The Alcazar-Lyrique opened its doors in 1857 at Cours Belsunce, which was one of the most popular places in Marseille at the time. The owner of the building, Etienne Demolins, invested heavily to provide the site with Moorish style architecture in reference to the Alhambra of Granada as well as a series of decorations, each more shimmering and extravagant than the next.
More than 1500 people could sit down for a show while smoking and drinking. Demolins was proud to have built "the largest café-concert on the continent". In competition with another similar establishment, "le Casino Musical" created only 18 months earlier, the new hall quickly became known, creating a de facto competition between the two.
Three years after its opening, the Alcazar had already acquired a national reputation that enabled it to hire some of the most popular Parisian stars. These ones faced the intransigence of Marseille public, who knew how to loudly express their disapproval by throwing projectiles. It was at this time that the reputation of the Marseilles public for being demanding and harsh was forged
