Almost five years after the fire on 15 April 2019, Notre-Dame-de-Paris cathedral will reopen to the public in December 2024.
Almost five years after the fire on 15 April 2019, Notre-Dame-de-Paris cathedral will reopen to the public in December 2024.
The images of the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the capital's architectural symbols, have been seen around the world. Nearly five years after the disaster, and thanks to the expertise of several hundred passionate craftsmen and architects, the building has been reborn and is preparing to welcome the public back on 8 December 2024.
Visitors to Paris during the Olympic and Paralympic Games will already be able to admire Viollet-le-Duc's iconic spire this summer, the reconstruction of which was completed in February. The roofs of the nave and choir are also due to be completely restored over the coming months. Inside, work is continuing on cleaning the walls, stained glass windows and vaults, not forgetting the organ with its 8,000 pipes, as well as restoring the black and white chequered floors.
While awaiting the reopening, visitors can go behind the scenes of the monument and its reconstruction by taking part in an immersive virtual reality experience called Eternelle Notre-Dame, accessible from the forecourt.
Work continues until 2026
Although a large part of the work has already been completed, the works will continue beyond the reopening to the public.
The next stages in the reconstruction of Notre-Dame include the restoration of the apse and sacristy in 2025 and the installation, by 2026, of contemporary stained glass windows, the creation of which is currently the subject of an invitation to tender.
Very popular with French and international visitors, Notre-Dame cathedral is expected to welcome between 12 and 15 million people a year once it is reopened, compared with 10 to 12 million before the fire.
