Notre Dame cathedral roars back to life after more than five years of silence
For the first time since the devastating 2019 fire, the towering Gothic masterpiece reopened in an evening marked by song, prayer, and tribute to the many who saved and rebuilt Notre Dame.
The evening’s celebration was attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including the US president-elect, Donald Trump, the US first lady, Jill Biden, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukraine president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The ceremony began with the ringing of the cathedral’s largest bell, the 13-ton Emmanuel – named by King Louis XIV after it was cast in 1683.
Speaking inside the cathedral, Macron expressed “gratitude” to those who saved, donated, and rebuilt Notre Dame. “Every bit of it was necessary,” he said. “We have rediscovered what great nations could do: achieve the impossible.”
The reopening was as much about diplomacy as it was about celebrating the tremendous feat of rebuilding the cathedral. Prior to the ceremony, Macron, Trump and Zelenskyy met briefly, in what Reuters described as a coup for Macron after a week of political turmoil in France.
Updated
Underscoring the role that diplomacy played in tonight’s ceremony, news agency AFP has a piece about how Brigitte Macron was seated strategically in order to keep Trump and the Bidens apart.
Joe Biden was invited tonight, but his office said he had a scheduling conflict. Instead the first lady, Jill Biden, as well as the couple’s daughter, Ashley, attended.
The presence of both Trump and the outgoing president’s family presented protocol planners with a headache after one of the most bitter election campaigns in US history.
Before the start of the ceremony, the US first lady and Trump ended up seated on their own briefly and could be seen exchanging pleasantries, AFP reported.
The liturgical ceremony has come to a close and attenders have begun filing out of the cathedral.
The bells of Notre Dame are again ringing, capping off a night in which the iconic Gothic masterpiece roared back to life, reclaiming its place in the city after more than five years of silence.
Updated
Tonight’s ceremony has been as much about diplomacy as it has been about celebrating the tremendous feat of rebuilding the Notre Dame cathedral.
Macron seized on the reopening ceremony to invite Trump, leading the US president-elect to make his first trip overseas since winning last month’s presidential election. Earlier tonight Macron managed to get Trump to meet briefly with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in what Reuters described as a coup for Macron after a week of political turmoil in France.
As Trump arrived at the Élysée, Macron was keen to project an image of their close ties, shaking hands and offering up plenty of back-patting for the cameras. Later on, cameras caught this moment of Macron speaking to Trump as he appeared to point towards Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Updated
For those interested in visiting the rebuilt cathedral, Reuters reports that free tickets can now be booked online.
Saturday marked the first day the bookings could be made and all of the tickets available for the coming days were swiftly snapped up, according to the news agency.
The website notes that advance reservation is not necessary to visit the monument but is highly recommended to reduce wait times.
Group visits will be allowed next year, starting in February for religious groups, and as of 9 June for tourists with guides.
The Catholic church expects the cathedral to welcome 15 million visitors annually.
Updated
The ceremony also featured a message from Pope Francis, who declined to attend tonight’s ceremony.
Francis described it as a day of “joy, celebration and praise”. In his message, he said he hoped “the rebirth of this admirable church would constitute a prophetic sign of the renewal of the church in France”.
Updated
A small group of American expats gathered near Notre Dame on Saturday to protest the presence of Trump, the Associated Press reported.
Organised under the banner “Paris Against Trump”, the group criticised Macron for inviting Trump and said they had opted not to organise a larger demonstration in order to avoid disrupting tonight’s ceremony.
“We find this a bit shameful and sad that Trump is invited here, especially since he has gone against everything the church stands for,” said Ehlyr O’Rourke, 34, a spokesperson for the association. “We don’t understand why a criminal, a sex offender, a felon can actually be invited in here.”
Updated
One of the highlights of tonight’s ceremony so far was the minutes-long standing ovation for those who saved and rescued the towering Gothic masterpiece.
Here are a few pictures of the 160 firefighters and others as they paraded through the rebuilt structure:
Speaking at the reopening ceremony, Macron has stressed the “fraternity” that it took to rebuild Notre Dame.
“Every bit of it was necessary,” he said. “We have rediscovered what great nations could do: achieve the impossible.”
The cathedral is a reminder that we inherit a history that is bigger than us and that can disappear at any moment, Macron added. “We must treasure this lesson of fragility, humility and will, and never forget how much each person counts, and how the greatness of this cathedral is inseparable from the work of all.”
He ended his speech with “Long live Notre Dame de Paris, long live the French Republic, long live France.”
Updated
Earlier tonight, TV footage of guests inside the Notre Dame offered a quick glimpse of Elon Musk.
