Paris local government to buy Bataclan music venue from Lagardere

PARIS (Reuters) – The Paris local government will buy the Bataclan venue from Lagardere, government official Emmanuel Gregoire on Friday, noting the city’s long history with the site, where more than 80 concert-goers were killed during a November 2015 Islamist militant attack.

“The history between this legendary venue and the city is highly symbolic,” said Gregoire on his Twitter account on Friday, as he announced the deal.

Islamist militants attacked a series of locations in Paris on November 13, 2015, including the Bataclan venue, which resulted in 130 deaths in total. The attack left deep scars on the nation’s psyche.

The Bataclan, inaugurated in 1865, lies in Paris’ fashionable eastern district. It has hosted famous stars over the years including French legends Maurice Chevalier and Edith Piaf. In the late 19th Century, the American Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show performed there.

Sting gave a concert in 2016 to mark its re-opening after the 2015 attacks. (https://reut.rs/3hbIebW)

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The conglomerate Lagardere has been selling off assets it considers as non-core to its business.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by David Gregorio)