the entire reopening ceremony will take place “inside the cathedral” due to the weather

The capricious weather is forcing the organizers of the reopening ceremony of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral to review their plans. The entire celebrations will finally take place “inside the cathedral” due to unfavorable weather conditions, the Élysée and the diocese of Paris announced on Friday.

“The very unfavorable weather conditions announced by Météo France (wind gusts between 65 and 80 km/h) for Saturday December 7 in Île-de-France require a reorganization of the system”they explained in a joint press release on the eve of the event which will bring together several heads of state and government.

Donald Tump and Volodymyr Zelensky present

The program of the ceremony initially included a speech by President Emmanuel Macron on the square in front of the cathedral in the evening, a process that was fiercely negotiated with the diocese because the Élysée wanted a speech inside the reconstructed religious building. after the fire of April 15, 2019.

The unpredictable weather also disrupted the musical program of the event. “Due to the very difficult weather conditions expected tomorrow (Saturday) evening, the artists scheduled (Saturday) are recording this (Friday) evening and tonight in live conditions” on the square, France Télévisions reported. The concert will therefore be broadcast on a delayed basis.

American President-elect Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky are expected in the French capital on Saturday for this reopening. Emmanuel Macron, for his part, also planned to attend a mass on Sunday morning in Notre-Dame.