Pope Leo XIV to ride 2.5 kilometers through Paris in the popemobile

Pope Leo XIV will visit Paris on September 25, 2026, traveling about 2.5 kilometers by popemobile between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. The route will start at the church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs and end at Place Saint-Michel, running mainly along the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Boulevard Saint-Michel toward the River Seine. The event will be free and open to the public, though the route will be marked off by several security control zones.

The public will be able to spread out across 12 welcome zones, each with a screening point staffed by the Public Security Police and volunteers. No advance booking is needed to attend the pope's arrival. The checkpoints will open at noon. People will not be allowed to move directly from one zone to another; anyone wanting to change zones must leave the secure area and pass through a new security check.

Religious and cultural activities along the route

Several activities are planned along the route before the pope arrives, including performances by more than 50 amateur music groups and moments of singing and prayer. Vespers at Notre-Dame de Paris at 5:15 p.m. will precede the route, followed by a youth vigil at the Stade de France that evening.

The following day, September 26, the pope will preside at an outdoor Mass at Place de la Concorde and on the Champs-Élysées at 3 p.m.

Security restrictions and banned items

Weapons, dangerous objects, fireworks, alcohol, glass containers, motorcycle and bicycle helmets, large bags and suitcases will all be banned inside the perimeter. Flags and banners will be allowed provided they are checked, but rigid poles made of wood, metal or hard plastic will not.