A papal Mass in the heart of Paris, with the Champs-Élysées turned into an open-air nave: the image promises a spectacular spectacle. The Mass of Pope Leo XIV in Paris begins this Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 3:00 PM, from the Place de la Concorde, with arrangements extending along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Good news for those who want to avoid the crowds: the celebration will be widely broadcast on television and via streaming, notably on France 2, france.tv, TF1, LCI and KTO, but also through the official channels of the Church and the Vatican. Several international broadcasters are also offering live coverage.
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]
The event is set for 3:00 PM Paris time, this Saturday, September 26, 2026. The ceremony is expected to conclude around 4:30 PM. Several networks will go on air well before the Mass: there will already be plenty to watch ahead of the service. The official program notably calls for the descent of the Champs-Élysées by Léon XIV starting at 1:45 PM, before his arrival at Place de la Concorde.
For spectators on site, the program is much earlier: access opens at 9h, arriving before 11h is advised, and access closes at 13h. Nearly 600 000 inscriptions had been recorded before the closure on September 16.
French viewers will have plenty to choose from. France 2 is airing a special broadcast from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., with Julian Bugier, Léa Salamé, Stéphane Bern, and David Milliat to guide viewers through the mass. The live stream will also be available on france.tv. France Télévisions is the official broadcaster of the trip and handles the complete capture; the public broadcaster also produces the international feed offered to other media outlets.
Meanwhile, TF1 will air a special edition starting at 1:35 PM, hosted by Anne-Claire Coudray and Gilles Bouleau. Coverage is also slated on LCI, with teams deployed from the Arc de Triomphe to the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde. For a program specifically devoted to the papal journey, KTO goes on air at 2 PM, ahead of the Mass at 3 PM.
Finally, the celebration will also be streamed live on the official YouTube channel of the Catholic Church in France, while RCF Notre-Dame provides a radio broadcast. The YouTube channel of ICI Paris Île-de-France will also carry the Mass live from the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées.
| Broadcaster | Planned start / access |
|---|---|
| France 2 | Special program from 1:30 PM, Mass at 3 PM |
| france.tv | Digital live stream |
| TF1 | Special edition from 1:35 PM |
| LCI | Live coverage |
| KTO | On air from 2 PM |
| YouTube – Catholic Church in France | Live Mass |
| YouTube – ICI Paris Île-de-France | Live Mass |
| RCF Notre-Dame | Radio rebroadcast |
The Paris celebration clearly won’t be limited to French screens. France Télévisions produces the international feed of the trip, allowing it to be picked up by foreign channels and platforms.
The most universal option remains Vatican News, listed among the official broadcasters of the September 26 Mass. The Vatican platform thus lets audiences outside France follow the event, while the media’s various language services ensure coverage of the trip.
In Italy, TV2000 confirms a live broadcast of the Mass at 3 p.m., with streaming also on its Play2000 platform. The network is dedicating several days of special programming to the journey of Pope Leo XIV to France.
Radio Vatican will also provide international coverage. A shortwave broadcast of the Paris Mass is scheduled from 2:50 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with commentary in English and French.
To help readers abroad orient themselves, Paris's 3:00 PM kickoff corresponds to 2:00 PM in London, 9:00 AM in New York and Toronto, 8:00 AM in Lima, and 10:00 AM in Buenos Aires.
While people often call it a “Mass on the Champs-Élysées,” the altar is set up at Place de la Concorde, while the crowd stretches along the Champs-Élysées and, because of the overflow, into the Etoile and Grande-Armée sectors. The Diocese of Paris had announced plans to carve out an additional area after approaching 600,000 registrants.
This Mass marks one of the high points of Pope Leo XIV’s stay in Paris. The Pope arrives in France on Friday, September 25, and will stop at the Élysée Palace, UNESCO, Notre-Dame de Paris, and the Stade de France before this celebration. After the Mass, he is due to depart Paris-Orly at 17:45 bound for Lourdes, the second major stop on his French itinerary.
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Pope's giant open-air Mass this Saturday: what to expect on the Champs-Élysées
