
The (; or Lyon Fair) is a
trade fair
A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and ...
, traditionally held in March in
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...
, France. Begun as an initiative by Lyon mayor
Édouard Herriot
Édouard Marie Herriot (; 5 July 1872 – 26 March 1957) was a French Radical politician of the Third Republic who served three times as Prime Minister (1924–1925; 1926; 1932) and twice as President of the Chamber of Deputies. He led the ...
in 1916, the fair has been held in the
Eurexpo convention center in
Chassieu
Chassieu (; frp, Chassiô) is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France.
Population
Twin town
Chassieu has been twinned with Coleshill, England, near Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city ...
since 1985.
History

The creation of the Foire de Lyon began in 1916 through an initiative by then mayor
Édouard Herriot
Édouard Marie Herriot (; 5 July 1872 – 26 March 1957) was a French Radical politician of the Third Republic who served three times as Prime Minister (1924–1925; 1926; 1932) and twice as President of the Chamber of Deputies. He led the ...
. He decided to build a vast "Palace" to accommodate the commercial stalls that were crowding the quays and streets, and impeding traffic flow in the area. The Fair Palace was built from 1918 to 1938 on land located between the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...
and
Parc de la Tête d'Or
The Parc de la Tête d'or (English: "Park of the Golden Head") is a large urban park in Lyon, France, with an area of approximately . Located in the northern part of the 6th arrondissement, it features the Jardin botanique de Lyon, as well as a l ...
. Subsequent construction did not adhere to the original plan.
The buildings of the Fair Palace were ultimately destroyed to make room for the
Cité Internationale, leaving only the main façade of the central pavilion, now integrated into the
Musée d'art contemporain de Lyon
The Musée d'art contemporain de Lyon is a museum devoted to contemporary art, located in the 6th arrondissement of Lyon, in the Cité Internationale, next to the cinema, in front of the Parc de la Tête d'Or. It had over 42,000 visitors in 200 ...
. In 1985 the fair was moved to the
Eurexpo convention center in the commune of
Chassieu
Chassieu (; frp, Chassiô) is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France.
Population
Twin town
Chassieu has been twinned with Coleshill, England, near Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city ...
, east of the
Metropolis of Lyon
The Metropolis of Lyon (french: Métropole de Lyon), also known as ("Greater Lyon"), is a French territorial collectivity located in the east-central region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is a directly elected metropolitan authority encompassing ...
.
Themes
Each edition of the fair, starting from 2006, is devoted to a particular theme.
* 2006The People of Tibet, with
Maurice Herzog
Maurice André Raymond Herzog (15 January 191913 December 2012) was a French mountaineer and administrator who was born in Lyon, France. He led the 1950 French Annapurna expedition that first climbed a peak over 8000m, Annapurna, in 1950, and ...
as sponsor
* 2007Indonesia
* 2008India
* 2009Cinema, with
Clovis Cornillac as sponsor
* 2010
Japanese culture
The culture of Japan has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia and other regions of the world.
Historical overview
The ance ...
* 2011
Outer space
Outer space, commonly shortened to space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth and its atmosphere and between celestial bodies. Outer space is not completely empty—it is a near-perfect vacuum containing a low density of particles, pred ...
and
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, Paral ...
* 2012Native Americans, with sponsor Harlyn Geronimo, great grandson of
Geronimo
Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ...
* 2013New York – New York! Exposition on New York City, with
Douglas Kennedy as sponsor
* 2014Rock Story, an exposition on the history of
rock, with
Philippe Manœuvre as artistic advisor and sponsor
* 2015 (Connected Objects)
* 2016 (The Lyon Fair Celebrates 100 Years!)
* 2017Viva Cuba
* 2018London Edition
* 2019San Francisco
See also
*
Foire de Paris
The ''Foire de Paris'' (Paris Fair) is a major retail event that has been held annually in Paris since 1904, typically for ten days in April–May. Although mainly showing domestic goods, it offers a varied range of products for the general public. ...
References
External links
Official website{{in lang, fr
Culture in Lyon
Annual events in France
Exhibitions in France
Spring (season) events in France