Stadium de Toulouse (Toulouse)

Stadium de Toulouse is one of the largest multi-purpose stadiums in Toulouse, France. It is used mostly for football matches, mainly those of the Toulouse Football Club, as well as rugby matches for Stade Toulousain in the European Rugby Champions Cup or Top 14. It also hosts the test matches of France’s national rugby union team. It is located on the island of Ramier near the centre of Toulouse. It is a pure football and rugby ground, and therefore has no athletics track surrounding the field. The stadium is able to hold 33,150 people.

General information

Arena capacity: 33,150 spectators

Address: 1 All. Gabriel Biénès, 31000 Toulouse, France

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 43°34′59″N 1°26′3″E

Year of construction: 1937

Construction cost: €67 million

Field: AirFibr lawn with dimensions of 105 x 68

Seating plan of Stadium de Toulouse

Despite being built during a time when building stadiums in the ‘English style’ of four separate stands was all the rage, the Stadium Municipal is actually built in a bowl style of continuous seating. The two end stands are single stands, whilst the side stands are two-tiered.

Even though the stadium offers a bowl of continuous seats it is still split into four different sections. Though there are more specific names of certain areas the section are, for ease, named after the geographical area that the stands are located in. There is the Tribune Nord, the Tribune Sud, the Virage Est and the Virage Ouest. Just in case you’re not too sure about your French they are, in order, the North, South, East and West stands.

Where to buy tickets?

The cost of tickets to Toulouse matches varies depending on a number of factors. The opposition team that Toulouse will face will impact the cost of tickets, as will the area of the stadium in which you want to sit. There are cheaper seats for youngsters too.

Prices for tickets to Toulouse matches are released about twenty days before the game itself. One of the best ways to buy tickets for the matches is via the club’s official website. You can phone the club’s ticket booking line directly, too. Tickets are also sold through the national ticketing network France Ticket, which is present at branches of Carrefour, Fnac and Geant Casino. Finally, you can buy tickets from the box office near the Capitol Square in Toulouse itself.

How to get there?

How many stadiums do you know that are situated on an island in the middle of a river near to the centre of the city it’s based in? The River Garonne flows near to the city of Toulouse and in the middle of the river is an island that does just that as far as the Stadium Municipal de Toulouse is concerned. It’s about three kilometres away from the heart of the city, but the transport options to the stadium are plentiful.

Train

Getting the train to Toulouse is a reasonably simple, if long, thing to do. You can get the Eurostar from London St. Pancras International to France before jumping an internal train from the City of Love through to the Pink City.

The main station in the city is the Gare de Toulouse-Matabiau, so that’s where you’ll be heading. It is connected to the Toulouse Metro system and you’ll be able to jump on that to get to near to the ground. The Yellow Line will stop at either St. Michel or Empalot Metro Stations and from there you’ll have a 15 minute walk or so to the stadium.

Bus

There is a free shuttle service that goes from Esquirol Metro Station to the two closest Metro Stations. Bus 12 goes from the historic centre of Toulouse to Basso Cambo, right next to the ground. The number 38 also runs to the Eastern bank of the river near to the stadium.

Car

Toulouse is a large city with a ring road encircling it, therefore you can drive pretty much anywhere easily enough. You can get from the centre of Toulouse to the stadium via Boulevard du Maréchal Juin, via Allée Jules Guesde and Boulevard du Maréchal Juin or via Quai de Tounis.

Taxi

A taxi from the centre of Toulouse out to the ground will take about ten minutes and should cost somewhere in the region of €15. As with any taxi journey, of course, if you get stuck in traffic then it will take longer and cost more, so public transport might still be your best bet.

Parking

There is parking at the stadium and you can buy parking permits from the club shop in advance of the match. There are also numerous public parking lots near to the ground that you might want to consider using if the official parking lot is not an option.

Where to eat and sleep?

Toulouse is in the heart of rugby country in France, so they’re used to an influx of visitors to the city, meaning that there are plenty of hotel options around the city. Here are some selections for you to start with.

