10 Best Theaters in Lyon

Auditorium de Lyon is a massive venue that's home to the National Orchestra of Lyon and frequently hosts musical performances in the classical genre. In the main concert hall, you'll find plenty of space with 2,100 seats available.

When you visit this theater, you'll find yourself in state-of-the-art facilities set within a historical structure that dates back decades. It was built like a Roman theater to facilitate the kind of bond the ancients created between performers and the audience. You can experience it for yourself in La Part-Dieu a short walk northeast from the Place Guichard Bourse du Travail metro station.

Maison de la Danse de Lyon is a dance theater that frequently hosts performances from international and local companies as well as its own resident company. All the performances here are focused on dance, and more than 1,000 dancing shows have been filmed here.

When you visit, you'll find a decades-old theater with 1,100 seats and a studio capacity of 96 seats. You can experience it all for yourself in northeastern Les États-Unis in the 8th arrondissement.

Théâtre des Célestins is a historic theater that showcases classical and modern performances in a building that's been continuously functioning as a theater for more than 2 centuries. It is owned and run by the city, so you can be sure that it's dedicated to performances more than anything else.

When you visit, you'll find a wide variety of shows available including musicals and plays. Be sure to check out their calendar to see what's on during your vacation. You'll find this theater between the Saône and the Rhône just north of Place Bellecour.

Théâtre Comédie Odéon is a fun theater that offers a wide variety of programing across numerous contemporary genres for audiences of all ages to enjoy. You'll find 313 seats inside, so it's a relatively intimate experience with every seat having a great view of the stage.

Among the programing here, you'll find plenty of comedies, but that's just the beginning. Family and children's shows are available as well all year long, though they're especially prominent during school vacations. You'll find this theater just west of the Rhône a short walk from the Cordeliers metro station.

L'Espace Gerson Café Théâtre is known primarily for its humor performances that you can enjoy while eating dinner with beverages and French tapas. The performers here are often young and undiscovered humorists, so there's a good chance you can see someone early before their career takes off.

Several big names in French comedy have performed shows at this venue, and it's become a rite of passage for most professionals in the industry. You can see it all for yourself in Vieux Lyon just a short distance from the Saint-Paul metro station.

Le Transbordeur is a unique venue set in what was formerly a water treatment plant that offers impressive lineups of musical artists. You'll find room for 1,800 people inside along with a diverse array of artists including local acts and international touring stars.

When you visit this venue, you'll find a unique design that strives to create a connection between the audience and the performers to evoke the emotions and intimacy that only impressive art can create. You can experience it for yourself in Villeurbanne just south of the Rhône and east of Parc de la Tête d'Or.

Le Radiant – Bellevue is a popular cultural center and venue with stunning decor and a diverse array of programing to enjoy. You can see a classical concert here along with more contemporary shows and theatrical productions. Dance performances and comedy shows are common as well.

When you visit this venue, the first thing you'll notice is the stunning interior with glass walls, floor-to-ceiling windows and an advanced lighting system. Even the seating here is plush and comfortable. You can find it all in Center Bourg just northwest of the Caluire H. de V. Radiant bus stop.

Le Nombril du Monde is a fun venue in an old silk-weaving building with a unique facade and an unforgettable program of performances. This venue hosts plays that are put on by its own resident troupe, which is one of the few theater troupes based in Lyon.

The environment within this venue is remarkably welcoming with a bistro that lets you spend time with friends, family and even actors from the troupe who frequent it before and after performances. You can see it all in Grande Côte - Annonciade just west of the Croix-Paquet metro station.

L'Improvidence is a relatively small improv theater in which a community of actors share their talents with each other and an audience no larger than 50. You'll find a multitude of shows here in French and other languages. The acts include solo performances, group shows and other unique kinds of performances.

The array of shows here is often enough to draw in a full crowd. Some nights you'll find actors having an impromptu wrestling match, while other actors like to integrate drawing and music into their performances. You can see it all for yourself east of the Rhône and just north of the Guillotière - Gabriel Péri metro station.

Théâtre la Maison de Guignol offers traditional Guignol puppet shows, mostly for children, with some all-ages performances that adults can enjoy, too. The theater specializes in early-learning shows for children from 18 months to 4 years of age, and they're put on all year long.

The variety of the shows can be quite impressive, with string puppets and other theater objects used in addition to traditional Guignol puppets. You can find this theater on the north side of Saint-Georges along the Saône just southwest of the Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste.