Parc Expo

From here, you can spot the brand-new Parc Expo, set in a district that, every September, turns into a buzzing hive of activity. For over 70 years, Saint-Étienne has hosted the Foire Internationale, one of the largest fairs in France. It’s far more than just a trade event: it’s a festive, community gathering deeply woven into the city’s collective memory. The tradition began in 1949, when the fair was first held on Cours Fauriel before moving here two years later. Until 1968, it was an open-air event, with temporary pavilions, attractions, countless stands, and live demonstrations, you can imagine why the atmosphere was so beloved. By 1951, the fair had become so popular that Saint-Étienne even hosted the prestigious Concours Lépine. For those unfamiliar, it’s a renowned invention competition created in 1901 to showcase the ingenuity of inventors, and it’s where everyday essentials like the ballpoint pen, the vacuum cleaner, and the glass-ceramic cooktop were first introduced. Hosting such an event underscored Saint-Étienne’s role as a dynamic, inventive city. More recently, the Parc Expo has undergone a stunning transformation: the old halls have been replaced by a vast, transparent, and fully adaptable 20,000-square-metre venue, designed to host fairs, trade shows, conferences, concerts, and festivals, with the ambitious aim of boosting the city’s presence in the events sector. It’s a bold urban move that shows Saint-Étienne isn’t just preserving its traditions, it’s reinventing them, making this place a vibrant social, economic, and cultural hub. And if you happen to be in town at the right time, the fair is well worth a visit, for the atmosphere, the discoveries, and the sense of connection between the city’s industrial past and its shared future.