Pope's Mass on Saturday: here are the streets and neighborhoods to avoid driving through.

Are you planning to drive this Saturday? The Concorde, the Champs-Élysées, the Invalides and several routes in the 7th arrondissement will be subject to heavy restrictions tied to the Pope’s Mass.

The Place de la Concorde is gearing up to host the grand Mass presided by Pope Léon XIV on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 3:00 p.m., between the Place and the Champs-Élysées. The setup of equipment and security measures will bring several restrictions before, during and after the ceremony.

Pope's giant open-air Mass this Saturday: what to expect on the Champs-Élysées
Only a few days remain before the grand Mass of Leo XIV on the Champs-Élysées. The gathering planned for Saturday, September 26, promises to be one of the most watched moments of his Paris visit. [Read more]

Préfecture de Police

What’s changing around the Concorde and the Champs-Élysées

The restrictions begin several days before the mass. From September 16 at 10 p.m. to September 28 at 12 p.m., traffic is prohibited:

across the entire Place de la Concorde;
on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, between Place Georges-Clémenceau and Place de la Concorde, in both directions;
on the Cours la Reine, at the ramp linking the Georges-Pompidou artery to Place de la Concorde;
Rue Royale, between Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré and Place de la Concorde.

The closures are tied to the setup of the infrastructure required for the outdoor Mass scheduled for Saturday, September 26.

Messe du Pape à Paris : restrictions de circulation place de la Concorde et sur les Champs-Élysées — Préfecture de Police

The security measures will be stepped up as the celebration draws near:

Friday, September 25, starting at 2 p.m.: no entry or parking forbidden in and around Place de l’Étoile, the Champs-Élysées and their immediate surroundings;
Friday, September 25, starting at 10 p.m.: the operation expands with the activation of a SILT protection perimeter around the celebration area;
Saturday, September 26, starting at 8 a.m.: a broader ban on circulation and parking around Concorde, the Champs-Élysées and a large portion of the 8th arrondissement, as well as in adjacent zones.

September 26: a wide perimeter closed to car traffic

On Saturday, September 26, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., a wide traffic and parking ban will be put in place around Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées, and a large portion of the 7th arrondissement.

In Paris’ 8th arrondissement

The Concorde – Champs-Élysées – Étoile area will be the most affected. Traffic and parking will be prohibited within the perimeter defined by authorities, with access around the sector’s main arteries severely restricted. In the protected zones, pedestrian access remains possible under security control.

In the 7th arrondissement

From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., all motorized traffic will be banned in a large swath of the district.

Among the key areas and sectors involved:

Alma Bridge, Jacques-Chirac Quay and Branly Quay;
Rapp Avenue, Université Street and Saint-Dominique Street;
Bosquet Avenue, Cler Street and the Gros-Caillou area;
Orsay Quay and Tour-Maubourg Boulevard;
Invalides Bridge, Marshal Gallieni Avenue and Alexandre-III Bridge;
Concorde Bridge and Anatole-France Quay;
Saint-Germain Boulevard, between the Orsay Quay and Rue du Bac;
The National Assembly and Palais Bourbon area, notably Aristide-Briand, Bourgogne, Bellechasse, Solférino, Lille, Poitiers streets and part of Rue de Verneuil.

Several secondary streets will also be cordoned off around Gros-Caillou, the Invalides, the Orsay Museum and the Palais Bourbon.

Four bridges are among those affected by the ban on motorized vehicles: the Alma Bridge, the Invalides Bridge, the Alexandre-III Bridge, and the Concorde Bridge. That does not, however, mean a blanket closure to pedestrians: designated access points will allow residents and visitors to walk in the permitted zones.

No Parking: Which Streets Are Affected?

In the 8th arrondissement, some parking bans kick in well before the mass weekend. From September 15 at 9:00 a.m. to October 1 at 11:59 p.m., parking is prohibited on several streets or portions of streets near the Champs-Élysées, notably:

Cours-la-Reine;
Avenue Dutuit;
Avenue Gabriel;
Rue de Ponthieu;
Rue du Colisée;
Rue La Boétie;
Rue de Marignan;
Rue Marbeuf;
Rue Robert-Estienne;
Rue de Berri;
Rue Vernet;
Rue Quentin-Bauchart;
Rue Lincoln;
Rue Lord-Byron;
Some portions of the Balzac, Bassano and Galilée streets.

These measures can be advanced, widened, lifted, or reinstated depending on the needs of the security apparatus.

Key times drivers should note

To help you navigate more easily:

September 15 at 9:00 a.m.: the start of multiple parking bans in the 8th arrondissement;
September 16 at 10:00 p.m.: closure of Place de la Concorde and several surrounding streets;
September 25 at 2:00 p.m.: new restrictions around the Etoile and the Champs-Élysées;
September 25 at 10:00 p.m.: activation and widening of the security perimeter around the Mass area;
September 26 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.: a wide traffic- and parking-free perimeter around the Champs-Élysées, Concorde, and much of the 7th arrondissement.

Disruptions persist even after Mass

The festivities are due to wrap up around 4:30 p.m. on September 26, but the sector will not immediately resume its normal operations.

Traffic around Place de la Concorde will remain restricted until September 28 at 12:00 PM. Dismantling work will then begin and continue through October 10 at 11:59 PM, with further traffic restrictions expected in the area.

If you need to drive through the west-central part of Paris on September 25 and 26, it’s best to avoid the Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, the Invalides, and the quays of the 7th arrondissement, and to plan a detour in advance.

These details reflect the official framework in place as of today. The Police Prefecture notes that certain measures may still be adjusted to meet security needs.