Antares

Antarès Arena is Le Mans's large entertainment and sports venue, located in the Technoparc Sud district near the 24 Hours circuit. Its modular “salle Christian Baltzer” can hold 3,200 to 8,077 spectators depending on the setup, making it one of the largest arenas in France (sixth-largest national capacity for this type of facility). The building, recognizable by its white spherical design of about 15,000 m², also has side spaces such as the Salle de l'Oasis for smaller events.

People come for big-name concerts in mainstream pop, rap and French song (Ninho, Christophe Maé, Bigflo & Oli...), stand-up and comedy shows, theater productions, dance and musicals, but also for top-level sports. It is home to Le Mans Sarthe Basket (MSB), and the venue regularly hosts international basketball and handball matches, as well as gymnastics, figure skating and fencing competitions. Antarès also hosts trade shows and professional events.

Tickets are sold with seat selection on a map. Seating and facilities are provided for people with reduced mobility and disabilities, and a dedicated spectator service answers questions from the public Monday through Saturday.

A bit of history

Antarès opened on September 25, 1995, with an opening concert that drew 5,000 spectators. Designed by the DMT Architectes firm for the city of Le Mans, the hall has an original white spherical shape covering about 15,000 m², a design considered new and bold for its time. Its name is borrowed from Antares, the 17th-brightest star in the sky, echoing Le Mans's rank as France's 17th city at the time.

From the start, the venue was designed to offer far more capacity than the existing concert halls and the Palais des congrès locally. Its large modular hall, the “salle Christian Baltzer,” can hold up to 8,077 spectators, placing it durably among France's largest multipurpose halls, behind venues such as the Accor Arena in Paris-Bercy or the LDLC Arena.

Over the decades, Antarès has become the home of the Le Mans Sarthe Basket (MSB) club and has hosted many major sporting events, including matches of the French basketball and handball national teams, Euroleague games, and national gymnastics, figure skating and fencing competitions, alongside a continuous program of concerts and shows. Owned by the City of Le Mans, the hall has been the subject of particular scrutiny by the Chambre régionale des comptes (regional audit court) over its management.