Barcelona is preparing for a major public event on Wednesday evening, when Pope Leo XIV will travel through the Eixample district in an open-top popemobile. The route runs for just over one kilometre along Rosselló street, from Diagonal to the Sagrada Família, and is due to start at around 7pm.
Officials expect about 70,000 people to line the route. Access to the cordoned-off stretch of Rosselló will open from 12pm, and Xavier Paton, manager of the City Council’s Economic Promotion area and coordinator of municipal services for the Pope’s visit, told EL PERIÓDICO that “the entire route along Rosselló will be good; whoever arrives first can choose.”
The security operation will involve nearly 6,000 personnel, including the Guardia Urbana, Mossos d’Esquadra, Guardia Civil, National Police, Royal Household security forces, Swiss Guard and Vatican Guard. The late afternoon timing is intended to reduce the risk of sunstroke during the busiest part of the crowd build-up.
Meteocat forecasts a partly cloudy afternoon for Wednesday, with Barcelona expected to see temperatures of around 21C to 22C and no rain. Even so, people planning to wait for several hours should bring water, sun protection, hats and, if needed, fans. For official weather updates, see Meteocat.
Transport will be affected across the area. Sagrada Família metro station will stay closed all day, with L2 and L5 trains passing through without stopping. At Verdaguer station on L4, only exits will be allowed during the afternoon peak period. The nearest open stations include Verdaguer (L5), Diagonal (L3 and L5), Encants (L2), Joanic (L4) and Tetuan (L2).
The metro is expected to be the best way to reach the area, as bus services around the Sagrada Família and much of the Eixample will face diversions and route changes. Metro services will increase by 30% to 65% in the afternoon, with an extra 150 staff deployed across 32 stations. The tram network will also be reinforced, especially the Trambesòs line along Diagonal and the T4 service, which will run extended peak hours until 11pm. For wider local coverage, see our news page.