Les Arènes de Béziers

Les Arènes de Béziers is a large bullring in the southern French city, a late nineteenth-century building that has become the setting for the most important events of the local calendar. It is not a Roman monument, even though its curved tiers recall one. The arena was built in the 1890s and was designed with the Spanish bullfighting tradition in mind, which explains its brick and stone tiers and its large capacity of more than 13,000 spectators, among the biggest of any arena in France. It stands at Avenue Émile Claparède, at the edge of the old town and beside the Plateau des Poètes, a landscaped park with shaded paths.

The arena has a notable place in French cultural history. In 1898 it hosted the premiere of Déjanire, an opera by Camille Saint-Saëns, performed outdoors with a large cast and orchestra and backed by the wealthy patron Fernand Castelbon de Beauxhostes. That event began a tradition of open-air theatre and music at Béziers, and the arena has since hosted concerts, operas and theatrical productions as well as bullfights.

The biggest week of the year is the Féria de Béziers, held in August, when the city fills with music, bodegas and street parties and the arena holds bullfights on several days. The Féria is the main reason many visitors come, and attending a corrida is one way to understand the Spanish influence in this part of Occitanie, though it is not for everyone, and the debate over bullfighting is lively in France. Outside the Féria, the venue hosts concerts and shows through the year, and guided visits behind the scenes are sometimes offered.

If you are only interested in the building, you can usually appreciate the exterior and its surroundings at no cost, walking around the arena and into the park. Inside access depends on events and tours, so check the official programme before you go. The arena makes a good stop on a walk between the Plateau des Poètes and the centre, where the Cathédrale Saint-Nazaire de Béziers and the Musée des Beaux-Arts stand above the Orb river.

It suits travellers curious about southern French culture and its Spanish side, music lovers following the summer programme, and anyone who likes late nineteenth-century architecture designed for crowds.