2026 has just kicked off and you're looking for an activity to do in Lyon to start the year well? You're in the right place! The gastronomic capital doesn't just delight your taste buds — it also has its share of unforgettable experiences to get this new year off to a great start. Whether you're after thrills, creative escapism, unusual relaxation, or simply unique moments of sharing with your loved ones, Lyon has it all covered! We've tracked down the 10 coolest, most original, and most unforgettable activities in Lyon for you. Discover them in this article!
1. Pixel Rush Action Game (and not just because it's ours, well, a little bit)
Address: 10 rue Thomas Blanchet, 69008 Lyon
What better way to start the year than an action game at Pixel Rush? The concept? 8 themed rooms, each with its own challenges. An interactive grid to put your agility to the test, a combat arena to let off steam, a precision laser to test your ninja reflexes, a tacti-tap to get your brain working, a connected climbing wall, a mega grid for acrobats, a futuristic hide-and-seek with cutting-edge technology, and a basketball rush to shoot hoops like a pro!
What makes Pixel Rush addictive? You play however you want! Feel like redoing hide-and-seek three times because you love it? Go for it! Prefer to tackle all the challenges in order? It's your call! And the cherry on top: every game offers multiple modes and difficulty levels. You also have a connected bracelet that records all your scores, tracks your progress, and lets you challenge your friends to see who's the real boss.
Who is it for?
Perfect from age 8 (accompanied by an adult) up to... let's say 99! In teams of 2 to 5 players, it's the ideal activity for a birthday, an EVG/EVJF, a team building session, or just a great time with friends or family.
2. Intervalle Escape Game with their Harry Potter room
Address: 235 Rue Vendôme, 69003 Lyon
Do you love solving puzzles, playing detective, and racking your brain? Head to Intervalle Escape Game, one of Lyon's best addresses for total immersion in captivating worlds!
Two immersive universes to choose from
L'Héritage du Sorcier plunges you into the Harry Potter universe with absolutely stunning sets. You must retrieve the Philosopher's Stone before it falls into the wrong hands. Magic wands, potions, and spells await you in this magical adventure that will delight fans of the saga and newcomers alike!
Mécanisation takes you into a steampunk atmosphere between Jules Verne and Nikola Tesla. Steam machines, cogs, and electromechanical puzzles in a retro-futuristic set that really dazzles. Your mission? Retrieve the etherium, that source of unlimited energy gone missing.
An experience for everyone
Both rooms offer cinema-quality sets and total immersion. They are accessible from age 8 and genuinely designed so that young and old can enjoy them together. The puzzles draw on logic, observation, and above all teamwork!
The rooms accommodate 2 to 7 players (up to 14 by playing on both rooms simultaneously), it's air-conditioned, and the atmosphere is truly immersive. No padlocks here, only hands-on mechanisms to activate to make you feel truly in the action!
Perfect for every occasion
Children's birthday, family outing, EVG/EVJF, team building with colleagues... Intervalle adapts to all your wishes. You can even customise certain puzzles to make the experience even more unique! Our advice: Book in advance, especially for L'Héritage du Sorcier, which is THE most sought-after room in Lyon! Weekend slots book up weeks in advance.
3. Fluorescent Painting Workshop to unleash the artist within you
Address: 21 Rue Dumont, 69004 Lyon
What if you started 2026 by expressing your creativity in a totally unique way? Head to the fluorescent painting workshop for an artistic experience unlike any you've had before! Your colours literally explode before your eyes — it's hypnotic, fun, and addictive!
You leave with your creation (and probably a few traces of fluorescent paint, but that's part of the activity's charm). The atmosphere is super fun and immersive, perfect for a moment with friends or an original first date.
What to expect: Wear clothes you don't mind getting paint on! Even if you try to be careful, splashes are hard to avoid.
4. Take your first bath of the year in… beer!
Address: 6 Rue Ferrachat, 69005 Lyon, France
Welcome to Holy Hop, Lyon's first Beer Spa! Yes, you read that right: you're going to bathe in beer ingredients while sipping... a beer! It's the most relaxing and unusual concept to start the year in style.
The concept
Plunge into a bubbling wooden bath filled with water enriched with beer's star ingredients: hops, yeast, malt... These components have incredible properties for your skin and body. The hops relax you, the yeast nourishes, and the combined effect sends you floating (figuratively speaking!).
Settle comfortably into your private tub with up to 3 other people. A beer tap is available directly in the room — because what's better than a nice cold beer when you're already in a beer bath?
Two atmospheres to choose from
Holy Hop offers two different rooms:
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The cocooning room with its dim ambiance, a rest area, and even a sauna as an option. Perfect for a romantic moment as a couple or a relaxation session with close friends.
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The convivial room equipped with a sofa, board games, and a darts board. Ideal for a fun evening with friends or an EVG/EVJF!
Sharing boards (charcuterie, cheeses, vegetarian or sweet versions) are available to enhance the moment. Because let's be honest: beer + board + warm bath = the definition of happiness.
The bonus: The room is entirely privatised during your session. You're undisturbed, away from prying eyes, to fully enjoy this unique moment.
