Although Lyon is full of iconic venues and great places to live, you absolutely must try out what’s sure to become your new favorite place in Lyon! Since 2024, the former SNCF technicenter has been transformed into Les Grandes Locos: a vast cultural space that promises to become a mecca for Lyon’s major events! This unique venue, located in the La Mulatière district at the gateway to Lyon, is at the crossroads of industrial history and contemporary artistic effervescence! Above all, this year it will play host to some of the city’s most emblematic festivals!
A site steeped in history
The history of the Grandes Locos began in 1846 with the installation of the workshops of the “compagnie des hauts fourneaux, forges et ateliers d’Oullins”. For 170 years, steam and later electric locomotives were built and maintained here, making it a veritable industrial powerhouse. This period profoundly marked the landscape and working-class identity of La Mulatière. In 2019, the gradual closure of the Technicentre will give way to a review of its conversion. The SNCF still owns the site today, but Halls 8 and 9 have been acquired by the Metropole de Lyon. The name Les Grandes Locos pays tribute to this railway memory and to the industrial architecture that still structures the space.
A renewal in the service of culture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxwzGXILmGk
At last, a place to showcase Lyon’s culture! Covering 20 hectares, with 80,000 m² of built-up area, the site is strategically located just a stone’s throw from Gare d’Oullins station (metro B). This accessibility, coupled with the raw beauty of its halls, convinced the Metropole de Lyon to build a new cultural hub here, much to our delight! Les Grandes Locos welcomed over 400,000 spectators in its first year of operation, and after several years at the Usines Fagor, three major events are now taking up residence here:
- 🎶 Les Nuits Sonores: from May 28 to June 1, 2025 this not-to-be-missed event in Lyon takes over the halls and outdoor space with impressive acoustics.
- 🍔 The Lyon Street Food Festival: from June 25 to 29, 2025, Lyon’s most gourmet festival sets up its kitchens and gourmet stands.
- 🩰 La Biennale de la danse: from September 6 to 28, 2025, the event unfolds in a setting steeped in history and meaning.
An evolving, sustainable project
The rehabilitation of the site is part of a logic oftransitional urban planning: until 2028, the site will evolve to the rhythm of the work. Each year, the use and layout of the spaces will be adapted to meet the needs of events and the public. But the ambition goes beyond that! Eventually , Les Grandes Locos will become a true city district, integrating creative spaces, living areas and other services. By 2027, some of the halls will even be transformed into creative resourceries dedicated to the reuse of materials and artistic production!
As you can see, Les Grandes Locos is the place to express your creativity and Lyonnais energy, so don’t miss out!