On Friday, the bells of Notre Dame rang out over Paris, marking a powerful moment for the iconic cathedral. This was the first time all eight bells in the northern belfry had sounded together since a devastating fire tore through the cathedral in April 2019.
With the restoration nearly complete, the historic sounds of Notre Dame resonated, offering a preview of the cathedral’s full reopening scheduled for December.
Philippe Jost, who leads the public body overseeing the complex restoration, described this event as a “beautiful, important, and symbolic step.” For the team, the bells’ harmonious ringing underscored the long-awaited moment when the cathedral could welcome Parisians and global visitors once again. “This is a signal of joy,” said Guillaume Normand, Notre Dame’s vice rector, with a smile. “Notre Dame is saying, ‘I’m here, waiting for you.’”
The world will never forget April 19, 2019, the evening when flames devoured the cathedral’s roof and toppled its iconic spire as Parisians and millions worldwide watched in despair. In the fire’s aftermath, President Emmanuel Macron made an ambitious promise: to restore Notre Dame within five years and make it “even more beautiful” than before.
And here we are, five years later, with hundreds of specialists and 250 companies dedicated to bringing the cathedral back to life at a cost reaching into the hundreds of millions of euros.
Friday’s ringing was a test run, and while there’s still room for refinement, the restoration team is confident they’re close to perfection. Alexandre Gougeon, who led the reinstallation of the bells, acknowledged, “It’s not perfect yet, but we will make it perfect.”
Each bell, from the four-tonne “Gabriel” to the smaller “Jean-Marie,” which weighs 800 kilograms, had already been individually tested the day before. But this synchronized ringing—chiming in harmony for about five minutes—felt like a triumph for everyone involved.
A weekend of grand ceremonies is set to honor Notre Dame’s reopening on December 7 and 8. Although official details remain scarce, Philippe Jost hinted at performances by “great artists of international standing,” a lineup worthy of Notre Dame’s legacy.
Rumor has it that Paul McCartney, who is set to perform in Paris just days before, could make a surprise appearance. After reopening, Notre Dame is expected to draw an impressive 14 to 15 million visitors each year, surpassing the 12 million who visited in 2017.
As the bells tolled on Friday, it was clear Notre Dame’s return was near, carrying with it the promise of a fresh chapter for one of the world’s most treasured landmarks.
