Pope Leo XIV Brings Pop Music Cred to France Visit With Stade de France Concert

Pope Leo XIV, known as a discerning Bob Dylan connoisseur and a fan of Italian singer Laura Pausini, is staging his popular-music tastes during his visit to France. On Friday, roughly ten francophone artists — most of them relatively little known — are scheduled to perform at the Stade de France, alongside a prayer vigil. The lineup sits at the margins of the vigil rather than at its center, framing the pontiff as a pop star in the making. The programming choice places mainstream and popular music within a papal event, extending Leo XIV's documented appreciation for artists such as Dylan and Pausini into the public ritual of the French trip. The Stade de France, France's largest stadium, hosts the musical segment as part of the visit's broader schedule. Details of the individual performers were not specified beyond their francophone profile and limited recognition.