Le Parnasse

The ground is not a football stadium. It is an arena for indoor sports, where the surface is wooden parquet rather than grass. The structure was built for the Mediterranean Games in 1993 and has stood in the Costières district since then. It holds 4,191 spectators, though the number drops to 3,217 for handball matches when the standing areas are closed off. The local handball side, USAM Nîmes Gard, plays here.

There is a smaller room with synthetic flooring for training, but the main hall is where the crowds come. The highest number of people to visit was 4,002 in February 2026 for a women’s league match, breaking the old record of 3,600 set for a game against Paris Saint-Germain. The venue has also seen fencing and archery, but it is primarily a home for handball. It is distinct from the Stade des Costières, which sits empty of indoor ambitions and hosts football instead.

It is not a temple of football; it is a practical space that has hosted concerts and fairs as well as sport. The capacity card lists the breakdown of seats, but the atmosphere changes depending on the fixture.

The renovation project started in 2022 was meant to extend the facility, but the work has been slow. The city owns the place, and it remains a key part of the sports infrastructure in Nîmes. It is not a legendary ground, but it is the only one of its kind in the area that allows for indoor competition regardless of the weather outside.