The arrival of Leo XIV coincides with two major events: the culmination of the Torre de Jesucrist at the Sagrada Família and the commemoration of the centenary of the death of Antoni Gaudí, to be held over three different days. The whole operation aims to guarantee security, that the events go smoothly and that the city functions ordinarily during this time.

The municipal services of the City Police, Civil Protection, mobility, cleaning and urban services have been directly involved in planning the operation. In all, nearly 500 City Police officers will be taking part in the mobility and security operations, paying special attention to regulating traffic, controlling access and protecting the spaces with the largest volumes of people.

The Pope is expected to land at the airport on 9 June, with the first ceremonies to be held that day at the cathedral and at the Olympic Stadium. The following day brings the main acts, particularly in the area of Ciutat Vella and the Sagrada Família, while on 11 June the Pope will be leaving and the operation will gradually be wound down.

Ciuta Vella

In Ciutat Vella, in the area around the cathedral and the Palau Episcopal, traffic and parking restrictions will be in place: from 7 am on Monday 8 to 10 am on 11 June (including motorcycles, mopes and bicycles on pavements), in Av. Catedral, between Pl. Antoni Maura and Pl. Nova.

In El Raval, the streets around the Església de Sant Agustí and Plaça Gardunya will see traffic restrictions in place on 9 and 10 June, with access controlled and pedestrian movement regulated at the busiest times.

Tuesday 9 June there may be occasional outages due to the assembly and transport of materials. Wednesday 10 June, it will be prohibited to park (including motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles on pavements) and traffic will be restricted in the following spaces, with an initial stage from Wednesday 10 June from 7 am and with a total closure from 12 noon to midnight:

• Hospital (both sides), from La Rambla to Rambla del Raval
• Gardunya (the whole square)
• Jerusalem (both sides), from Pl. Gardunya to Hospital
• Sant Agustí (the whole square)
• Arc de Sant Agustí (both sides), from Hospital to Sant Pau

There may be occasional closures on Tuesday 9 June to assemble elements or transfer materials.

Eixample

L’Eixample will see the most intense impact, particularly around the Sagrada Família. On Wednesday 10 June and the early hours of 11 June, a large security perimeter will be established with traffic and parking restrictions that affect the main street and secondary streets here. This configuration means generalised traffic diversions and a significant effect on the bus network.

From Pl. Cinc d’Oros to Lepant, between Provença and Còrsega, parking will be prohibited and traffic restricted from 7 am on 10 June to 2 am on Thursday, 11 June in:

• Diagonal (both sides), from Pl. Cinc d’Oros to Bruc
• Rosselló (both sides), from Pau Claris to Lepant
• Pau Claris (both sides), from Còrsega to Rosselló
• Roger de Llúria (both sides), from Còrsega to Provença
• Bruc (both sides), from Còrsega to Av. Diagonal
• Girona (both sides), from Còrsega to Provença
• Bailèn (both sides), from Còrsega to Provença
• Sant Joan (both sides), from Còrsega to Provença
• Roger de Flor (both sides), from Còrsega to Provença

From Pl. Cinc d’Oros to Lepant, between Provença and Còrsega, parking will be prohibited and traffic restricted from 7 am on 10 June to 2 am on Thursday, 11 June (including corners, motorcycles and mopeds on pavements) in:

• Nàpols (both sides), from Còrsega to Provença
• Sicília (both sides), from Còrsega to València
• Sardenya (both sides), from Còrsega to València
• Marina (both sides), from Rosselló to València
• Lepant (both sides), from Rosselló to València
• Provença (both sides), from Sicília to Lepant
• Mallorca (both sides), from Sicília to Lepant
• València (both sides), from Sicília to Lepant

Sants-Montjuïc

In Sants-Montjuïc, the area around the Olympic Stadium and Olympic Ring will be restricted from 8 to 10 June, with access closed and limits on private circulation, coinciding with the ceremonies planned here.

Access to enclosed spaces will be restricted and it will be prohibited to park from 7 am on Monday 8 until 2 am on Wednesday, 10 June in:

• Olímpic (both sides), from Pg. Migdia to Av. de l’Estadi
• Estadi, L-shaped slip road (between the Picornell padel courts and the INEFC)
• Estadi (both sides), from Pg. Santa Madrona to Jocs del 92
• Jocs del 92 (both sides), from Av. Estadi to Foc
• Vial de l’Olivera (located in Pg. Olímpic, between the Palau Sant Jordi and the Olympic Stadium)

Extra public transport in Montjuïc

Given the situation, public transport and sustainable mobility play a central part in the operation designed to guarantee travel during the visit by the Pope.

TMB will also be boosting metro services by between 30% and 50% on the lines running closest to Montjuïc as from the afternoon and evening of 9 June. At the same time, a special staff operation will also be in place in 26 stations, with extra staff to provide support and regulate flows to manage the increase in volume and ensure the safety of travel.

In Montjuïc, a shuttle bus service will be operating between Pl. Espanya and the Olympic Stadium, with nine articulated vehicles, while the funicular will also be running more frequent services. Various bus services crossing the mountain will see their routes cut or diverted, particularly lines 13, 55, 125 and 150, as well as the southern route of the Bus Turístic. Lines X3 and 23 will keep their usual routes as along as the volume of people allows.

This operation will be complemented with private traffic restrictions in the main access points to the Olympic Ring, with specific regulation by the City Police. Shared mobility services will also be regulated within the security perimeter, with specific restrictions affecting municipal services and private operators alike.

More public transport at the Sagrada Família

Coinciding with the main ceremonies at the Sagrada Família on Wednesday, 10 June, public transport will be stepped up further all around the network.

Metro services will be boosted between 30% and 65% in the afternoon, with more trains on all the main lines running more frequently to absorb the strong increase expected in demand. Some 150 additional staff will be laid on in a special operation at 32 stations to guarantee security and fluidity in travel.

The Sagrada Família metro station will be closed all day, with L2 and L5 trains circulating without stopping there. At the Verdaguer L4 station, passengers will only be able to alight during the afternoon rush hour.

The L4 tram service will be bolstered by extending rush hour until 11 pm to cover the Sagrada Família area on 10 June. Extra support staff will also be laid on at the stops around Sagrada Família, given the larger volume of people expected.

The bus network will also be particularly affected around the temple, with diversions and changes to the routes of up to 15 lines, covering a broad area of L’Eixample to adapt the service to the road restrictions, traffic closures and large volumes of pedestrians.

Practical advice

People are advised to pay attention to information given via official channels in the coming days, and to plan their routes in advance, prioritising the use of public transport.

The city will have two giant screens in public spaces, located in Plaça de les Glòries and Arc de Triomf, so that anybody wishing to can follow the various ceremonies, with coverage from Betevé.