La Madeleine Church: Columns, Evening Concerts, Opening Hours and Access

Updated on October 7, 2026

La Madeleine church, on place de la Madeleine in the 8th arrondissement, is open every day from 9:30am to 7pm, with free admission. Its look as a Greek temple, ringed by 52 Corinthian columns, sets it apart from other Paris churches. Napoleon first meant it to glorify his Grande Armée; it was only completed as a church in 1842. Today it hosts services and many evening concerts.

Highlights

The colonnade

The 52 Corinthian columns, about 20 metres high, run all around the building. A broad staircase leads up to it, facing rue Royale and place de la Concorde.

The pediment and bronze doors

The sculpted pediment depicts the Last Judgment. The huge bronze doors, by Henri de Triqueti, are decorated with reliefs illustrating the Ten Commandments.

The great organ and the concerts

Camille Saint-Saëns and later Gabriel Fauré were organists here, and Fauré's Requiem was first performed in the church in 1888. Today classical, gospel and organ concerts are held almost every evening.

Practical info

Tips

Admission is free and the church is accessible to people with reduced mobility by the lift on boulevard Malesherbes. Inside, look at the large fresco in the apse by Jules-Claude Ziegler on the history of Christianity. Concerts usually run between 8pm and 9:30pm, with tickets from €20 to €65 depending on the programme (prices checked in October 2026). Services limit visits: weekday Mass at 12:30pm, Saturday at 6pm, Sunday at 10:30am and 6pm. Place de la Concorde and the Opéra Garnier are a few minutes' walk away.