5. Sensory Isolation Flotation to start the year in peace
Addresses: Graviti Lyon 3 23 Quai Victor Augagneur, 69003 Lyon / Graviti Lyon 6 31 Rue Ney, 69006 Lyon
Want a total disconnect? To cut off from stress, noise, and constant notifications? Sensory isolation flotation is the most mind-blowing wellness experience you can have in Lyon in 2026.
How does it work?
The principle is simple: you float in a pod filled with water saturated with Epsom salts (four times saltier than the Dead Sea!). The result: you are in total weightlessness, freed from 80% of gravity. Your body floats effortlessly, your muscles completely relax. The water is heated to 35°C, exactly your skin temperature, creating an incredible sensation. In total darkness (or with a small light if you prefer) and absolute silence, your mind can finally settle.
Clinically proven benefits
It's not just new-age wellness, really! Studies show that flotation:
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Significantly reduces stress and anxiety
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Relieves muscular and chronic pain
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Improves sleep quality
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Boosts creativity and mental clarity
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Aids deep meditation
Some describe the experience as an inner journey, others as the best moment of relaxation in their life. One thing is certain: you emerge changed, at peace, and that feeling of lightness stays with you for several days.
Who is it for? Perfect solo for a zen interlude, or as a duo (each in your own pod) to share the experience with your partner.
6. Attend a ceramics workshop
Addresses:
Atelier Milo – Ceramics / Café / Boutique — 13 Rue du Plat, 69002 Lyon
Atelier Elpom Ceramics Studio — 9 Rue Mortier, 69003 Lyon
MY POT – Ceramics Workshop/Boutique — 247 Rue Duguesclin, 69003 Lyon
Atelier Muguette – relaxed ceramics — 138 Rue Bugeaud, 69006 Lyon
And many more...
The craft experience
In these workshops, the atmosphere is generally convivial and welcoming. Ceramics is explored without pressure: the pleasure of touching the material, shaping the clay, and letting your imagination run free. Depending on the formula, you can create several pieces of your choice: bowls, plates, mugs, cups, decorative objects, or freer forms if inspiration strikes.
Workshops often start with a reflection or sketching phase, before moving to modelling. The ceramicists guide you step by step, explain the basic techniques, and help you personalise your creations using different tools, textures, and patterns.
The magic of firing
Once the pieces are finished, it's time for the invisible but essential part: drying, firing, and glazing. This stage is handled by the workshop and transforms the raw clay into a genuine ceramic object. A few weeks later, you come back to collect your creations... and the pleasure of discovering the final result is always rewarding.
The bonus
Some workshops also offer parent/child sessions, duo workshops, or longer formats to deepen practice. An excellent idea for sharing a creative moment and leaving with lasting souvenirs (and objects).
Why we love it: The meditative quality of modelling, the total disconnect, the warm atmosphere… and the pride of using at home a piece you made with your own hands.
7. Natural Flower Candle Workshop: Light Up 2026!
Address: 3 Montée des Carmélites 69001 Lyon (L'atelier de Laure is located opposite the Pilo Hôtel)
What better way to start 2026 than creating your own candle and blowing in your best wishes? This natural and floral candle-making workshop is the perfect activity to start the year with intention and creativity!
The concept
In this workshop, you'll create your own personalised candle from scratch using 100% natural ingredients. Vegetable wax (soy or rapeseed), cotton wicks, and most importantly: beautiful dried flowers to decorate your creation. The result? A candle that is a true work of art.
Laure guides you through choosing scents (natural essential oils), the pouring technique, and especially the delicate art of arranging dried flowers to create a wow visual effect. Lavender, eucalyptus, roses, immortelles... You compose your own garden of flowers imprisoned in wax.
You leave with your candle (and often the desire to make more!), but also with knowledge about different waxes, the best wicks, and how to create healthy candles for your home.
Feel-good bonus: It's also a wonderful gift to give! A handmade candle has incomparable sentimental value.
8. Gourmet Walk at Les Halles Paul Bocuse
Address: 102 cours Lafayette, 69003 Lyon
Les Halles Paul Bocuse is THE temple of Lyon's gastronomy, the Holy Grail of food lovers, paradise for the taste buds! In 2026, a guided gourmet tour is a must to discover all the treasures of this legendary market.
A concentration of excellence
Beneath the glasswork of Les Halles, around sixty exceptional traders await you. These artisans and producers have been selected for their unique expertise and the impeccable quality of their products. We're talking about the absolute cream of French gastronomy.
To discover Les Halles differently from a simple covered market, several guided gourmet tours are offered throughout the year. Accompanied by a passionate guide, often a Lyon native — a Gone as they say here — you dive into the history of the place, its stories, and above all... its flavours.
The tour winds through the aisles, meeting the iconic traders, with tasting stops that vary according to the route and provider chosen. The aim is not just to eat, but to understand what makes Lyon's culinary identity.
Along the way, you can discover:
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Saint-Marcellin, an iconic regional cheese renowned for its melting texture
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Lyon charcuterie such as rosette or Jésus de Lyon
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local deli specialities, such as handmade quenelles
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typically Lyonnais sweet treats, including the famous pink pralines
Each tour is different, but all share the same spirit:
- celebrating the craftsmanship of the artisans,
- telling Lyon's story through its gastronomy,
- and offering a convivial, gourmet experience.
