UPDATE: Paris fanzone for Champions League final: What Liverpool fans need to know
Authorities in Paris are setting up a fanzone to allow the tens of thousands of Liverpool fans set to descend on Paris for the Champions League final to congregate in one place. Here's what you need to know.
Paris is readying a massive fanzone in the east of the city for thousands of Liverpool football fans who are expected in the city for the Champions League final against Real Madrid on Saturday May 28th.
Some 50,000 to 60,000 supporters of the Premier League team are expected in Paris and given Uefa has only given the club around 20,000 tickets for the final, thousands of fans will be in the French capital just for the atmosphere.
Which explains why authorities and the French Football Association (FFF) have agreed to set up a fanzone for the fans.
Where will the fanzone be?
The reception area on the Cours de Vincennes, a wide avenue near Place de la Nation in the south east of the city. It will of course be closed to traffic and surrounded by perimeter fencing.
Below shows a picture of the avenue during a protest by French farmers.
Farmers steering tractors take part in a national demonstration on the Cours de Vincennes avenue near Place de la Nation in Paris, on September 3, 2015. AFP PHOTO THOMAS SAMSON (Photo by THOMAS SAMSON / AFP)
The fanzone will be set up between the Boulevards de Picpus and Charonne and la rue des Pyrénées. See map below.
How do I get to the fanzone?
Paris is not a huge city so you could walk there if you are staying in central or eastern Paris.
Otherwise it's public transport. The easiest way would be to get to Nation Metro stop which is on lines 1, 2,6 and 9. It's also on the RER A trainline which runs through central Paris.
What time will it be open from?
According to Paris City Hall the fanzone will be open from 2pm and will remain open "until the end of the match".
Will the final be shown on big screens?
This is the big question everyone is asking.
Neither the authorities in Paris, the police nor Uefa have officially confirmed whether or not the match will be shown live. When asked by The Local the police told us they would make an announcement towards the end of the week and that for the moment they would not confirm anything. But they hinted the plan was to show the match.
They have previously confirmed there will be giant screens in the fanzone and that the zone will stay open "until the end of the match" so it's likely they are simply avoiding announcing anything yet so as not to encourage more fans to come to Paris without tickets.
We'll update this page as soon as we get it confirmed that match will be shown live on big screens. Certain French news sites are already suggesting this is the case.
However it's worth remembering that when the final was in Madrid it was not shown live in the fanzone, which left thousands of ticketless fans desperately trying to find a bar to watch it.
There are of course scores or bars and pubs across Paris if they decide not to broadcast the match.
Will I need a ticket to enter the fanzone?
All fans will be free to enter the fanzone although they should expect tight security checks to get in including bag searches. There will no doubt be a big police presence in and around the site. Police will confiscate any pyrotechnics as well as alcohol.
Will I be able to buy a drink?
Authorities have said there will be places to buy food and drink within the fanzone. However expect queues.
Will there be other entertainment?
As expected the people behind the Boss Night in Liverpool will be playing live on stage during the afternoon.
How do I get to the Stade de France from the fanzone?
Fans needing to get to the stadium will have to take public transport across the city using either the Metro or RER trains.
The easiest route may be to get to Gare de Lyon via the Metro (or walk) and then take the RER D north to the Stade de France (Direction Creil). Line 13 and the RER B also serve the Stade de France.
UPDATE: Transport unions in Paris have called for strike action on Saturday as part of an ongoing dispute with the Paris transport authority over staffing numbers and working conditions. The strike looks set to impact RER B and RER A although it's likely trains will still be running. We'll know more by Friday. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the ground. More info on strikes and travel HERE.
Will I be able to get a beer inside the Stade de France?
Yes, the stadium gates will open at 6pm as will the bars inside the stadium. However outside the stadium drinking and buying alcohol will only be allowed up until 6pm. Paris police are encouraging those with tickets to get into the ground in good time.
What about alternative places to the fan zone to watch the match?
Paris is not short of pubs, bars and cafes and squares, so it's likely fans will congregate all over the city.
There are scores of British/Irish/Scottish/North American themed or genuine pubs all over the city. Certain parts of town like Grands Boulevards, Place de Clichy, St Michel and Rue St Denis around Châtelet have several big pubs grouped together which will likely be focal points.
There is the Kop Bar in the 18th and the Lush bar in the 17th which are known venues for Liverpool fans but they will likely be packed. Ticketless fans shouldn't have too much of a problem finding somewhere that will show the game however. The smaller more local bars might be a good shout if the pubs are overflowing. The game is being shown on terrestrial TV in France (TF1) so any bar with a TV should be able to show it.
There is a list of pubs doing the rounds online including venues such as the Bombardier, Belushis, the Harp and the Coq and Bulldog but there are many more across the city.
There are lots of bars opposite Gare du Nord station but pints can be expensive and not many have TV screens.
