In the room
The experience
La Sucrière was built in 1925 to store and process sugar on the Quai Rambaud, where the Saône runs down the west side of the Confluence peninsula, and was extended in 1930 and again in 1960 before the industry left in the early 1990s. The city reconverted it in 2003 for the Biennale d'art contemporain, and on 28 June 2013 Arty Farty, the association that runs Nuits sonores and had already been using the warehouse for the festival, opened Le Sucre on its roof.
It was Lyon's first rooftop: 400 square metres of terrace and 350 inside, with the river below and the Confluence's new glass district behind. The club floor is under cover, the terrace is open, and the line between them is the point in summer. In its first 180 days it ran 162 events for more than 62,600 people, and the names on the early flyers, Laurent Garnier, Agoria, Brodinski, tell you where it sits: French house and techno with a strong idea of itself, weekend club nights plus concerts, talks, brunches and workshops in the week.
There is no door selection. You buy a ticket online and you are in, which in a French club of this standing is still unusual and still the house rule.
Insider tip
Walk in knowing
Come in the last hour of daylight and stand on the terrace while the Saône goes dark. The club starts properly after midnight.
Why it fits
Why it is in the atlas
A sugar warehouse's roof turned into a room by the people who run one of Europe's best festivals. River, industry and a programme with intent.
Plan the trip
When to go, hours, getting there
Best time to go
Friday and Saturday for the club nights; summer evenings for the terrace; the Nuits sonores week in May (5 to 9 May in 2027), when Le Sucre is one of the festival's venues.
Hours
Friday and Saturday nights, doors 23:00 to 06:00. Selected weeknights and summer day events. The rooftop is open earlier in summer (typically from 19:00).
Getting there
49/50 Quai Rambaud, 69002 Lyon. Tram T1 to Hôtel de Région, then a short walk along the quay; Vélo'v bikes have a station nearby.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Where is Le Sucre?
On the roof of La Sucrière, 50 Quai Rambaud, on the Saône at the Confluence in Lyon.
Who runs it?
Arty Farty, the association behind the Nuits sonores festival, which opened it on 28 June 2013.
Is there a door policy?
No selection at the door: a ticket bought online gets you in.
What was La Sucrière?
A sugar warehouse built in 1925, extended in 1930 and 1960, closed in the early 1990s and reconverted for the Biennale d'art contemporain in 2003.
