Pope Leo XIV will lead a major prayer vigil at the Stade de France on Friday night during his four-day visit to France. The event will bring together young people between the ages of 17 and 35, with all 80,000 tickets selling out within an hour.
The pontiff is scheduled to arrive at the stadium at 7:30 pm on Friday, September 25, as part of an official tour running from September 25 to September 28, 2026. Prior to the evening gathering, his itinerary includes a visit to UNESCO, a walk through central Paris, and a stop on the forecourt of Notre-Dame Cathedral.
An hour before the Pope arrives, a musical prologue featuring prominent French artists will begin at 6:30 pm. Singer Natasha St-Pier, a former contestant on Danse avec les stars, will perform a duet with Grégory Turpin titled "Pour que le monde ait la vie", a song written specifically for the occasion. The duo is also scheduled to perform together during ceremonies in Lourdes.
The Stade de France, located in Saint-Denis just north of Paris, is the nation's largest stadium and regularly hosts major international sporting events and concerts. UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, maintains its global headquarters in Paris, while Notre-Dame Cathedral stands on the Île de la Cité as a historical symbol of French Catholicism. Lourdes, located in southwestern France, is a major pilgrimage site renowned for its Marian shrines.
Stage lineup and musical performances
Singer Anisha Jo, who won the music competition Star Academy in 2022, will also perform during the prologue. In a message shared on her Instagram account on August 28, the Madagascar-born artist said her voice and music were gifts from God that gave her hope, adding that nearly 13 years after discovering her voice, she would be placing it in service of the event's message before 80,000 spectators.
Star Academy is a long-running French television talent show that tests emerging musical talent, while Danse avec les stars is France's television adaptation of the popular celebrity ballroom dancing format.
Seventeen-year-old opera singer Monroe will also take the stage, accompanied by the Reims Cathedral choir. The artist, who won the 11th season of the classical music contest Prodiges and represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026, will perform the song "Regarde !" alongside Caccini's "Ave Maria".
Prodiges is a French television competition celebrating young performers in classical music and opera, while the Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition bringing together musical acts from across Europe. The Reims Cathedral choir represents a sacred musical tradition tied to the historic cathedral in northeastern France where French kings were historically crowned.
Gospel rap and Christian reggae acts
The concert lineup features a range of contemporary musical genres, including French Christian reggae band Les Guetteurs and gospel rap singer Tagra. They will be joined by the duo Les Frangines, who achieved widespread recognition with their song "Donnez-moi", co-written with French singer-songwriter Vianney.
French television network TF1 will broadcast an exceptional special program on September 26 dedicated to covering the papal visit across France.
