Jubilee of Youth - World Youth Day 2025

Officially started with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on 24 December 2024, the Jubilee 2025 is the 27th ordinary universal jubilee in the history of the Church.

The entire jubilee period is characterized by a rich calendar of religious, cultural and social events. Aside from celebrations and rituals addressed to all the faithful, the Holy Year’s program includes several “jubilees” dedicated to different categories of people, identified according to specific professions or their role within the family, the Church and society. Each one includes moments of dialogue and spirituality, with a concluding mass celebrated by the pope.

The Jubilee of Youth is a central event of the jubilee year, with over a million pilgrims expected. It was announced by Pope Francis during the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon and will take place during the week of 28 July to 3 August. After the arrival and settling in of young pilgrims from all over the world on 28 July, the first major event is the welcome mass in St. Peter’s Square at 6 p.m. on Tuesday 29. Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 July are dedicated to dialogue with the city, with cultural, artistic and spiritual activities taking place throughout Rome from morning to late afternoon. On Friday 1 August, the Circus Maximus will host a penitential day, during which it will be possible to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. On 2 and 3 August, the celebrations will move to Tor Vergata, with a prayer vigil with the Holy Father from 8.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. on Saturday and a closing mass at 9.30 a.m. on Sunday 3 August. In the afternoon, the young pilgrims will begin to depart from Rome.

The Tor Vergata site where the Jubilee of Youth is taking place is divided into three macro-areas: a maximum security area with a 1,400-square-meter stage-altar; a security area with seating for concelebrants, authorities, people with disabilities, and the media; and finally an area of over 800,000 square meters with sections for young pilgrims, giant screens, and audio-video towers.