Pope’s visit to Paris: Mass at Concorde and metro disruption

What is the programme in Paris?

According to the official visit website and the Diocese of Paris:

• Friday 25 September: visit to UNESCO, Vespers at Notre-Dame with priests, deacons, religious and seminarians, then a prayer vigil with young people at the Stade de France.
• Saturday 26 September: visit to the Maison Bakhita, a meeting at the Institut Catholique de Paris, then Mass at Place de la Concorde and on the Champs-Élysées, before leaving for Lourdes.

How can you attend the Concorde Mass?

Mass begins at 3 pm and ends around 4.30 pm; the Pope comes down the Champs-Élysées at about 1.45 pm. Entry points open at 9 am and close at 1 pm; arriving before 11 am is advised, as security checks take time. Registration is closed, but attendance is free and open without registration, within capacity. Registered participants received a QR code showing their sector and nearest entry point.

Good news for our guests: the northern entry points listed for the Mass include Saint-Lazare, Madeleine and Miromesnil, all close to rue Pasquier. From the hotel, walking is the simplest option.

What disruption should you expect?

• Concorde and Champs-Élysées-Clemenceau stations, among others, are closed from Friday evening; trains pass through without stopping.
• Stations around Notre-Dame and the Latin Quarter are also closed on Saturday, and line 6 is interrupted between Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile and Trocadéro.
• Many bus routes are diverted and car traffic is heavily restricted: avoid taxis and driving in the 8th on Saturday.

Before each journey, check the network status on the Île-de-France Mobilités website, as closures may change.

Not going to the Mass?

On Saturday, head for areas away from the perimeter: Parc Monceau, the Tintoretto exhibition at the Jacquemart-André Museum (see our article) or our ideas in Discover Paris. This week's outings are in This week in Paris.