1. Première Classe Toulouse Sud – Labège Innopole. This is a delightful hotel with excellent reviews, multilingual staff and free Wi-Fi as well as free parking.
2. Dios Hôtel – Toulouse Nord. The Dios Hotel is a modern, attractive place to stay with 68 rooms, free Wi-Fi and free parking.
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3. Le Grand Balcon. This place is a touch pricey. You get what you pay for, though, with a bar and lounge, laundry service, multilingual staff and a porter to help you with your every whim. It is a luxury hotel and you’ll receive all of the trimmings you’d expect from such a place.

Much like with the hotels, the fact that Toulouse is so used to welcoming rugby fans means that it is set-up to give those fans a place to go for a drink or two before the game. Here are some places you might want to consider.

1. Le Dubliners. Virtually every city in France has an Irish bar or two and Toulouse is no exception. Le Dubliners is open every day apart from Sundays and has fifteen ales on tap, a whiskey menu and tasty food. They show sport on big screens, too, so if you want to watch something before you head off to the match then they have you covered.
2. The London Town. Whilst Irish bars are a common find in France, English themed bars aren’t quite as prevalent. Enter The London Town, a traditional style English pub in the heart of Toulouse. It’s twenty years old and attracts a young, lively crowd that lends it a terrific atmosphere. They do a range of ciders, lagers and hot and cold drinks as well as show live sport on the TV. A perfect place to go if you’re feeling a little homesick.
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3. The Black Lion. Right next to the Pont Saint Michel bridge, The Black Lion is a brilliant pub with an old fashioned vibe but a very contemporary approach. The food is incredible and as well as regular beers and spirits, they do great cocktails. With outside space available too it’s a good spot for a pre or post match drink and bite to eat, especially if loud crowded dirty boozers aren’t really your thing.

Facilities

Despite the fact that it was built in the 1930s the Stadium Municipal de Toulouse has been renovated a number of times since then. The renovations have brought it bang up to date, so most of the facilities you’ll find there are exactly the same as you’d find in most top stadiums. From places to buy yourself a beer through to stalls to pick up a bite to eat, there’s little you won’t be able to get inside in the ground.

Like virtually all top-end stadiums, there are a number of hospitality options at the Stadium Municipal de Toulouse. From executive boxes through to VIP lounges, if you’re hoping to enjoy the most exquisite match-going experience then you won’t be disappointed by the options available to you from Toulouse FC.

Most top clubs realize that allowing sections of their stadium to be used for private hire purposes is an excellent income generator and Toulouse FC are no different. If you want to find out about the different options and configurations available at the ground then your best bet is to contact the club directly and ask them what they can do for you.

Accessibility

Wheelchair User spaces: 11 in the wheelchair user platforms (on two levels) in the main (north) stand. Companion seats are behind.

32 in the south stand, with companion seats behind.

32 pitchside spaces were added to the main stand, with companion seats behind.

All concessions have low-level counters.

There are accessible toilets at 8 gates around the stadium (gates 5, 7, 9, 12, 17, 17, 20, 23). In addition, at gate 6 there is one accessible toilet without signage within the female block.

History

Located as it is in the heart of French rugby country, the Stadium Municipal de Toulouse is perhaps better known for the rugby it hosts than the football. The ground is used for the matches of the French national rugby union team as well as the Heineken Cup matches of Stade Toulousain. Unlike a number of football grounds in France it is used solely for either rugby or football. Consequently, there is no athletics track around the perimeter of the pitch.

Though the ground was completed in 1937, just in time to be used for France’s hosting of the 1938 FIFA World Cup, it has undergone several major renovations. As it was to be used for the 1998 World Cup, it was redeveloped extensively in 1997. It was also used as a host ground for the 2007 Rugby World Cup and a number of changes were made in advance of that competition. There were also numerous upgrades made to the stadium in advance of the European Championships in 2016, when the ground was used for a group stage match.