The upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV to the capital, which will take place from June 6 to 9, 2026, will not only involve the celebration of various events such as the White and Yellow Night, but will also have a significant impact on Madrid’s public transportation network, including the Madrid Metro, whose operations will be affected by various changes.
One of these changes will be the extension of the metro’s operating hours until 2:30 a.m. on the night of June 6–7, with the aim of facilitating travel for passengers during the Pope’s visit to our city.
This measure will apply to the entire Madrid Metro network and is part of the Special Mobility Plan that the regional government will implement for those days. It also includes an increase of up to 125% in train frequency on various lines and during certain time slots, with 111 additional trains being added to meet the expected demand.
Another key change to the metro coinciding with the Pope’s visit to Madrid—and one that, in this case, is here to stay—will be the ability to pay with a bank card directly at station turnstiles starting June 1, 2026.
In addition, dozens of metro stations will close or be subject to restrictions. All relevant information can be found in this article.
Free BiciMad and EMT for one week
Meanwhile, the municipal public bike-sharing service (BiciMad) and the buses operated by the Municipal Transport Company (EMT) will be free of charge from June 3 to 9.
Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Madrid coincides with other major events in the capital, such as the Madrid Book Fair and Bad Bunny’s residency at the Metropolitano.