Coupe de France Final Broadcast at Sold-Out Stade Bollaert as Lens Fans Rally

The 2026 Coupe de France final between RC Lens and OGC Nice will be held on May 22 at Stade de France, but fans in Lens will experience the game through a public viewing at the sold-out Stade Bollaert. Tickets for the giant screen broadcast sold out in less than two hours, with all 20,000 seats for supporters snapped up at a flat rate of 10 euros each, limited to six tickets per purchase.

RC Lens, currently second in Ligue 1, has attracted full-capacity crowds for all its home matches this season, reflective of the heightened local enthusiasm as the club prepares for its first final in 28 years. Lens has been a Coupe de France finalist three times before—in 1948, 1975, and 1998—but has never won the trophy.

The stadium viewing event will feature giant screens set up centrally on the pitch, allowing Lens fans to unite and energize their support live in the stadium atmosphere despite not attending the Stade de France. The semifinal saw Lens defeat Toulouse 4-1 in a commanding performance that galvanized the local fanbase, prompting celebrations on the pitch and overwhelming online demand for tickets.

Pierre Sage, a Lens supporter, expressed the collective anticipation: "The impatience to play the final is the only emotion. I want to go all the way because qualifying without winning the Cup does not bring the reward that people deserve." This rare communal viewing highlights the significance of the moment for a club and region eager to claim the prestigious cup for the first time.