News agency AFP was among the first to report today that Musk, the world’s richest man and one of Donald Trump’s closest allies, would be among the 1,500 guests expected in Paris for the reopening ceremony.
Moments after the largest bell of Notre Dame, the 13-ton Emmanuel, rang out into the Paris night, Macron began his address to the opening ceremony.
“Tonight the bells of Notre Dame ring again,” he said, describing them as the “bells that have accompanied our history”.
He began by expressing the “gratitude” of the French nation to all those who saved and rebuilt the cathedral.
Updated
A minutes-long applause is ringing out as 160 firefighters and others who were instrumental in saving and rebuilding the iconic cathedral parade through Notre Dame.
Outside, on the facade of cathedral, one word is being projected: Merci.
Updated
Just before the reopening ceremony, among those who greeted Trump was Prince William:
Updated
A video is now playing, showing images of the devastating fire that raced through the iconic structure on 15 April 2019.
It’s a sharp contrast from the sweeping camera views we just saw of the renovated interiors of the cathedral. The herculean project saw 2,000 oak trees gathered from forests across France, hewn into beams with axes and pegged into great trusses by hand using medieval tools.
More than 1,000 cubic metres of limestone was hauled into place, chiselled into leaping arches and gurning gargoyles, as well as 4,000 square metres of lead, rolled, crimped and moulded into ornamental roofing.
Updated
The archbishop, Laurent Ulrich, has now entered the cathedral.
The rites and religious service tonight will be led by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich.
He has now begun the reopening ceremony, heading towards the cathedral’s heavy doors to knock on them with his crozier.
From within the cathedral, a psalm will be sung three times before the doors are opened. Ulrich will then bless the ancient organ before it starts playing and the religious service gets underway.
Notre Dame’s bells are ringing again for the first time since 15 April 2019
Updated
Zelenskyy said meeting with Trump was "good and productive"
Ahead of tonight’s ceremony, Macron seized on the moment to pull together a meeting with himself, Trump and Zelenskyy.
The meeting comes at a key moment. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that advisers to Trump are publicly and privately floating proposals to end the Ukraine war that would cede large parts of the country to Russia for the foreseeable future.
Zelenskyy has said the meeting between the three was “good and productive”.
“We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. We spoke about our people, the situation on the ground and a just peace,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
Updated
Donald Trump has now arrived at the cathedral. The US president-elect was warmly hugged by Macron before greeting Brigitte with a kiss on each cheek.
Macron and his wife, Brigitte, are welcoming people outside Notre Dame:
Updated
Representatives from various faith groups have been invited to tonight’s ceremony as well as tomorrow’s mass, underscoring the tremendous significance of this moment for the country.
Here’s what several of them told newspaper Le Monde today:
Antony Boussemart, co-president of the French Buddhist Union:
This is anything but an ordinary day, even for us … It’s a setting that encourages introspection, whether you’re Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or atheist.”
Chems-Eddine Hafiz, rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris:
I’m proud and honored to take part in this day. And I think that all Muslims feel involved, as do all French people.”
Christian Krieger, the president of the French Protestant Federation:
I’m thrilled that this building has received so much attention from the nation. It’s a form of recognition for the noble nature of worship when it involves silence, prayer and welcoming people.”
Updated
Some fun facts about the Notre Dame cathedral, courtesy of the Associated Press:
The first stone of Notre Dame was laid in 1163.
The bell that will be used to signal the start of the service weighs 13 tons. The bell has a name – Emmanuel – given to it by King Louis XIV after it was cast in 1683. It rings in F sharp.
Inside the cathedral, abouty 42,000 square metres of stonework were cleaned during the renovation – an area equivalent to roughly six football pitches.
Notre Dame’s great organ, which will be heard in public tonight for the first time since the 2019 fire, has 7,952 pipes – the largest is as broad as a human torso; the smallest is no larger than a pen.
The renovated giant console that controls the great organ has five keyboards of 56 notes each, foot pedals for 30 notes and 115 stops.
Updated
Tonight’s reopening ceremony comes days after the French government’s historic collapse plunged France into political turmoil.
My colleague Angelique Chrisafis penned this dispatch earlier this week, delving into the sharp contrast between the reopening of Notre Dame and the political chaos that has gripped the country:
Some of tonight's 1,500 guests begin to arrive at the cathedral
Dignitaries from around the world have been invited to tonight’s ceremony, including the US president-elect, Donald Trump, America’s first lady Jill Biden, Britain’s Prince William and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
About 1,500 guests are slated to attend the ceremony under the soaring Gothic arches of Notre Dame, hinting at Macron’s efforts to turn the celebration into a fully fledged diplomatic event.
