the intimidating trip to Marseille’s backyard are housed within the north-east corner between the Virage Nord goal-end, and the Tribune Ganay which is the eastern grandstand.

The travelling contingent generally occupies the lower-tier which is inherited from the adjacent main stand with the club referring to this section as the Zone de Visiteur.

When choosing a place in the stadium, use the Stade Vélodrome scheme above.

Where to buy tickets?

Ticketing at Marseille has been a little bit confusing in the past, owing to the fact that the club had an arrangement to sell all of their season tickets to nine different supporters’ associations who were then responsible for selling the nearly 28,000 tickets to supporters. That changed ahead of the 2016-2017 season, with the club taking full control of the ticket sales.

Pricing is different depending on where in the ground you want to sit and what game it is that you’re hoping to see. Up until now the stands behind either goal have been reserved for season ticket holders, so the likelihood is that you’ll be looking at tickets in one of the side stands. Ticket prices can depend on the match, but expect to pay from €10.00 for a seat behind the goal to between €20.00 and €55.00 for a seat at one of the sides. Prices for high-profile games tend to be somewhat higher, but tickets for low profile matches such as the Europa League can go for even cheaper.

How to get Olympique de Marseille Tickets

As with most major football clubs, the best way to get tickets for Marseille is via the club’s official website. There is a ticket office at the stadium, of course, as well as one in the club’s official store in city centre. You can also pick tickets up from Francebillet, Ticketnet and Digitick who all have sales outlets online and in the city.

How to get there?

The Stade Velodrome isn’t in the centre of Marseille but rather is a little outside of the city. It’s still relatively easy to get to, however, especially because of the excellent Metro system within the city.

Train

Getting to Marseille from the UK is relatively simple, even if it’s not a short journey. The Eurostar will take you to Paris and from there you will get a French train through to Marseille. It will take around seven hours, but it will be worth it for your time in one of France’s most beautiful cities.

When you get to Marseille you’ll arrive at the Saint Charles train station. From there the Southbound Metro line will take you to either the Rond-Point du Prado or the Sainte Marguerite Dromel, both of which are within walking distance of the stadium.

Metro

Marseille has a marvellous metro system operated by Régie des transports de Marseille (RTM), and the city is served by two simple lines: Blue (Line 1) and Red (Line 2).

To get to the stadium hope on to the red line 2 southbound, and look to get off at either Rond-Point du Prado (West of the Stadium) or Sainte-Marguerite Dromel (East). Both will leave you with a walk less than 5 minutes to the ground, it really is that easy.

Bus

Saint-Charles is not only the main train station in Marseille but it’s also the chief bus station. This is the best place to head to if you want to catch a bus rather get the Metro, though the train is by far the best method of travel. There will be numerous different signs and timetables around Saint-Charles showing you how to get to the Stade Velodrome.

Car

If you are coming from the direction of the airport or North of the city, take the A55 towards Marseille and follow signs for the city centre. Once you are on this road, it shouldn’t take longer than 25 minutes.

By Air

Marseille Provence Airport serves both the city of Marseille and the entire Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. It is around 27 km from Marseille city centre and the stadium. The airport is the 5th busiest in France and the only non-Parisian one in the country which flies to the United States. There are excellent connections to the city from the airport, with shuttle buses and trains running from one location to the other.

Once you have landed you can get to Marseille by taking either the shuttle bus service, a taxi or train. All options should take you no more than 30 minutes.

Taxi

A taxi from Saint-Charles station to the ground, as an example, would cost about €20 and take the same amount of time. The amount you’ll have to pay will alter depending on the traffic, so don’t be surprised if it costs you up to €50 if you’re stuck in traffic jams for a significant length of time.

Walk

If it also possible to just walk from the old port area to Stade Velodrome, which will take 30-45 minutes. Find your way to the Rue de Rome, a few blocks inland, and turn south. The Rue de Rome turns into the wide Avenue de Prado, which brings you in one line to the stadium. It is a pleasant walk.

