Zénith de Toulouse is a concert hall located at 11, avenue Raymond-Badiou in the TOEC district of Toulouse, near the A620 E09. Completed and inaugurated on 11 February 1993, it was designed by architects André and Serge Gresy and built by SOTEC Ingénierie. The venue was originally created with a seating capacity of 9,000, which made it the largest Zénith in France for almost nine years before being surpassed by the Zénith de Strasbourg.
The hall is a multifunctional venue that can adapt to different audience sizes starting from 6,300 people, using mobile curtains to adjust its seating configuration. In 2014, it gained 1,300 additional seats, bringing its capacity to 11,300 and making it the second largest Zénith in France by capacity after that date. The opening night was directed by Jean-Pierre Mader as artistic director and hosted by Ticky Holgado, with performances by several artists from Toulouse. Access is available by tramway, public transport, ring road exit 29, and a parking lot arranged around concentric landscaped aisles.
Nearby Objects
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Les Abattoirs 1600 m away -
Saint Nicolas' Church 2000 m away
Location, Access, and Capacity
The Zeth de Toulouse is a concert hall at 11, avenue Raymond-Badiou in the TOEC district of Toulouse, near the A620 E09. It can be reached by the ring road exit 29, by public transport near Arenes metro station on Line A and several bus lines, and also via Cartoucherie station and tramway lines T1 and T2 at the Zenith stop. Access is further facilitated by a parking lot organized around concentric landscaped aisles.
The venue was completed and inaugurated on February 11, 1993. At opening, it had a seating capacity of 9,000, which made it the largest Zenith in France for almost nine years, before being surpassed by the Zenith de Strasbourg, which has a capacity of 12,000. The hall is designed as a multifunctional venue and can adapt to audience sizes starting from 6,300 people, using mobile curtains to create different seating capacities.
The opening night was directed by Jean-Pierre Mader as artistic director and presented a show with more than twenty artists from Toulouse. Ticky Holgado acted as master of ceremonies, and the program included the Chevaliers du fiel, Pauline Ester, Bernardo Sandoval, the Orchestre de chambre national de Toulouse conducted by Alain Moglia, Claude Nougaro, Pierre Groscolas, Jean-Pierre Mader, Art Mengo, and the groups Gold and Images. Zebda declined the invitation because of a conflict with the Toulouse municipality.
In 2014, the venue added 1,300 seats, bringing its capacity to 11,300. After this expansion, it became the second largest Zenith in France by capacity. Stromae inaugurated the expanded venue with sold-out concerts on October 23 and 24, 2014.
Access to the Venue
Zenith de Toulouse Metropole can be accessed by tramway or by motor vehicle. However, authorities do not recommend arriving by motor vehicle because of traffic jams. This makes public transport, especially the tramway, the preferred option for access to the venue.
Design and construction
Zénith de Toulouse was designed by the architects Andre and Serge Gresy, who also participated in the plans of Palais Nikaia in Nice, Zénith des Volcans d'Auvergne, and Grande Halle d'Auvergne. The construction was executed by SOTEC Ingenierie and was entirely modeled using the EIFFEL software. Structurally, it consists of six reinforced concrete piers that support a three-dimensional metal framework with beams of specified span. The construction cost was euro HT, excluding additional costs linked to damage from the AZF factory disaster.
Flexible Performance Spaces
Zeenith de Toulouse is designed as a multipurpose hall for a wide range of events, including variety shows, rock, jazz, dance, circus, musical comedy, ice shows, sport, tennis, equestrian events, trial, competitive skating, and large public gatherings. Its stage can be adapted to multiple positions, allowing the venue to respond to different performance needs. The auditorium includes fixed grandstands, removable grandstands, seats for 800 and more, and standing space for large variety shows. The building also contains public areas, performance spaces, technical and administrative spaces, a forecourt, maneuvering areas, and a large lobby with bars and shops. It provides amenities intended to improve access for handicapped people, pregnant women, and people with reduced mobility.
Operator Change and Attendance Goals
From 2007 to 2017, the venue was operated by Societe mixte des spectacles de Toulouse. In 2017, Toulouse Metropole chose a new operator, Colling and Cie. Daniel Colling, who manages Colling and Cie, also manages the Zenith of Nantes and Paris. The new operator set a goal of attracting 490,000 spectators per year in the neighborhood within ten years. As part of the arrangement, the company will pay a royalty of 6.7 million euros.