On Monday, April 13, the Ariel Quintana Singers take the stage at 11:15 AM for a matinee concert that promises to be unforgettable for the singers, their families, and a likely unexpected surprise for visitors from both Paris and around the world.
To sing inside one of the world’s most beloved Gothic cathedrals, freshly reborn after the devastating 2019 fire, will be a moment woven into history for the singers coming from Hollywood First Presbyterian Church, the Sierra Linda Master Chorale, and Loma Linda University — as well as long-time friends from as far away as South America — to present the sacred music they’ve been practising for months in France with their director, Dr. Ariel Quintana.
Our suggestion: arrive early for this very special moment. The cathedral deserves far more than a hurried walk to a seat.
Make the Morning Count
Notre-Dame opens its doors to the public daily, and the morning hours offer the most rewarding experience. The light shifts through the famous rose windows differently at each hour, and before the midday crowds arrive, the cathedral breathes. You can actually hear it.
Whether you come with faith or simply with curiosity, the space rewards a slow approach. Here are the best ways to experience it before the concert begins:
The Personal Pilgrimage
For those arriving with a sense of spiritual intention, Notre-Dame is, above all, a place of prayer. Walking the nave on your own terms, pausing at the side chapels, lighting a candle in the flickering half-dark: these are moments that belong entirely to you. The cathedral’s pilgrimage path, a silent, self-guided walk of approximately 30 minutes, moves through five spiritual stations and offers a deeply personal way to enter this space.
A beautifully produced pilgrim’s booklet of roughly 50 pages accompanies the path and can be purchased through the Notre-Dame online shop before your visit. It makes both a practical guide and a keepsake worth keeping long after the concert is a memory.
The Audio Guide
Prefer the context of art history, architecture, and the extraordinary story of the cathedral’s restoration? The official audio guide is a superb companion. Notre-Dame’s rebuild after the 2019 fire has itself become one of the great architectural stories of our era, and understanding what you are looking at, including what was saved, what was lost, and what was recreated, adds an entirely new dimension to the experience.
Attending Mass
If your timing allows, attending one of the daily Masses is a singular experience. Mass is celebrated daily at 8:00 AM, 12:00 noon, and 6:00 PM, with Vespers sung at 5:30 PM. To hear Gregorian chant echo through this space, or to simply sit in the community of prayer before the Ariel Quintana Singers fill the same air with music, adds to your experience.
Planning Your Visit: What You Need to Know
Notre-Dame is open to all visitors, free of charge and without reservation. Between 30,000 and 35,000 people pass through daily, so the cathedral manages visitor flow through free timed-entry slots, which release 10,000 to 15,000 each day. These become available a few hours before entry on the day itself.
Check notredamedeparis.fr regularly, particularly on busy days, and always book through the official site. Bookings through any other platform are neither free nor valid.
Before You Arrive: A Few Practical Notes
- No large luggage, hiking backpacks, knives, or metal water bottles. Check the full security guidelines at notredamedeparis.fr before you go.
- There are no restroom facilities inside the cathedral. Plan accordingly.
- Accessible entry for visitors with reduced mobility is located to the left of the central portal, near the gates.
- Confession is available, though confessors are limited.
A Note on the Concert
The April 13, 2026, Monday matinee concert at Notre-Dame de Paris by the Ariel Quintana Singers is open to all visitors. The team at Incantato Concert Tours is thankful for this incredible opportunity offered to our touring choirs on their France river cruise journeys on the Seine. We look forward to welcoming these dedicated musicians from the US and South America to one of the most extraordinary musical and spiritual settings in the world.