Parking near Stade Velodrome

Parking near to the Stade Velodrome is surprisingly reasonable, with a number of sites close to the ground that will let you park there for just a few Euros.

Stade Velodrome Hotels

Marseille was the European Capital of Culture in 2013, so the city has seen numerous changes to it and has had an influx of cash, too. It goes without saying, then, that your hotel options are significant but if you’d like some options there here you go.

Citadines Prado Chanot Marseille – £41+

9-11 Boulevard De Louvain, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhone, 13008

The Citadines Prado Chanot is just 0.1 miles from the Stade Velodrome and offers self-parking, smoke-free rooms and free Wi-Fi, along with multi-lingual staff if you failed your A-Level French!

Novotel Marseille Centre Prado Vélodrome – £53+

103 Avenue Du Prado, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhone, 13008

This Novotel is about half a mile from the stadium and has four meeting rooms, a conference space, 120 guest rooms and free Wi-Fi.

Radisson Blu Hotel, Marseille Vieux Port – £100+

38-40 Quai De Rive Neuve, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhone, 13007

The Radisson Blu is a top-quality hotel located about half a mile from the ground. There is an outdoor pool, a rooftop terrace, two restaurants and a 24 hour fitness centre. It also offers valet parking and is near to the beach.

Pubs & Bars Near Stade Velodrome

Marseille is a wonderful city with excellent weather and an exciting outdoor culture. There are numerous bars that take advantage of all of this with pleasant terraces and beer gardens. Here are some of our favourites.

The Black Unicorn

176 Boulevard Chave, 13005

The Black Unicorn is one of the most popular British style pubs in Marseille. They do Guinness, ales, lagers and show sport on big screens, so it’s a great place to head to for your pre-match pint.

Brasserie du stade

26 Bd Michelet, 13008

More of a restaurant than a bar, the Brasserie du Stade offers great food and top-class drinks. Unlike the other two bars on the list it has a very French feel to it, perhaps in part because of its location so close to the Stade Velodrome.

O’Brady’s Irish Pub

378 avenue de Mazargues, 13008

O’Brady’s is one of the best Irish bars in Marseille, set-up by Jean-Luc Bardy whose father coached the French athletics team. He went to Dublin as a non-drinker and returned to his home town as a drinker who knew all about the different beers and ales available throughout the land plus, of course, Guinness. They serve food, show sport and their pints are real ones.

Hospitality

There are numerous hospitality boxes that separate the various tiers in the side stands of the Stade Velodrome, so it’s fair to say that you’ll be presented with a good amount of hospitality options if that’s the sort of thing you fancy when you’re out in Marseille. The best thing to do is to contact the club directly and they’ll be able to give you all of the details you need for your trip to France.

As well as the private boxes there is also the Table of Legends, a private area where you’ll enjoy a gourmet buffet, a panoramic view of the pitch and you’ll do so in the presence of some former players of the club. There’s another lounge called the Pub Heineken, located in the Tribune Ganay. It’s an English-style pub with a view of the pitch and a DJ playing some classic Europop for your enjoyment.

Private hire

It is likely that there are several private hire options for your entertainment at the Stade Velodrome. Unfortunately our French doesn’t quite stretch fair enough to guarantee it, so if you’re hoping to hire the stadium for your own benefit then you’ll be clever to get in touch with the club directly. They’ll doubtless be able to help you with whatever you need.

History

In 1935, the architectural firm Pollack Ploquin was chosen to build a stadium in Marseille. Henri Ploquin (who designed in 1932 with Charles Bouhana the Stade Municipal Louis Darragon) designed the stadium. For economic reasons, only the Stade Vélodrome was built. On 28 April 1935, the foundation stone was laid for the Vélodrome by Marseille Mayor Ribot, on a site between downtown and the suburban areas of St. Giniez and Sainte-Marguerite on military grounds belonging to the city.

