Five years after the tragic fire that devastated Notre-Dame Cathedral, it will reopen to the public on December 7 with a globally broadcast ceremony, followed by Masses, concerts, and other events, French officials confirmed on Wednesday.

“We are reclaiming the heart of our life as a church,” said Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris at a press briefing.

Just last week, the bells of Notre-Dame rang together for the first time since the April 2019 fire.

The archbishop added that France’s Catholic community is “eager to welcome the world back under the cathedral’s iconic vaults.” Once reopened, officials anticipate that the cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece, will attract 14 to 15 million visitors annually, similar to its numbers before the fire, which forced it to close.

During the religious ceremony, Archbishop Ulrich will strike the doors with his staff to officially reopen them, in the presence of Catholic leaders, foreign dignitaries, and donors who supported the restoration efforts.

President Emmanuel Macron, who had pledged to reopen the cathedral within five years of the fire, is expected to make a brief address in front of the cathedral prior to the ceremony, which will be followed by a concert. There had been some controversy over the idea of Macron speaking inside the cathedral, as it raised concerns about breaching France’s strict secularism laws.

The cathedral will hold its first Mass on December 8 to consecrate the altar, which will also house relics of several saints. President Macron, along with around 170 bishops from France and abroad, is expected to attend.

Later that day, a Mass open to the public will be held, and visitors will finally be able to enter the renovated cathedral for the first time since the fire on April 15, 2019, when the blaze destroyed the iconic spire, damaged the wood and lead roofing, and threatened the building’s structural integrity.

While the guest list for the ceremonies is yet to be finalized, Pope Francis has confirmed he will not attend.

Although some restoration work will continue after the reopening, the event will mark the completion of a monumental effort to restore the cathedral to its original condition. The restoration has faced delays, including those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns over the hazardous lead contamination from the fire.

“The challenge of rebuilding in five years has been met successfully,” said Olivier Ribadeau-Dumas, rector of Notre-Dame. “This achievement shows that, in times of uncertainty, if we unite around a common purpose, we can accomplish the impossible.”

Following the reopening, a week of celebrations will take place, including Masses dedicated to the firefighters who saved the cathedral, as well as to the 2,000 workers and craftsmen involved in the restoration. Several concerts will also be held. The cathedral will open to the public in the afternoon and stay open until 10 p.m. before gradually returning to its normal hours.

To manage the influx of visitors, a free online reservation system will be introduced, along with a smartphone app for navigation. Initially, only individual visitors will be allowed to enter, with group tours expected to start in spring 2025.

Last month, France’s culture minister suggested introducing an entrance fee to help fund the maintenance of the country’s churches and religious monuments, but Archbishop Ulrich reiterated on Wednesday that the French Catholic Church strongly opposed this idea. Although the French state owns the cathedral, the Catholic Church is responsible for its operation.

The French government has framed the reopening as another triumph, following the successful organization of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.

Since the fire, approximately 843 million euros (around $900 million) has been raised from 340,000 donors. Most of this has been allocated to the restoration, with around 143 million euros earmarked for continuing work on the cathedral’s exterior, including the sacristy and flying buttresses, which could take another three years.

“At the time of the fire, the cathedral was not in great condition,” explained Philippe Jost, head of the cathedral’s restoration task force. “You’ll have to get used to seeing it with scaffolding.”

An investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing, though a definitive answer may never be found. The most likely theories point to an electrical short-circuit or a discarded cigarette as the cause.