The world-famous UNESCO World Heritage site, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, often hailed as an epic architectural marvel, is set to host a grand reopening ceremony on Saturday, December 7th. A lineup of over fifty national leaders and dignitaries, including US President-elect Trump (Trump) and Ukrainian President Zelensky, are expected to attend.
According to the French presidential palace, President Macron will hold bilateral meetings with both Trump and Zelensky before the reopening ceremony at Notre Dame on Saturday.
Following the meetings, Macron will deliver a speech in front of the cathedral. In the afternoon, Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich will lead a religious ritual to mark the reopening, symbolically reopening the cathedral by striking the doors with his staff.
During the event, the Archbishop will ceremonially activate the grand organ of Notre Dame. The 2019 fire caused the lead roof of the cathedral to melt, covering the organ with toxic dust. Now, the organ’s 8,000 pipes have been carefully cleaned and reinstalled, ready to once again fill the cathedral with its melodic tones, adding symbolic significance to the rebuilding of Notre Dame.
On Sunday morning, the Paris Archbishop will preside over the first mass at the cathedral.
During the event, access to the Île de la Cité, where Notre Dame is located, will be restricted to visitors. A public viewing area will be set up on the south bank of the Seine River, capable of accommodating around forty thousand spectators.
This marks Trump’s first official visit post-election and a rare appearance for him in public.
On the 2nd, Trump announced on the social platform Truth Social, “I am honored to announce that I will be heading to Paris, France, this Saturday to attend the grand and historic reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral. Five years after the devastating fire, the cathedral has been fully restored. President Macron has done a remarkable job ensuring the restoration of Notre Dame to its former glory, if not better. It will be an extraordinary day!”
As per the official schedule, Trump will attend a dinner with world leaders, royal members, and celebrities. A grand concert is planned for Saturday night.
With an 850-year history, Notre Dame Cathedral, an early example of Gothic architecture in Europe, will open to the public starting from December 9th. Officials estimate an annual visitation of up to 15 million people. Before the fire, Notre Dame attracted over 12 million tourists annually, making it one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.
Reports suggest that the current US First Lady Jill Biden, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and others will also be in attendance.
Since the devastating fire on April 15, 2019, Notre Dame Cathedral has remained closed to the public. The fire consumed the cathedral’s iconic spire and a significant part of its roof. To restore this historically significant structure, authorities raised approximately 8.46 billion Euros in funding, and after over 5 years of work, the restoration project has been completed.