Paris is preparing to welcome Pope Leo XIV for a two-day visit with a packed schedule, prompting extensive security measures that will disrupt traffic, parking, and public transport across large swaths of the capital. The pontiff will travel by popemobile on Friday, September 25, from the Church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs to Place Saint-Michel, before heading to Notre-Dame Cathedral and then the Stade de France for an evening prayer vigil. The following day will feature an open-air mass at Place de la Concorde.
These large-scale events have significant implications for circulation, parking, and metro stations within the security perimeters. Here is a comprehensive overview of what to expect.
Restrictions Around Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées
Since September 16, several roads in the 8th arrondissement have been closed to traffic until Friday at 2 p.m., according to the Paris Police Prefecture. Affected areas include:
- Place de la Concorde, except the lane from Rue de Rivoli toward Avenue Gabriel
- Avenue des Champs-Elysées, between Place Georges Clemenceau and Place de la Concorde, in both directions
- Cours la Reine, on the ramp from Voie Georges Pompidou toward Place de la Concorde
- Rue Royale, from Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré toward Place de la Concorde, until 10 p.m.
On Saturday, the day of the open-air mass, the security perimeter will expand considerably. Parking will be prohibited in the zone from Friday at 2 p.m. until Saturday at 8 p.m. Traffic bans, depending on the zone, may extend from Friday at 10 p.m. until Saturday at 8 p.m.
Starting at 10 p.m. Friday, the following metro stations will be closed to the public, according to RATP: Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile, Concorde, Champs-Elysées-Clemenceau, George V, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Tuileries, and Argentine. Line 6 traffic will be suspended between Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile and Kléber from 10 p.m. Friday, and between Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile and Trocadéro from 5:30 a.m. Saturday. The RER station Pont de l’Alma will also close from 5:30 a.m. on the day of the mass. Ternes and Saint-Philippe du Roule stations will be inaccessible from noon. Station reopenings will occur upon authorization from the Police Prefecture. RATP also warns that bus traffic in affected areas will be disrupted and urges users to check online traffic updates.
Dismantling of installations will take place from Monday at noon until October 10 at midnight. During this period, traffic will remain prohibited on the central roadway of Place de la Concorde.
Between Notre-Dame-des-Champs and Place Saint-Michel
Up to 250,000 people are expected to gather Friday along the popemobile route. A protection perimeter will be established starting Thursday between the Church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs and Place Saint-Michel. This secured zone entails parking bans until Friday at 8 p.m. and traffic bans on Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. From 10 a.m. to noon, only local residents and authorized individuals will be able to access the perimeter upon presenting proof. From noon, the faithful will be allowed to enter the secured zone.
Businesses along the route will close from 10 a.m. on the day itself. Establishments within the perimeter will close until 5 p.m., 6 p.m., or 7 p.m., depending on the zone.
Regarding metro and RER services, numerous stations will be closed on Friday:
- From 9 a.m.: Alma-Marceau and Iéna
- From 10 a.m.: Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame, Port-Royal, Luxembourg, Vavin, Cité, Odéon, Cluny-La-Sorbonne, Duroc, Saint-François-Xavier
- From 1 p.m.: Ecole Militaire, Ségur
Around Notre-Dame Cathedral
Notre-Dame Cathedral will be difficult to access before the end of the week. Parking will be prohibited in the security perimeter from Thursday at 11 a.m. until Friday at 8 p.m. Traffic will be banned on Quai du Marché Neuf, Pont Saint-Michel, and Petit-Pont from Thursday at 9 p.m., and from 6 a.m. Friday for the rest of the zone (Île de la Cité, part of Île Saint-Louis, and Seine quays up to Pont des Arts and Ponts de la Tournelle and Marie), until 8 p.m.
On the Seine, river traffic will also be interrupted Friday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the Bras de la Monnaie and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the Bras Marie. Businesses within the protection perimeter will close Friday between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., as will the bouquinistes on the Left Bank from midnight to 8 p.m.
The Cité metro station will be closed Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., as will Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame on the RER.
Around the Stade de France
For the vigil held Friday evening at the Stade de France before 80,000 young people, the surroundings of the stadium will be locked down. Parking and traffic will be prohibited in the area all day Friday, from 8 a.m. until 1 a.m. Saturday.
Unprecedented Security Deployment
As no pope has visited Paris since 2008, one million faithful and visitors are expected over the two days in the capital. For an exceptional event, an “exceptional operation” is required, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. For the first day of the papal visit on Friday, 14,000 law enforcement officers and Sentinelle operation soldiers will be mobilized, along with 2,500 firefighters. The following day, the operation will include 12,000 police, gendarmes, and soldiers, plus 2,500 firefighters.
No fewer than 1,300 SNCF and RATP agents will be present as reinforcements during the two days. Among them, 800 will ensure the safety of the faithful and 500 will be responsible for welcoming and guiding pilgrims, explained Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region and Île-de-France Mobilités, during a press briefing on Tuesday, before urging users to “check information and use apps to plan their routes.”
