Notre Dame will soon reopen. Here’s what you need to know

Notre Dame, the treasured Gothic gem in Paris that went up in flames in 2019, will officially reopen Saturday.

Immediately after the fire, French President Emmanuel Macron made the ambitious pledge to restore the church within five years.

On Friday, he praised hundreds of artisans, carpenters and other specialists for helping him “keep this promise” during his final site visit.

“You did it. And it’s an immense source of pride for the entire nation. I’m infinitely grateful to you, France is infinitely grateful to you,” Macron said.

Here’s everything you need to know about the days ahead.

What’s happened so far?

On April 15, 2019, Notre Dame was engulfed in flames. The cause of the blaze remains a mystery. Investigators say it was likely an accident – perhaps a burning cigarette or an electrical malfunction.

France – and much of the world – despaired as the 860-year-old cathedral’s roof caved in, strewing the stone floor below with soot. Macron called it a “terrible tragedy,” and pledged to rebuild the landmark church “because it is what our history deserves.”

Some of the country’s richest businessmen pledged hundreds of millions of euros towards the restoration.

Smoke and flames rise from the burning Notre Dame cathedral on April 15, 2019.

After more than 2,000 days’ work – involving 2,000 people, 2,000 oak trees and 2,000 features restored or rebuilt – the world got its first glimpse of “Our Lady of Paris” last week, as the French president toured the restored landmark with his wife, Brigitte, and a cluster of clergymen.

The official reopening begins with a ceremony on Saturday, followed by eight days of special masses and prayers.

Who’s been invited?

The guest list will be long and illustrious, but the most notable attendee will be Donald Trump. The US president-elect announced this week he will travel to Paris – his first overseas trip since last month’s election – for what will be “a very special day for all.”

The ceremony is expected to draw some 50 heads of state and government.

One noteworthy absentee, however, will be Pope Francis. The pontiff will travel to the French Mediterranean island of Corsica on December 15, just days after the reopening, but is skipping a visit to the capital. A leading French archbishop said the “star” of the ceremony ought to be Notre Dame itself, and that the pope did not want to distract from the occasion.

Some 170 bishops from France and around the world will also be involved in the ceremony, along with one priest from each of the 106 parishes in the Paris diocese.

The cathedral’s new interior was revealed on November 29.

What’s happening on Saturday?

Macron will give a speech in front of the cathedral at around 6 p.m. (12 p.m. ET). The Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich will then strike the closed cathedral doors with his crozier, an ornate staff.

Once the doors open, the cathedral “responds” to the knock by singing Psalm 121 – which begins “I will lift mine eyes unto the hills” – three times. After this, the doors will open.

The ceremony then proceeds in three parts. First, the “awakening” of the great organ – the largest in France, comprising 8,000 pipes and 115 stops. Second, the “chanting of the office” – a series of psalms and prayers, including the Lord’s Prayer. Then, the archbishop will give a final blessing and the choir will sing Te Deum, a Latin hymn.

The service will be followed by a broadcast by France TV, chronicling the cathedral’s rebuilding.

The nave of Notre Dame cathedral. Some 250 companies and hundreds of experts were mobilized for the five-year restoration costing hundreds of millions of euros.

A bronze tabernacle is seen on architect Viollet-le-Duc’s altar and the statues that make up the Vow of Louis XIII.

The Notre Dame cathedral is set to re-open in early December 2024, with a planned weekend of ceremonies December 7 and 8.

President Emmanuel Macron meets with Marie Parant, who restored murals in the Saint Marcel’s chapel within the building. Twenty-nine chapels surround the interior of the cathedral. They were not part of the original plans for the space but added in the 13th century.

A detailed view the inside of Notre Dame cathedral.

The dioceses of Paris decided to fully refurnish the interior of the cathedral and tasked French artist and designer Guillaume Bardet with creating new liturgical pieces, including the high altar, ambo, cathedra, tabernacle and baptistry.

Macron delivers a speech during the visit to Notre Dame. “You have transformed ashes into art,” he told the crowd, which included more than 1,300 people who worked on the restoration.

The Crown of Thorns is considered one of the most precious relics of Notre Dame. Brought to Paris from the Holy Land in 1263 by Saint Louis, firefighters managed to save it on the night of the fire, though its glass case was broken in the process. A new reliquary has been designed by French artist Sylvain Dubuisson.

Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron view the new roof structure of Notre Dame. The Elysee described this moment of the walkthrough as “one of the most symbolic” moments of the visit. Before the fire, the roof was nicknamed “the forest” because it was made with oak trees from across France, and due to the density of the vaults. It was the epicenter of the blaze before it collapsed, according to the French government.

The choir stalls of Notre Dame on November 29.

A general view of the newly-restored nave of Notre Dame. It is the fourth time that the nave has been rebuilt. Before any work could be done, the building first needed to be secured to prevent damaged portions from collapsing and to support the 28 flying buttresses of the nave.

Macron is accompanied on the televised walkthrough by Paris’ archbishop Laurent Ulrich and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo.

The south rose window, offered as a gift by King Louis the IX, has been restored to its full glory. It’s not the first time it’s been rebuilt, had to be reconstructed in the 18th and 19th centuries too.

This photograph shows part of a bas-relief outside the Notre Dame cathedral.

Macron’s first stop on a site visit of the refurbished Notre Dame cathedral is the forecourt outside the cathedral. Restoration work here is not yet finished as the surrounding area redevelopment is not due to start until next year, finishing in 2030.

Pedestrians stop and look at Notre Dame cathedral on November 28 ahead of the reopening.

Workers operate on scaffoldings around the wooden structure of the new spire of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris in July 2024. This spire was reconstructed to be identical to the original one that was destroyed in the 2019 blaze.

A technician works at the reconstruction site in July 2022.

Workers plaster stonework as they rappel down a vault inside Notre Dame in April 2021.

An aerial view shows the widespread damage to the cathedral in April 2019. Before the fire, the roof was nicknamed “the forest” because it was made with oak trees from across France. It was the epicenter of the blaze before it collapsed, according to the French government.

The steeple and spire collapse as the roof of the Notre Dame burns.

People watch as smoke and flames rise during the fire at the historic monument in central Paris in April 2019.

In pictures: First look at Notre Dame’s breathtaking restoration five years after fire

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When is the first mass?

The inaugural mass will be held Sunday morning at around 10.30 a.m. (4.30 a.m. ET), with Macron in attendance. After blessing the holy water, the archbishop will sprinkle it over the congregation and then the altar.

The biblical readings given at mass will be the same the world over, marking the second Sunday of Advent.

A second mass will be held on Sunday evening, which will be open to the public.

And after that?

For the eight days after the reopening, masses will be held twice daily, along with special evening ceremonies. Many of these services will be open to the public.

On December 17 and 18, the cathedral will host concerts of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Magnificat.”

The cathedral expects to welcome up to 15 million visitors each year. For now, visiting remains free. Guests will be able to book a free ticket online and access the building either on the same day or one or two days after booking.