10,000 Pope Tickets Go On Sale Today
Pope Francis greets faithful during an audience to Parish groups promoting evangelization, in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015.
Well, you can either wring your hands and gnash your teeth over the World Meeting of Families’ controversial papal ticketing policy, or you can shut up and get clicking.
The first of the announced-last-week pope tickets go on sale today — 10,000 of ’em (up from an initially announced 5,000) to see the pointy-hatted one make his address about religious freedom and immigration at Independence Hall on Saturday, September 26th. The tickets, which the Archdiocese of Philadelphia stresses are super-duper free, will go on sale online at noon at worldmeeting2015.org/tickets, will be limited to four per person, and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Note: Should you score a ticket, there is an extensive list of things you won’t be allowed to bring with you, from the obvious (explosives, firearms, or weapons) to the less so (balloons).
We will, of course, be watching to see how smoothly or not the online sales go.
Then, 10,000 tickets for each of Pope Francis’ Parkway events — the Festival of Families on Saturday and the big Mass on Sunday — are set to go on sale on Wednesday, though the specifics (time or times of sale, if there’s a different URL) have not been announced beyond the fact that they, too, will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, will be limited to four per person, and cost nothing.
And if your fast-twitch muscles fail you, fear not:
- The pope is going to be parading on the Parkway Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, he’ll parade (officials would not use the term “popemobile” to describe his ride; it’ll probably something quite similar to the modified Jeep Wrangler he used in Ecuador) from Eakins Oval to and around City Hall ahead of the Festival of Families. The second will precede the Sunday Mass. The details have not been confirmed, but it is expected to be shorter than Saturday’s to ensure the service begins on time.
- The World Meeting of Families has also announced the location of all 40 Jumbotrons planned for the Francis Festival Zone:
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway Stage Left (South side of Eakins Oval)
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway Stage Right (North side of Eakins Oval)
- 24th Street & Park Towne Place
- Binswanger Triangle (South Side)
- Binswanger Triangle (North Side)
- Von Colln Field South West
- Von Colln Field North West
- 19th & Spring Garden Streets
- Spring Garden Street between 16th and 17th Streets
- Broad & Green Streets
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway between Oval & 22nd (West) Street
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway between Oval & 22nd (East) Street
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway & 22nd Street
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 22nd & 21st Streets
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway & 21st Street
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway & Winter Street (On triangle grass area)
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway & Winter Street (Corner)
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway & 20th Street
- Logan Square & 20th Street
- Logan Square & 19th Street
- Logan Square & 18th Street
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway & 17th Street
- John F. Kennedy Boulevard & 16th Street
- Arch Street & 15th Street
- Municipal Services Building Plaza (Southwest)
- Municipal Services Building Plaza (East)
- City Hall – Market Street East
- Sansom Street (East of Broad Street)
- Broad & Spruce Streets
- Broad & Lombard Streets
- Broad & Wood Streets
- Independence Hall Stage Left (North of Chestnut)
- Independence Hall Stage Left (Block One Center)
- Independence Hall Stage Right(Block One Center)
- Independence Hall Stage Left (Block Two Center)
- Independence Hall Stage Right(Block Two Center)
- Independence Hall Block Two Center
- Independence Hall Block Three South
- 5th Street, North of Chestnut Street
- Franklin Square (North West Corner)
For complete coverage of Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia, bookmark Philadelphia magazine’s Pope in Philly page.
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