The Stade Vélodrome opened on 13 June 1937, when a friendly match was played between Olympique Marseille and Italian of Torino FC (which ended 2-1 to Olympique Marseille). On 29 August 1937 (the second day of the French national football championship) a match took place between OM and Cannes. This was the first official match at the stadium.

As its name suggests, Stade Vélodrome was used for cycling competitions but as these races became less common, seating replaced the track which circled the stadium. The Vélodrome remained famous for fans of OM (Olympique Marseille) since the sloped track which was under the extended seating acted as a slide to invade the pitch at the end of matches.

Olympique de Marseille was long hostile to the Stade Vélodrome, calling it the “stage of the City Council”. For fans of the Olympians between the wars, the real home of OM was Stade de l’Huveaune, owned by Olympique de Marseille and partly financed by fans in the early 1920s. After World War II, however, Marseille no longer owned the Stadium Huveaune. Seeking support from the city, Chairman Marcel Leclerc had OM play at Huveaune from 1945 to 1960. The City Council then relented, and Olympique de Marseille moved to the Vélodrome. During the 1970s, OM shared the Stade with the Marseille XIII Rugby League.

First renovations

1970 marked the first modifications to the Vélodrome, with the replacement of the floodlights on the Ganay and Jean-Bouin tribunes by four 60 meter towers for nighttime events. In March 1971, the capacity of the stadium was increased by nearly 6000 seats, with the reduction of the cycling track and the removal of the cinder running track. This brought the total capacity of the stadium to 55,000 people, including the standing area.

Olympique returned to the Stade de l’Huveaune for the 1982–1983 season as Stade Vélodrome was under construction in preparation for the UEFA Euro 1984. The playing surface was completely replaced during this time. The semifinal between France and Portugal had set a record for attendance at an international match with 54,848 spectators. The capacity of the stadium was later reduced to 42,000 with the construction of lodges.

The cycling track was removed altogether once Bernard Tapie was appointed president of OM in 1985. He chose to remove it and rearrange the corners of the stadium, bringing the capacity up to 48,000. This renovation marked the end of the era of Vélodrome as a multi-use facility. The area around the stadium was also transformed with the creation of the second line of the metro which served the stadium from two stations and with the construction of the Palais des Sports nearby.

1998 World Cup and beyond

The Stade Vélodrome was completely renovated for the 1998 World Cup; its capacity increased from 42,000 to 60,031 seats (or 32 miles of seats). The Vélodrome hosted the final draw, which took place on 4 December 1997 (the first time the final draw was held in an outdoor venue) and seven matches, including France’s first match against South Africa, the quarterfinal between Argentina and the Netherlands and the semifinal between Brazil and the Netherlands.

As of 2011, the record attendance for a football game (58,897 spectators) was the Newcastle United UEFA Cup semifinal on 6 May 2004 (2–0). During the 2007 Rugby World Cup the Vélodrome hosted six games, including two quarter-finals: Australia versus England (which holds the overall attendance record with 59,120 spectators) and South Africa versus Fiji. On 16 July 2009, during preparations for a Madonna concert, one of four winches used to hoist the structure failed; the 60-ton roof fell (leaving two dead, eight wounded and crushing a crane).

Widely criticized and unloved by the Marseillais for its architecture (no roof, exposure to strong mistral winds and poor acoustics), the Stade Vélodrome has since 2003 been the subject of several projects to modernize and enlarge it. In July 2009, following an extraordinary council of the City of Marseille concerning the City Hall renovation project, a motion was passed launching a public-private partnership (PPP). On 21 June 2010, following France’s winning bid for UEFA Euro 2016, Marseille announced that the stadium would receive another renovation (a roof and an increase in capacity from 60,031 to 67,000), making it a UEFA Elite Stadium. Works began in the spring of 2011 and were completed in summer 2014.