Pope Leo XIV will arrive in Madrid on 6 June 2026 for a four-day stay as part of a landmark apostolic journey across Spain, the first papal visit to the country since Benedict XVI attended World Youth Day in 2011.
The six-day tour, running from 6 to 12 June, will take in Madrid, Barcelona, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The visit comes under the motto “Lift Up Your Eyes”, drawn from the Gospel of John, and was initiated at the personal request of Leo XIV following an official invitation from King Felipe VI and the Spanish Episcopal Conference.
Pope’s Madrid itinerary
The Pope will touch down at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas International Airport on the morning of Saturday 6 June, where he will be welcomed by the King and Queen alongside senior government and diplomatic representatives. He will then travel to the Royal Palace for a formal reception before visiting CEDIA 24 Horas, a Caritas social project supporting people experiencing homelessness in the capital.
Saturday evening will conclude with a prayer vigil for young people at Plaza de Lima, near the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, ending in Eucharistic Adoration. The Holy Father will travel through the area by Popemobile ahead of the vigil.
On Sunday 7 June, Leo XIV will preside over Holy Mass and the Feast of Corpus Christi at Plaza de Cibeles, the central public event of the Madrid leg. On Monday 8 June, the Pope will meet Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez before making history as the first pontiff to address the Spanish Parliament in a joint session of both chambers. That evening, he will meet the diocesan community of Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium starting at 7:00 pm, only the second time a papal event has been held at the ground after John Paul II visited in 1982.
Leo XIV will depart Madrid on 9 June for Barcelona, where he will inaugurate the Tower of Jesus Christ at the Sagrada Familia on 10 June, the centenary of the death of its architect Antoni Gaudi. The visit to Barcelona will be followed by stops in the Canary Islands before the Pope returns to Rome on 12 June.
Tourism and travel impact
Madrid’s tourism authority has confirmed that key public events will be free to attend, with registration required through the official visit website. Some events will be invitation-only. Authorities have flagged that road closures and transport adjustments should be expected in the areas around Plaza de Cibeles, Plaza de Lima and the Bernabeu during the visit.
Hotels, airports and rail services across Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands are expected to see significantly higher demand during the week of 6 to 12 June. Travellers with existing bookings or planning visits to any of those destinations during that period are advised to confirm arrangements and allow extra time for movement around key venues.
Cardinal Jose Cobo of Madrid described the visit as an opportunity for long-term renewal rather than a one-off spectacle. “The pope is going to leave us with experiences, but also messages,” he said in a statement to OSV News published on 20 May 2026.
About Pope Leo XIV
Born in Chicago, Leo XIV is the first American pope and holds dual US and Peruvian citizenship. He spent many years as a missionary in Peru before his election. His pontificate has placed migration and human dignity at the centre of its pastoral agenda, reflected in the decision to include the Canary Islands, one of Europe’s principal points of arrival for migrants crossing from Africa, in the Spanish itinerary.
