The rooms in France
Planning a trip
Hearing music in France
The two rooms suit different travellers. The Arsenal in Metz, redesigned by Ricardo Bofill in 1989, is for listeners who want a calm hall with a sandstone exterior and wooden cladding that favours strings and voice. The data points to a chamber or baroque performance as the best match for the room. Le Sucre is for night people: an industrial rooftop in the Confluence district where house, techno and experimental sets run on Friday and Saturday nights.
Plan around the seasons. The Arsenal's main symphonic and chamber season runs from October to June, and the hall is closed in July and August. The box office is open Tuesday to Saturday from 13:00 to 18:00, evening concerts typically start at 20:00, and the Sunday 17:00 concerts are the local favourite, cheaper and calmer. Le Sucre opens its doors at 23:00 on Friday and Saturday and runs to 06:00. From June to September the rooftop terrace sessions open earlier, typically from 19:00, with the river below.
To reach Metz, take a train from Paris Est (1 hour 25 minutes by TGV), then walk ten minutes south from the station to the Arsenal via avenue Foch. In Lyon, take Metro line A or B to Bellecour, then tram T1 to Hôtel de Région-Montrochet. The venue is on top of La Sucrière on the Rhône's left bank.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What is the best time to hear a concert at the Arsenal in Metz?
The main symphonic and chamber season runs from October to June, and the hall is closed in July and August. Sunday afternoon concerts at 17:00 are the local pick, cheaper and calmer than the evening programme.
How do you get to the Arsenal from Paris?
Take a TGV from Paris Est to Metz, which takes 1 hour 25 minutes. From Metz station, walk ten minutes south along avenue Foch. The building is a converted nineteenth-century arsenal with a sandstone facade.
When is Le Sucre in Lyon open?
Friday and Saturday nights, with doors from 23:00 to 06:00, plus selected weeknights and summer day events. In summer the rooftop is typically open from 19:00. Take Metro line A or B to Bellecour, then tram T1.