Notre Dame Is Officially Reopening

More than five years after the fire that devastated Notre Dame, the French landmark is officially reopening. Here’s the rundown.

Notre Dame Is Reopening – Here’s Everything You Need To Know

On 25 April 2019, Parisians watched in horror as the great Notre Dame cathedral went up in flames. That Christmas, the annual mass celebration held at the landmark was cancelled for the first time since 1803, and the entire building – which dates back as far as 1163 – was buried in scaffolding for the next five years.

As soon as the extent of the fire damage was made clear, a mammoth restoration project ensued, involving the reconstruction of the cathedral’s wooden spire and the repair of its roof and upper walls. Specialist artisans were called in, and the public donated millions to help fund the project. (It cost an estimated €700 million to complete.)

Now, the cathedral is finally ready for its grand relaunch – complete with a redesigned visitor route, new signs and an improved visitor experience via the Notre Dame mobile app.

To mark the occasion, French president Emanuel Macron is conducting a televised tour of the site, along with his wife Brigitte and the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich. The ceremony (which includes a speech recognising the thousands of craftspeople who worked tirelessly on the restoration) is the first part of a series of events that will culminate in the official reopening of the cathedral in December.

How To Visit Notre Dame

Notre Dame will open its doors to the public on 7 December, with its first Catholic mass held the next day. Admission is free, but queues will likely be very long due to huge public demand: according to the Notre Dame website, around 40,000 visitors are expected to turn up each day. Guided tours and group visits will resume at Pentecost 2025 (8 June). To find out more, visit notredamedeparis.fr