L'Européen rents its hall for conferences, brand events, filmed shows, TV programs and live recordings, with 350 to 400 seats arranged in an arena around the stage and spaces that can be reconfigured for larger projects. The theater stands at 5 rue Biot in the 17th arrondissement of Paris and has been run since 2015 by Sébastien Beslon and Vincent Ydé of Beslon Management, who handle event requests with a technical director.
Seminars and company events
For a company, the hall works as a conference room with the feel of a real theater: tiered seating close to the stage, full stage lighting and a crew used to filming. The venue lists the organization of conferences among its services, alongside show and TV captures and live recordings. Brands have used it for advertising and events, among them Heineken and Jaeger-LeCoultre. The arena shape keeps every seat close to the speaker, which suits a product launch, a keynote, a staged talk, an awards evening or a filmed panel.
Rooms and capacities
The main hall seats 350 to 400 people, depending on the configuration. Its circular layout dates from the 1960s, when the house became a theater in the round, and a stage built for a film shoot in 1987 replaced part of the tiered seating and was kept for good. The spaces around the hall can be adapted to each project. The official site does not publish separate room names or standing figures, so organisers should ask the team for the plan that fits their format.
History and setting
The theater opened in 1872 as the Concert Européen, named after the nearby Quartier de l'Europe, with 600 seats. Édith Piaf, Félix Mayol, Polaire, Tino Rossi and André Claveau performed there in the café-concert years. In the 1950s it became a home for operetta, where Roger Nicolas celebrated the 1,000th and 2,000th performances of two of his shows, and Bruno Coquatrix saw in it a possible small Olympia. The hall was rebuilt in the 1960s as a theater in the round, then fell out of use and was due to be demolished for a car park. In 1987 Philippe and Anne Hourdé, founders of the Atelier Hourdé and the École Hourdé, took it over to house their schools and saved it. That same year Jacques Rivette shot scenes of his film La Bande des quatre there. Since the late 1980s the hall has staged concerts and musical shows, and since the 2010s it has been a regular stop for comedians playing Paris. Shows filmed there have been streamed on Netflix, France Télévisions, Canal+ and YouTube.
Getting there
L'Européen is at 5 rue Biot, 75017 Paris, a short walk from the Quartier de l'Europe that gave it its name. Event requests go to the management team, and technical questions to the technical director.