Here are a few photos from the wires as guests begin to arrive:
Updated
Oliver Wainwright, the Guardian’s architecture and design critic, was given early access to the restored cathedral. Here’s his take:
With France plunged into political turmoil, and president Emmanuel Macron’s approval ratings at an all time low, the country might be thankful to have a distraction of epic proportions this weekend. All eyes will be on Notre Dame, as Paris prepares to unveil the interior of its hallowed cathedral, “the soul of France” finally resurrected following a meticulous five-year, €700m (£582m) restoration.
The herculean project has seen 2,000 oak trees gathered from forests across France, hewn into beams with axes and pegged into great trusses by hand using medieval tools. It has witnessed over a thousand cubic metres of limestone being hauled into place, chiselled into leaping arches and gurning gargoyles, as well as 4,000 square metres of lead, rolled, crimped and moulded into ornamental roofing. It has also been the stage for a celebrity wallet-waving spectacle, seeing French luxury goods billionaires racing to outdo each other in the size of their donations – reaching almost €900m (£749m) just two days after the fire, endowing the cathedral with a substantial maintenance kitty for years to come.
The astonishing and lavishly funded endeavour has been a lifeline for endangered craftsmanship, single-handedly reviving a host of specialist building industries across France and beyond. The project mobilised a 2,000-strong army of master masons, carpenters, roofers, glassworkers, organ restorers and painting conservators, many using centuries-old techniques. This elaborate medieval cosplay has returned the majestic pile to just the way it was before the 2019 fire – only cleaner, brighter and more colourful than ever.
Guests have begun filing into Notre Dame cathedral for the ceremonies.
Many of them are revelling at the renovated interiors, with many whipping out cell phones to take photos, Associated Press reports.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has also arrived at the Élysée palace, joining Macron and Trump for a meeting before the reopening.
The meeting comes at a key moment; earlier this week, Reuters reported that advisers to Trump are publicly and privately floating proposals to end the Ukraine war that would cede large parts of the country to Russia for the foreseeable future.
Trump repeatedly pledged during his election campaign to end the nearly three-year-old conflict within 24 hours of his 20 January inauguration, if not before then, but has yet to say how.
Updated
Ahead of the reopening, Macron has welcomed the US president-elect, Donald Trump, at the Élysée palace, the official residence of the French president.
Before the two headed inside, Trump offered a hint of what was on the agenda for the two of them, telling reporters: “It certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now. And we’ll be talking about that.”
The current president, Joe Biden, was invited tonight, but his office said he had a scheduling conflict. Instead the first lady, Jill Biden, will represent the United States.
Here are a few photos of Macron greeting Trump from the wires:
Updated
Notre Dame to reopen, five years after fire
The restored Gothic spire of Notre Dame is to provide a dramatic backdrop for Donald Trump’s return to the geopolitical stage this evening, as the US president-elect prepares to make his first visit to Europe since the election to mingle with world leaders at an official reopening ceremony in Paris.
The medieval cathedral, which was ravaged by a fire in 2019, has been reconstructed in a painstaking €700m (£580m) effort that took just five years, involving the application of carpentry methods dating to the 13th century and enabled with donations from 150 countries.
Festivities will stretch over two days, starting with an address by the beleaguered French president, Emmanuel Macron.
Speaking before today’s opening ceremony, Macron said:
The shock of the reopening will - I believe and I want to believe - be as strong as that of the fire, but it will be a shock of hope.
Macron had initially been expected to deliver the speech on the limestone forecourt outside the cathedral followed by a liturgical ceremony inside but late on Friday, Macron’s office and the Diocese of Paris said heavy winds would force the celebrations to be held entirely inside.
The archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, will strike the 850-year-old edifice’s heavy door with his crosier, accompanied by the singing of Psalm 121, to symbolise the cathedral’s reawakening.
The service continues with the “awakening of the great organ”, which has not been heard since the fire, a solemn blessing and the singing of the Te Deum.
We’ll bring you live updates from the ceremony.
Welcome to the live blog
Good evening, bonsoir.
The bells of Notre Dame cathedral are set to ring out again after being silenced in 2019 by a devastating fire. At the time, as smoke choked the air, the spire lay in rubble, and charred beams littered the nave, Emmanuel Macron, issued an extraordinary decree: Notre Dame would rise again — in just five years.
Five and a half years later, Macron will tonight be welcoming dignitaries from around the world for the re-opening ceremony of the 861-year-old Gothic treasure.
We’ll be following it all, do stay tuned for updates.
