Evian’s iconic casino to remain closed following dramatic fire
In the early hours between March 31 and April 1, the historic casino in Évian-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie, France, was engulfed by a devastating fire, just months after completing a major renovation.
Opened in 1912, the casino is Evian most iconic building, located on the French side of Lake Geneva, across Lausanne. The building, a Belle Époque masterpiece, originally served as a cultural and social hub for visitors drawn to Évian’s famed thermal waters. For over a century, it has received members of princely families, Paris high society and international aristocracy.
The Art Nouveau striking new structure is crowned with a Byzantine-inspired dome, which firefighters managed to save in a dramatic effort involving 130 personnel.
The blaze began on March 31 late afternoon atop a restaurant roof and quickly spread to the casino, threatening the emblematic dome. The fire, fueled by strong winds, prompted the evacuation of around 100 people, including staff, guests, and nearby residents.
Firefighters battled the flames for more than ten hours, focusing on preserving the dome. “Our priority was to vent the hot gases accumulating under the roof, which is heavily insulated and acts like a lid,” explained Commander Jean-Noël Chapuis of Sdis Haute-Savoie to French news station France Info.
Recently renovated at a cost of €25 million, the complex’s gaming halls, administrative areas, and dining sections are largely destroyed. Authorities have launched an investigation about the cause of the fire.
The Casino fire happens the year Evian is welcoming the G7 Summit. The prestigious international event will take place from June 15 to June 17, 2026 in the resort town on the shores of Lake Geneva. The conference itself is however not under threat as meetings will be hosted at Hôtel Royal which already welcomed delegates of the G8 Summit in 2003.
The Évian-les-Bains casino, with its century-long history and Belle Époque elegance, is now facing a challenging restoration to reclaim its former grandeur. The building is temporarily closed until further information. It was welcoming 200,000 to 250,000 visitors a year.
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