Pubs like Corcorans by Metro Grands Boulevards (Boulevard Poissonniere / Boulevard Montmartre) have plenty of screens. Also search for O'Sullivans and Cafe Oz which are big pubs around the city with lots of screens.
And a good spot is also Patrick's - Le Ballon Vert Irish pub at Metro Faidherbe-Chaligny (line 8) There are lots of TV screens.
And finally... the weather?
One thing that could ruin a fanzone is torrential rain but thankfully the weather in Paris on Saturday looks favourable.
According to forecasters Météo France it will be sunny all afternoon and evening on Saturday with temperates hitting 19C to 20C.
Comments
See Also
Paris is readying a massive fanzone in the east of the city for thousands of Liverpool football fans who are expected in the city for the Champions League final against Real Madrid on Saturday May 28th.
Some 50,000 to 60,000 supporters of the Premier League team are expected in Paris and given Uefa has only given the club around 20,000 tickets for the final, thousands of fans will be in the French capital just for the atmosphere.
Which explains why authorities and the French Football Association (FFF) have agreed to set up a fanzone for the fans.
Where will the fanzone be?
The reception area on the Cours de Vincennes, a wide avenue near Place de la Nation in the south east of the city. It will of course be closed to traffic and surrounded by perimeter fencing.
Below shows a picture of the avenue during a protest by French farmers.
The fanzone will be set up between the Boulevards de Picpus and Charonne and la rue des Pyrénées. See map below.
How do I get to the fanzone?
Paris is not a huge city so you could walk there if you are staying in central or eastern Paris.
Otherwise it's public transport. The easiest way would be to get to Nation Metro stop which is on lines 1, 2,6 and 9. It's also on the RER A trainline which runs through central Paris.
What time will it be open from?
According to Paris City Hall the fanzone will be open from 2pm and will remain open "until the end of the match".
Will the final be shown on big screens?
This is the big question everyone is asking.
Neither the authorities in Paris, the police nor Uefa have officially confirmed whether or not the match will be shown live. When asked by The Local the police told us they would make an announcement towards the end of the week and that for the moment they would not confirm anything. But they hinted the plan was to show the match.
They have previously confirmed there will be giant screens in the fanzone and that the zone will stay open "until the end of the match" so it's likely they are simply avoiding announcing anything yet so as not to encourage more fans to come to Paris without tickets.
We'll update this page as soon as we get it confirmed that match will be shown live on big screens. Certain French news sites are already suggesting this is the case.
However it's worth remembering that when the final was in Madrid it was not shown live in the fanzone, which left thousands of ticketless fans desperately trying to find a bar to watch it.
There are of course scores or bars and pubs across Paris if they decide not to broadcast the match.
Will I need a ticket to enter the fanzone?
All fans will be free to enter the fanzone although they should expect tight security checks to get in including bag searches. There will no doubt be a big police presence in and around the site. Police will confiscate any pyrotechnics as well as alcohol.
Will I be able to buy a drink?
Authorities have said there will be places to buy food and drink within the fanzone. However expect queues.
Will there be other entertainment?
As expected the people behind the Boss Night in Liverpool will be playing live on stage during the afternoon.
How do I get to the Stade de France from the fanzone?
Will I be able to get a beer inside the Stade de France?
Yes, the stadium gates will open at 6pm as will the bars inside the stadium. However outside the stadium drinking and buying alcohol will only be allowed up until 6pm. Paris police are encouraging those with tickets to get into the ground in good time.
Paris is not short of pubs, bars and cafes and squares, so it's likely fans will congregate all over the city.
There are scores of British/Irish/Scottish/North American themed or genuine pubs all over the city. Certain parts of town like Grands Boulevards, Place de Clichy, St Michel and Rue St Denis around Châtelet have several big pubs grouped together which will likely be focal points.
There is the Kop Bar in the 18th and the Lush bar in the 17th which are known venues for Liverpool fans but they will likely be packed. Ticketless fans shouldn't have too much of a problem finding somewhere that will show the game however. The smaller more local bars might be a good shout if the pubs are overflowing. The game is being shown on terrestrial TV in France (TF1) so any bar with a TV should be able to show it.
There is a list of pubs doing the rounds online including venues such as the Bombardier, Belushis, the Harp and the Coq and Bulldog but there are many more across the city.
There are lots of bars opposite Gare du Nord station but pints can be expensive and not many have TV screens.
Pubs like Corcorans by Metro Grands Boulevards (Boulevard Poissonniere / Boulevard Montmartre) have plenty of screens. Also search for O'Sullivans and Cafe Oz which are big pubs around the city with lots of screens.
And a good spot is also Patrick's - Le Ballon Vert Irish pub at Metro Faidherbe-Chaligny (line 8) There are lots of TV screens.
And finally... the weather?
One thing that could ruin a fanzone is torrential rain but thankfully the weather in Paris on Saturday looks favourable.
According to forecasters Météo France it will be sunny all afternoon and evening on Saturday with temperates hitting 19C to 20C.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.