Description
The Grande Halle d'Auvergne (GHA) is the exhibition and convention centre serving the Clermont-Ferrand metropolitan area, located in Cournon-d'Auvergne (Puy-de-Dôme), on the Sarliève plain. The main building was completed on 28 November 2003 (a second exhibition hall was added in 2021). The site has been operated since 2022 by Clermont Auvergne Events, a subsidiary of the GL events group (Venues division), under the trading name Parc Expo - Grande Halle d'Auvergne.
The site covers around 23,000 m² of covered exhibition halls (Hall 1: 12,600 m²; Hall 2: 10,440 m²), supplemented by 2,400 m² of modular function rooms, a convention centre with a 614-seat auditorium and 13 meeting rooms (40-200 m²), as well as two outdoor grounds of around 39,500 m² each. The whole complex spans nearly 100 developed hectares.
Versatile by design, it hosts three families of events: trade and consumer shows, congresses and conventions, and large gatherings (livestock competitions, sporting events, exhibitions).
Its national reputation rests mainly on one landmark event: the Sommet de l'Elevage, established on the site since 2004 and now Europe's leading trade show for animal production (1,789 exhibitors from 34 countries in 2025).
Halls
The centre is organised around two main exhibition halls:
- Hall 1: 12,600 m² (capacity of around 12,000 people standing in a concert configuration)
- Hall 2: 10,440 m² (added in 2021)
Adjoining these are a modular function room space of 2,400 m² divisible into four independent rooms of 600 m², a convention centre (614-seat auditorium, 13 rooms of 40-200 m²) and the outdoor grounds dedicated notably to livestock competitions and machinery demonstrations.
In the immediate vicinity, the Zénith d'Auvergne (a separate site, shared within the same perimeter) hosts concerts and shows for up to 9,600 attendees. The precise surface areas and configurations of each hall, as well as the modular capacities, are provided to organisers on request via the official website.
Access & transport
- Tram / bus: tram-bus line C of Clermont-Ferrand's T2C network, stops at Grande Halle - Zénith or Cournon Allier (direct access to the site).
- Motorway: A75 (Clermont-Béziers route) with junction 1 (north) via Aubière and junction 3 (south) via Cournon; connections to the A89 (Bordeaux-Lyon route) and A71 (Paris-Clermont route) via the Clermont-Ferrand bypass.
- Rail: Clermont-Ferrand station around 12 km away, served by the Intercités Paris-Austerlitz - Clermont-Ferrand services (around 3h30).
- Airport: Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne (CFE) around 10 minutes from the site, domestic flights and seasonal international routes.
- Parking: 6,500 free parking spaces on site, accessible to cars, buses and coaches, spread across four entrances (north, east, south, west).
Services
- Catering: food halls and catering points deployed at organisers' request for major events (Sommet de l'Elevage, Foire Internationale de Clermont-Cournon, concerts). No permanent offering outside events.
- Business centre and meeting rooms: 13 modular rooms adjoining the halls plus a 614-seat auditorium for conferences, press briefings and exhibitor committees.
- Dedicated services for major events: technical management, security, utilities, VIP reception, livestock competition coordination (outdoor grounds, animal washing facilities) within the Sommet de l'Elevage perimeter.
The site is ISO 20121 certified (responsible event management). Full pricing details and the exhaustive list of services are provided by the operator via the official website clermontauvergne-events.com.
News
A modernisation programme has continued since the early 2020s: the opening of Hall 2 in 2021 (an additional 10,440 m²), and the takeover of operations by Clermont Auvergne Events (GL events) in 2022. The site welcomed 229,000 visitors in 2024 (across all events). The schedule of upcoming investments is not published on the operator's institutional page as of 1 June 2026.
On the programming side, the most defining trajectory is the Sommet de l'Elevage: a record in 2024 with 120,000 visitors, falling back to 104,000 in 2025 (-13.4%) due to the absence of cattle following outbreaks of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in France, while reaching a record number of exhibitors at 1,789 from 34 countries with 6,000 international visitors from 104 countries. The return of cattle in 2026 (subject to the lifting of health restrictions) will determine the centre's ability to reclaim the 120,000-visitor threshold.
Flagship trade shows
- Sommet de l'Elevage (October, annual): Europe's leading trade show for animal production, organised by Sommet de l'Elevage SAS. 1,789 exhibitors from 34 countries and 104,000 visitors in 2025. Mobilises all the covered halls, the outdoor grounds and the machinery demonstration zones. Next edition: 6-9 October 2026.
- Foire Internationale de Clermont-Cournon: an annual general consumer trade fair, with consumer-facing programming over around ten days in September.
- Salon Habitat Clermont: a home, renovation and décor show, held annually.
- Concerts and shows: regular programming at the Zénith d'Auvergne (up to 9,600 seats) located on the same shared site.
For organisers seeking a venue suited to mixed programming combining exhibitions, livestock competitions and large gatherings in the southern half of France, the Grande Halle d'Auvergne positions itself as the regional alternative to the major Paris and Lyon sites in this specific segment.