The pinnacle moment of Pope Leo XIV's visit to Paris, the Grand Mass on Saturday, September 26, 2026 is expected to draw a large crowd from Place de la Concorde to the Champs-Élysées. The celebration starts at 3 p.m., but security measures kick in the day before, with numerous stations around the Champs-Élysées shutting down.
Île-de-France Mobilités has published its official recommendations for attending the mass. The transport offer will also be boosted by around 10%, particularly on the RER and trains B, C, D, H, J, L and U, and on all metro lines except line 3. About 1,300 staff will be deployed across the network over the two days of the visit.
The closures and guidance outlined here reflect the official information available to date. RATP, Île-de-France Mobilités, and the organizers may still refine access arrangements and the recommended routes ahead of Saturday.
Access to the site opens at 9:00 a.m., and organizers advise arriving before 11:00 a.m. Doors close at 1:00 p.m., ahead of Léon XIV’s procession along the Champs-Élysées scheduled for 1:45 p.m. The Mass begins at 3:00 p.m. and is expected to conclude around 4:30 p.m.
Starting at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 26, several stations in the area will remain closed or are set to close:
Starting at 12h, two more stations join the list:
Trains run through closed stations without stopping, and connections there are not guaranteed.
Line 6 will also be interrupted between Charles de Gaulle – Étoile and Trocadéro.
The organization warns that an arrival station may be recommended based on the zone assigned to participants. This guidance should be followed as a priority. Île-de-France Mobilités has now published the main stations to prioritize according to your access zone. Among the main options:
For access on the Concorde side, the Madeleine, Auber, and Havre-Caumartin stations offer a way to reach the area, not to mention the Champs-Élysées stations that are closed.
Don’t count on strolling across the Champs-Élysées to switch sectors: crossings will be tightly controlled. Depending on your area, you’d do best to enter from the right side.
Once you’re in the vicinity, you’ll have to finish the journey on foot. And with several hundred thousand people expected, plan for a comfortable margin for:
Finally, buy your public transport ticket before the big day. Transportation won’t be free, and there’s no special pass planned for the pope’s visit.
For this occasion, going as close as possible isn’t necessarily the right call. The best station will, above all, be the one that stays open.
