Robert Badinter at the Panthéon: ceremony open to the public and traffic restrictions until October 10

Robert Badinter, the emblematic figure behind the abolition of the death penalty and former Minister of Justice, will be honored with entry into the Panthéon in the 5th arrondissement of Paris this Thursday, October 9, 2025. The ceremony, open to the public, will start at 7pm, with opening hours at 5:30pm in the lower Rue Soufflot, and will entail major traffic restrictions in the area. We tell you all about it.

Robert Badinter, former Minister of Justice and emblematic figure in the fight against the death penalty in France, who died in February 2024, will be honored this Thursday, October 9, 2025 with entry into the Panthéon, in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, exactly 44 years after the abolition of capital punishment.

The ceremony will be open to the public from 5.30pm on the rue Soufflot. Access will be strictly controlled, with palpations and bag searches, to ensure the safety of all. The ceremony, which will symbolically mark the arrival of Robert Badinter among the great figures of French history, will start at 7pm and should finish around 8pm. Seating is limited, so be sure to arrive early for this solemn tribute.

Traffic and parking restrictions in the neighborhood:

(according to Le Parisien)

Starting Tuesday, October 7 :

Closure of place du Panthéon (between rue Cujas and rue Clotaire)
Closure of rue Saint-Jacques (between rue Cujas and rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques)
Closure of rue Soufflot in the direction Panthéon → boulevard Saint-Michel (a traffic lane remains open on the way up).
Parking prohibited on these routes

Wednesday, October 8 from 2pm:

Complete closure of rue Soufflot in both directions
Rue Le Goff closed (between rue Malebranche and rue Soufflot), parking prohibited
Parking prohibited in rue des Carmes and rue Valette (traffic maintained)

Thursday, October 9 (the day of the ceremony) from 2 to 9:30 p.m. :

Large protection perimeter around the Pantheon and from rue Soufflot to place Edmond Rostand
15 access points, with searches and palpations on entry
Traffic restricted to motor vehicles and prohibited in the vicinity of the event
Partial closure of boulevard Saint-Michel between rue des Écoles and rue de Vaugirard (direction rue des Écoles → place Edmond Rostand)
People needing access to the perimeter for personal, family or professional reasons must report to the authorities on site.

The security perimeter will be lifted at 6am on Friday October 10, with traffic fully restored.

Robert Badinter's entry into the Panthéon on October 9: a national ceremony to be followed on France 2
Robert Badinter will be inducted into the Pantheon on Thursday, October 9, 2025. This date was not chosen by chance, as it will mark the anniversary of the promulgation of the law abolishing the death penalty, of which he was the author. That was 44 years ago, on October 9, 1981. To mark Robert Badinter's pantheonization, France Télévisions has announced a special program to bring this national ceremony to life. We tell you all about it. [Read more]