The reopening of Notre-Dame has been eagerly awaited since April 15, 2019. December 7 and 8, 2024 will be dates that will mark the history of Notre-Dame, just as much as that of its fire. It will be the day of the cathedral’s rebirth for centuries to come. (“for ever and ever”).

More detailed information is available on our website:

• Notre Dame in fire – What happened ? Which consequences ?
• Securisation of Notre Dame after the fire of 2019
• Notre-Dame reconstruction of the buiding after the fire, for the next centuries
• Notre-Dame interior rehabilitation, a delicate, giant and unique renovation
• 15 of the best hotels near Notre-Dame-de-Paris

A two-stage Notre-Dame Reopening

December 7 is the day on which Note-Dame is returned to the Catholic Church. In 1905, with the separation of Church and State, all Catholic buildings in France were “donated” to the French State. In return, the upkeep of all these buildings is the responsibility of the French State (in fact of the Towns or Communes, depending on the address of the church), but remains at the disposal of the Church. As a result, some churches in France are closed, sold or demolished by the communes, because they are not used due to a lack of faithful.

On December 7, a ceremony between the City of Paris and the Bishopric of Paris will mark the return of Notre Dame to the “space” of the Bishopric of Paris. This ceremony will be held on the parvis of Notre-Dame on the Ile-de-la-Cité

December 8 will mark the reopening to the public. The first mass is dedicated to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. “The celebration of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary – situated in the first days of the new liturgical year and the Advent season – recalls the unique destiny of this Jewish woman, chosen by God. For the Christian faith, Mary is inseparable from the child she bore, Jesus, in whom the living God was fully manifested. Since the Council of Ephesus, she has been called “Mother of God”. According to Catholic tradition, since the dogma promulgated by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854, she has been declared preserved from original sin from the moment of her birth.

From December 8 to 15, an “octave” (during 8 days) of daily solemn celebrations with various themes will take place,.

This might attract large crowds, so pre-booking or early arrival may be advisable.

Visiting Notre-Dame after December 8

Visits to the Cathedral are free and will remain free. As before, however, visits to the Crypt and Towers are subject to a charge – but will only be opened in the months following the December 8 opening.

However, the influx of visitors to Notre-Dame, which was 12 million a year, is likely to rise to 15 million. With this in mind, entry to the cathedral will be mainly by reservation, and admission will still be free, but on a specific day and at a specific time.

For the first six months, until Pentecost 2025, access will be reserved for individual visitors and the faithful, with groups only admitted after this period. New mediation systems will be developed with a particular focus on accessibility, including a new signage system, a “visit companion” mobile application, publications, guides and catalogs, and some 500 volunteers to welcome visitors.

In addition, the Cathedral itself has been reorganized.

The direction of the tour and the signage have been changed

The route, built from left to right, will take in 10 points of interest, with an educational angle accessible to all. Regular visitors to the cathedral will also notice new signage.

A taste of the interior: chairs and new liturgical furnishings

Consumed by the flames, the interior of Notre-Dame will be restored to its former glory as soon as it opens. These interior refurbishment projects are being monitored by the diocese.

Guillaume Bardet, Ionna Vautrin and Sylvain Dubuisson designed the liturgical furnishings, the chairs and the shrine-reliquary of the Holy Crown of Thorns, respectively,
New chairs (1500), in solid oak from Sologne, will replace the same number lost in the fire.

The liturgical furnishings, which include the baptistery, altar, ambo, tabernacle, cathedra and altar, will undergo a change. They were all cast in bronze at the Barthélémy Art foundry in the Drôme region of France. This is the first time such a material has been used at Notre-Dame! The sacred vases, meanwhile, will be made of gold by Atelier d’orfèvrerie Marischael.
In addition, Guillaume Bardet has been commissioned to design the vases and liturgical objects that will be used from the reopening, including ciboria, chalice, paten, monstrance, censer, basin, ewer, cruets and tray.

Other projects, such as lighting, sound, reorganization of the treasury and interior fittings, are all on schedule with the diocese.

We should also mention designer Vincent Dupont-Rougier, responsible for designing the devotional pillar holders and remote control devices, and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, who created the liturgical ornaments for the reopening.

The Crown of Thorns in a new setting

In the center, a deep-blue half-sphere stands out from a halo of twelve concentric circles of quadrangular cabochons on a gold background, radiating the motif of the cross.

This sacred relic, so important to believers, was almost lost in the flames. To enhance and protect the Crown of Thorns, a new reliquary was designed.

Made of cedar wood (like the cross of Christ) and set with bronze thorns, this sublime openwork reliquary, almost 4 m high, will blend perfectly into the décor without distorting the setting.

The area around the cathedral will be planted with greenery, with work scheduled for 2025 and 2026.

The reopening of Notre-Dame will be followed by further improvements to make it easier to welcome visitors. The 4.7 hectares surrounding the cathedral, including the forecourt and the two squares next to it, will be completely landscaped. Some 150 trees will be planted to provide shade in summer and refresh the area.

The underground parking lot beneath the forecourt will also get a real facelift, becoming an immense 3,000 m² covered promenade. It will feature a café, a bookshop and direct access to the banks of the Seine.

Although almost all the work on Notre-Dame has already been completed, the project will extend beyond the reopening to the public.
The next stages in Notre-Dame’s reconstruction will include restoration of the chevet and sacristy in 2025, and the installation of contemporary stained glass windows by 2026, the creation of which is currently the subject of an invitation to tender.