Paris Notre-Dame cathedral to open on December 8 with first Mass
Site will be open until 22:00 for first week to allow for influx of visitors
The cathedral has been closed since 2019
Catarina Belova / Shutterstock
Paris’ Notre-Dame cathedral will reopen on Sunday December 8 with a public mass, authorities have confirmed.
French president Emmanuel Macron will attend this mass, and will also visit the site twice prior – on November 29, to give thanks to the restoration team, and again to officially hand the cathedral back to the church from the state on December 7.
For the first week after the first public mass (until December 14), the cathedral will be open until 22:00, to allow for additional visitors.
From Monday 16 December onwards, normal operating hours will resume, confirmed rector of the cathedral Olivier Ribadeau-Dumas.
Previously, the cathedral was open until 18:45 on weekdays and 19:45 on weekends, excluding religious events.
Handover ceremony
A ceremony on December 7 will see the French president hand the church back to the Eglise de France, which manages churches and cathedrals in the country.
He will then give a public speech.
“This speech will be addressed to all French citizens” and will not be religious in nature, said a spokesperson from the Elysée palace, keeping with the laïcite of the country.
“It will be a republican and secular moment before a religious and musical moment in Notre-Dame,” the spokesperson added.
Mr Macron will conduct his speech outside of the cathedral, on its famous forecourt, as opposed to inside the church.
Heads of state are expected to attend the speech, particularly from countries which donated towards the restoration.
Read more: Notre-Dame cathedral belfry bells ring for first time since 2019 fire
How can I visit the cathedral?
A flood of visitors to the cathedral, which has been closed to the public since the 2019 fire, is expected.
To cope, a ticketing system will soon be made available online via the cathedral’s official website.
It will allow people to book tickets to visit up to two days in advance (or on the day of, providing there are still slots allocated).
Currently, these tickets are free, however Culture Minister Rachida Dati wishes to implement a €5 fee to visit the site.
Read more: Minister wants €5 entrance fee for Notre-Dame visitors
