This is how Madrid will change for the visit of Pope Leo XIV: streets cut off, buses diverted and traffic affected

Madrid is already facing the first effects on its mobility due to the visit of Pope Leo XIV, scheduled between June 6 and 9, 2026. The City Council has activated a large-scale security and traffic operation that will involve progressive cuts, detours, and restrictions on several of the city's main arteries, especially on the axis of Paseo de la Castellana and the surroundings of Lima and Cibeles squares.

The expected influx, which could reach up to 1.8 million people in the main scheduled events, has forced the advancement of assembly work since last May 21. These tasks include the installation of stages, sound and lighting towers, as well as security structures, which has already caused partial lane occupations in points such as Castellana, Recoletos, Paseo del Prado, Alcalá street, or Plaza de la Independencia.

In the vicinity of Plaza de Lima, one of the main scenarios of the operation, the effects will be especially relevant. Since the end of May, lanes have been restricted and circulation reorganized, and from the days leading up to the event, the closure of the central roadway in both directions is expected. Traffic will be limited to the perimeter rings, with restrictions on turns and without the possibility of crossing the square in some usual movements.

In Plaza de Cibeles, another of the central points of the operation, partial occupations are also already being registered, especially in bus lanes and night transport stop areas. These restrictions will intensify as the weekend of the visit approaches, when the multitudinous mass and the procession planned in the official program will be held.

The impact is not limited to private traffic. The Municipal Transport Company (EMT) has confirmed that several bus lines will see their usual routes altered, with detours and temporary suppression of stops in areas such as Lima and Cibeles. Among the affected lines are some of the most used in the city, which will force the reorganization of displacements in wide areas of the center and the northern axis of Madrid.

Also the taxi service will be reinforced during the central days of the event, with the authorization of all licenses to operate, including those that usually rest on those dates. The authorities do not rule out extending this reinforcement to the previous days, given the progressive arrival of visitors to the capital.

The operation, considered one of the most complex in recent years in Madrid, will adapt according to the evolution of the influx and security needs. The City Council insists that the measures seek to guarantee both the development of the events as well as mobility in a city facing several days of intense pressure on its road network.