Lille: The Rugby World Cup 2023 supporter's guide

Equipped with a retractable roof and a unique "show box", the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Villeneuve d'Ascq, near Lille, is already an attraction in itself. This ultra-modern stadium will host 5 matches of the 2023 Rugby World Cup:

France vs Uruguay - Thursday 14 September 2023 at 9pm (Pool A) England vs Chile - Saturday 23 September 2023 at 5.45pm (Pool D) Scotland vs Romania - Saturday 30 September 2023 at 9pm (Pool B) England vs Samoa - Saturday 7 October 2023 at 5.45pm (Pool D) Tonga vs Romania - Sunday 8 October 2023 at 5.45pm (Pool B)

For more information, visit the online ticketing

Thanks to the two Lille metro lines reaching the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in no time. Once there, you have to walk or take a free shuttle. The bus network also provides access to the stadium. For cyclists looking to warm up, cycle paths have been laid out in the metropolis: two V'lille stations, a self-service bicycle rental service which are available nearby. There are 1,000 sheltered and secure bicycle parking spaces in the forecourt.

Getting around Lille by public transport Cycling with V'Lille

Renowned for its 17th century red brick houses, its Grand Place, its old stock exchange and its cobbled pedestrian streets, the Hauts-de-France metropolis maintains its heritage without losing sight of the future. As the 2020 World Design Capital, the city is very daring, as shown by the Saint-Sauveur train station, an effervescent cultural venue, and the twenty or so street art routes. You can also immerse yourself in art at La Piscine, the magnificent museum in Roubaix (accessible by metro) or at LaM, the Lille Métropole Museum of Modern Art, Contemporary Art and Art Brut in Villeneuve d'Ascq, just a few minutes away from the Pierre Mauroy Stadium. For a sporty tour of the city, you can get on a bike for a 2-hour guided tour on authentic Dutch bikes. The main sites of Lille and its history on the theme "Lille by the water" are on the programme. Saddle up!

Visit the Lille Metropole Museum of Modern Art, Contemporary Art and Art Brut Riding Dutch bikes with Le Grand Huit Exploring the La Piscine de Roubaix museum in Lille Metropole

After the clamour of the stadium, would you like to breathe the sea breeze? The Hauts-de-France region has a coastline of almost 200 kilometres between Bray-Dunes and Mers-les-Bains, passing through the elegant seaside resort of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage on the Opal Coast, base camp for the England team during the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The Baie de Somme, most beautiful bays in the world is also worth a visit with its wild seals to observe. Are you a history buff? The fascinating Battle of Fromelles Museum, 20 km from Lille, will be holding a moving exhibition from July 2023 to February 2024 recounting the involvement of rugby players, particularly Australians, during the First World War. And of course, a visit to the Louvre-Lens, a decentralised wing of the great Louvre museum 40 km from Lille, should not be missed. Around this magnificent museum, built on a former mining pit, you can discover a whole heritage classified by UNESCO, a history, a culture, a territory of an unsuspected wealth!

Visit Le Touquet-Paris-Plage on the Opal Coast Remember the Great War at the Fromelles Battle Museum Admire the collections of the Louvre-Lens

In Lille and in the Hauts de France, conviviality is a way of life, especially during major sporting events. To live these moments of communion in an XXL fervour, with good pints (always with moderation), some addresses are worth the diversions in the old Lille. Opposite St Michel's church, the Tir Na Nog smells like a traditional Irish pub and on match nights, you have to elbow your way around the two giant screens. With its 300m² and 15 screens, one of which is giant, the Box2Box is a Sport Bar that takes its place including for the after parties and 3rd half-time. To eat healthy and local while not losing a crumb of the competition, we also recommend the Bierbuik ('literally Beer Belly), a new generation estaminet with wood-fired cooking and a good atmosphere. Outside the city, Hall U Need is worth a visit: more than a bar-restaurant that can accommodate up to 500 people with a terrace, this leisure complex has 10 bowling lanes, several karaoke rooms, arcade games and a car racing circuit! We may have your next HQ for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Tir Na Nog Irish Pub Sport bar Box2Box Modern Estaminet Bierbuik

From the Flemish carbonnade to the welsh, the maroilles pie, the mussels and chips and of course the delicious waffles with vergeoise, not forgetting the largest variety of cheeses in France, there is no risk of dying of hunger in Lille and its region nor of thirst, as the Hauts-de-France region knows a thing or two about beers and brasseries. Enough to merit the title of "European gastronomy region" in 2023. You can discover all these specialities in the famous estaminets and at the tables of inspired and resolutely locavores chefs such as Damien Laforce behind the stoves of Le Braque, which will open in 2021 in the old town of Lille, and a member of the Mange, Lille! To eat, drink (in moderation) and have fun in a northern atmosphere, we also recommend Grand Scène, Lille's new food court, a temple of cuisine set up on the site of the former Galeries Lafayette. Bon appétit!

Gastronomic and eco-responsible escapades at Le Braque restaurant Food Court Grand Scène

An address that's a blast, highly "Instagrammable" while remaining relaxed and not too far from Pierre Mauroy stadium at about 20 minutes. We suggest the Moxy Lille City, which will open in autumn 2021 in the former Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy. The baby Lillois of the Marriott group is a real eye-catcher with its listed façade dating from 1892 and its incredible interior volumes for a guaranteed wow effect with its motley decor (which looks like it was found at the Lille flea market) and "industrial" style. This 3-star hotel with 127 rooms takes care of the sustainable approach and will strike a chord with Millennials. Under the large living-room glass roof on the top floor, the fans have not finished commenting on the matches, which will obviously be broadcasted.

Staying at the Moxy Lille City Marriott