Pope Leo XIV's visit to Madrid

Accepting the invitation of King Felipe VI and the Spanish Church, Pope Leo XIV will make an apostolic visit to Spain from 6 to 12 June 2026. From 6 to 9 June, he will be in Madrid—a city he has not visited for 15 years—with Plaza de Cibeles chosen as the setting for the main event.

The Holy Father will touch down in Spain on 6 June, with his itinerary taking in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands. 

Programme for 6 June

The Pope will arrive in Spain on the morning of Saturday the 6th at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas International Airport, where he will be met by the King and Queen alongside other dignitaries. From the airport, he will travel to the Royal Palace for a formal reception and welcome ceremony, presided over by Their Majesties and attended by representatives of Spain’s leading institutions, civil society and the diplomatic corps.

That afternoon, Leo XIV will visit CEDIA 24 Horas, a Cáritas social project providing round-the-clock specialist care and support for people experiencing homelessness—a fitting reminder, on the very first day of his visit, that charitable works lie at the heart of this trip.

The day will conclude with an evening prayer vigil for young people at Plaza de Lima and the surrounding area, near the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, culminating in Eucharistic Adoration. Before the celebrations begin, the Holy Father will travel through the area by Popemobile to greet pilgrims gathered along the route. The event will include direct contributions from young people before the Pope addresses the crowd and leads the Adoration.

Programme for 7 June

The following day, Sunday, the feast of Corpus Christi, will begin with the first major Mass of the visit. At Plaza de Cibeles, the Holy Father will preside over the celebration which will be followed by a Eucharistic procession through the surrounding streets to mark the occasion.

That afternoon, Leo XIV will lead an event called Tejer Redes (“Weaving Networks”) at Movistar Arena, bringing together representatives from the worlds of culture, the arts, and business.

Programme for 8 June

On the Monday morning, the Holy Father will receive Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Apostolic Nunciature. Leo XIV will then make his way to the Congress of Deputies, where, in a historic first for Spain, he will address a joint session of Congress and the Senate. Following this, the Pope will meet with Spain’s bishops at the headquarters of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. 

That afternoon, the Pope will lead a prayer before Our Lady of Almudena at Almudena Cathedral, and will then head to the Bernabéu Stadium to preside over a gathering with Madrid's diocesan community. For the occasion, the large Coro Familiar Iglesia de Madrid choir is being formed, bringing together 1,000 singers—including 300 children—alongside 70 musicians and 100 dancers. The event will feature guest artists such as David Bustamante, Daniel Diges and Diana Navarro, together with musicians and leading figures from Catholic music, including Luis Alfredo, Chito Morales and Maite López. The Cruz Diez Symphony Orchestra, the Salesianos Pop Band, and choreographer Ismael Olivas and his dancers will also take part.

Programme for 9 June

The Madrid leg of the visit will draw to a close on Tuesday morning with a meeting with the volunteers who have helped organise this stage of the trip. The gathering will take place at IFEMA, from where the Holy Father will travel to the airport for his onward flight to Barcelona.

• Find out more (in Spanish)

White (and Yellow) Night

During the night of 6 June, a special event known as La Noche en Blanco (y Amarillo)—White (and Yellow) Night—will see a wide range of cultural institutions extend their opening hours. These will include the Reina Sofía Museum until 11.30pm; the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, CaixaForum Madrid, the Naval Museum and Espacio Fundación Telefónica until midnight; the Prado Museum until 12.30am; the Royal Collections Gallery and Fundación MAPFRE until 1am; the History of Madrid Museum, the San Isidro Museum: The Origins of Madrid, the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts and the Temple of Debod until 2am; the Banca March Garden until 4am; and Teatros del Canal until 5am. Teatros del Canal will host No la debemos dormir, a special programme aimed primarily at young audiences, featuring concerts, Spanish dance and DJ sets. For its part, the Reina Sofía Higher School of Music will hold a concert in its auditorium between 10 and 11pm (advance booking required).

Sign up as a volunteer for Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Madrid

The Archdiocese of Madrid has officially opened its registration system for people who wish to serve as volunteers during the Pope’s upcoming pastoral visit. Aiming to mobilise some 10,000 volunteers, the Madrid Church is accelerating preparations for an event its organisers describe as “impossible” to carry out without the support of selfless volunteers.

For more information visit: https://conelpapa.es/visita_papa_leon