Rome Prepares for Easter 2026 in the Final Weeks of the Jubilee Year

The Eternal City is at the center of Catholic pilgrimage this month. Easter Sunday falls on April 5 in 2026, during the final weeks of the Jubilee Holy Year 2025-2026 — a once-in-a-quarter-century celebration that has brought millions of pilgrims to Rome since the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica was ceremonially opened. Passing through the Holy Door during Easter week carries special significance for believers, and the combination of Jubilee energy and Easter week makes Rome one of the busiest places on Earth this month.

Papal liturgies include Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square, the traditional Via Crucis at the Colosseum on Good Friday, and the Urbi et Orbi blessing delivered to the city and the world at noon Easter Sunday. Pope Leo XIV presides over the full week of liturgies, drawing pilgrims from more than 130 countries.

If you're visiting: hotels near the Vatican and historic center are at peak pricing. Free tickets for papal audiences and some liturgies are distributed through the Prefecture of the Papal Household — apply months ahead. Metro lines run extended hours during Easter week.

Sources: Inside Out Italy, Jubilee 2025 official site