Why we love it: Because it's a lively and accessible way to discover Lyon's culture, to taste the essentials without going wrong, and to leave with a head full of great addresses!
9. iFLY Lyon: Take the Big Leap in 2026!
Address: 48 Anc. Rte de Grenoble, 69800 Saint-Priest
2026 is your year! The one where you're going to dare, push yourself, and... FLY! Welcome to iFLY, the indoor freefall simulator that will give you the sensations of skydiving without having to jump from a plane.
How does it work?
iFLY is an ultra-powerful vertical wind tunnel that creates an air flow capable of lifting you and making you float in weightlessness. The technology is the same as that used for training professional skydivers and military personnel. It's the real deal! After putting on your flight suit, helmet, and goggles, you attend a full briefing. The instructor explains the positions to adopt, the gestures to communicate during the flight (because yes, it's VERY loud in there), and how to control your body.
The flight experience
Then comes the big moment: you enter the tunnel accompanied by your instructor who stays with you the whole time. The air flow literally lifts you off the ground, and then... it's magical! You float, spin, rise, fall. It's like being in space, like defying the laws of gravity.
You get 2 flights of 1 to 2 minutes each (it might seem short, but trust us, it's intense!). Between flights, you can catch your breath and watch your friends fly in turn.
The Ultimate 4D novelty
To take the experience even further, iFLY now offers VR flights! You wear a VR headset while you fly, and you find yourself launched above Lyon, soaring over the Basilica of Fourvière, or even navigating between the snowy peaks of the Alps. It's completely mind-blowing!
Symbolic for 2026: Starting the year by flying is the perfect message — you're going to rise, gain perspective, surpass your limits!
10. Play at Quiz Room in Confluence
Address: 51 Rue Denuzière, 69002 Lyon
To round off this top 10 in style, head to Quiz Room, Lyon's first immersive quiz experience! It's the perfect activity to test your knowledge, laugh with friends, and find out who's really the trivia boss in your group.
A real-life TV game show set
The moment you enter Quiz Room, you're transported into the world of great TV game shows. Podiums with buzzers worthy of The Weakest Link, a set reminiscent of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, spotlights, in short, a genuine TV studio atmosphere! The rooms can accommodate up to 18 players. You play solo or in pairs, facing off over two rounds of 30 to 40 minutes each. The questions cover 6 different themes you choose on the day: general knowledge, music, geography, cinema, funny questions... There's something for every taste and every level.
Strategic gameplay
What makes Quiz Room addictive is that it's not JUST about general knowledge. There's also a big element of strategy! You have jokers to unsettle your opponents: steal answers, block, skip a turn... Everything goes, and that's where it really gets fun!
Even if you're not a trivia whizz, you can win through cunning and buzzer timing. That's what makes the game accessible and exciting right down to the last buzz.
For every occasion
Quiz Room is perfect for:
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A birthday (special formula with personalised questions!)
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A team building session
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An EVG/EVJF
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A weekend outing with friends
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A family outing (accessible from age 10)
You can even personalise certain questions to talk about your company, your group's in-jokes, or your crew's quirks. It's even funnier when it's personal!
The Quiz Room spirit: Here, no one loses — just small winners who had an amazing time. The atmosphere is light-hearted and friendly (but competitive, let's be honest).
Conclusion: 2026, Your Year in Lyon!
There you go — you now have THE ultimate list of activities you absolutely must do in Lyon in 2026! Pure action with Pixel Rush, brain-teasing puzzles with Intervalle Escape Game, unbridled creativity with fluorescent painting and ceramics, total relaxation with the Beer Spa and flotation, something symbolic with the candle workshop, indulgence at Les Halles Paul Bocuse, the ultimate thrill with iFLY, and great laughs with Quiz Room!
Whether you're a local "Gone" or passing through the gastronomic capital, these experiences will mark your 2026. Each one offers something unique: sensations, memories, moments of sharing, and above all... heaps of FUN!
Our tips for making the most of it
Book in advance: These activities are super popular, especially at weekends and during school holidays. Don't wait!
Give these experiences as gifts: Looking for an original present for a birthday, Christmas, or EVG/EVJF? Boom — you've got 10 brilliant ideas that beat classic gifts hands down.
Mix it up: Why choose? Plan a weekend in Lyon with action on Saturday (Pixel Rush + iFLY) and relaxation on Sunday (Beer Spa + flotation). The perfect combo!
Think about gift vouchers: Most of these activities offer gift vouchers valid for several months. Perfect for giving an experience that the person can book whenever they want.
Capture the moment: Don't forget to take photos (where allowed) to keep a souvenir of these unforgettable moments. Especially for the fluorescent painting and ceramics — you'll be proud of your creations!
We're waiting for you at Pixel Rush!
Looking for an activity to do with your friends or family in Lyon? We're waiting for you at Pixel Rush. Dive into a life-size adventure in our action game! To book your session right now, click the button below:
