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The full agenda for Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Barcelona (and free tickets to see him)
Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Barcelona is generating considerable anticipation. The complete agenda is now known, from his arrival on 9 June to his departure on 10 June. In total, two days in which he will get to know some of the city’s landmark places up close and also its surroundings, such as Montserrat mountain.
According to Barcelona City Council, the main purpose of Pope Leo's visit is to bless and see the inauguration of the Jesus tower of the Sagrada Familia, in an event which, let us remember, this year coincides with the commemoration of the centenary of the death of architect Antoni Gaudí.
The full agenda for Leo XIV's visit to Barcelona
Barcelona Cathedral
The Pope will arrive on 9 June around midday and go straight to Barcelona Cathedral, where he will say a prayer. The cathedral, located in the centre, is one of the city's best-known and most visited monuments. Although it has been restored several times, it is Gothic in architectural style and retains some areas from its initial construction, from the 13th to the 15th centuries.
The large central square stands out, as does, inside the cathedral, the cloister, with the white geese of Santa Eulàlia, as well as l'ou com balla.
The Pope's next stop in Barcelona will be in the afternoon at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, where a mass event is expected to bring together some 37,000 people. There, the Pope will hold a prayer vigil.
It is already known when free tickets to attend this event will be available: Friday 8 May, and they can be reserved until 18 May.
The tickets will be for the Catholic community on the one hand, but also for the general public, who will be able to reserve a maximum of four tickets per person. Tickets can be obtained on the Alça La Mirada website.
The stadium event is expected to begin at 18:00, although the gates will open at 16:00. The gates will close at 19:00. Before the Pope arrives, at around 20:00, there will be musical performances, including one by singer Sergio Dalma.
At 20:00, Pope Leo XIV will travel around the stadium in an open-top car, as previous popes did, before continuing with a liturgy that could end at around 21:00.
Centro Penitenciario Can Brians
The following day, 10 June, Leo XIV will visit Brians I Prison in Sant Esteve Sesrovires, where it is said that he might speak with various inmates.
Montserrat
Afterwards, he will go to the emblematic mountain and the Monestir de Montserrat. There he will lead a prayer and the Salve and the Virolai will be sung. Afterwards, the Pope will have lunch with the Benedictine monks. The monastery expects to welcome more than 10,000 people and giant screens will be installed to follow the central event, according to figures gathered by Barcelona City Council.
Parish of San Agustín
After Montserrat, the Pope will return to Barcelona. There he will travel to the Raval neighbourhood to go to the parish of San Agustín. It is a smaller, neighbourhood church, but one that retains its charm.
Its nickname, ‘the cathedral of the poor’, is not an anecdotal label, but responds to a reality rooted in its role as a space for welcome and gathering. Institutions such as UNESCO highlight precisely the value of these community spaces in preserving intangible cultural heritage, beyond their architecture. In this church, the Pope will learn about some of the social projects carried out there.
Sagrada Familia
To conclude Pope Leo XIV's visit to Barcelona, and in one of the central events, he will travel to the Sagrada Familia on 10 June at 19:00 in the evening. The Pope will preside over the basilica's mass and bless the Jesus tower.