The Madrid City Council spent over three million euros in direct costs during Pope Francis’s visit to the city from June 6 to 9, according to official records obtained by elDiario.es. The extraordinary budget allocated by Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida's administration covered expenses directly tied to the papal visit, totaling 3.075 million euros before tax, which rises to 3.225 million with value-added tax included. This figure includes all expenditures made by the municipality to support the event, ranging from transportation services to security measures and promotional campaigns. A significant portion of this amount, nearly 1.55 million euros, was used to provide free bus rides through Madrid’s municipal transport company, EMT, during the period. This measure aimed to alleviate traffic congestion, one of the primary concerns raised by the city’s leadership ahead of the visit. Such a policy is typically reserved for major holidays such as summer vacations, Christmas, or Black Friday, but its duration was unusually long, contributing to the high financial commitment. According to data accessed by Somos Madrid, more than 1.7 million passengers used these free buses during the five days of the event. In addition to free public transport, the city also implemented zero-cost access to Bicimad, Madrid’s bike-sharing service, during the same period. This decision, though less common, further contributed to the overall expenditure, costing around 262,000 euros before tax. Both initiatives were designed to ease movement within the city and accommodate the large number of visitors expected during the papal visit. The city council noted that the revenue lost due to these free services would be covered entirely by the municipality. Other notable expenses included the installation of temporary signage and banners on 30 buses, along with the distribution of hand-held flags. These symbolic elements added approximately 71,000 euros to the total, excluding tax. Publicity efforts were another major component of the budget, with the city’s communications department spending nearly half a million euros on designing and promoting the campaign surrounding the pope’s visit. This included advertising and promotional materials intended to highlight the significance of the event. Security-related expenditures accounted for a substantial share of the budget. Three key departments, Firefighters, Emergency Services (Samur), and the Municipal Police, were allocated over 400,000 euros collectively. Firefighters alone received 84,313 euros, while Samur split its costs between personnel and equipment, allocating 177,089 euros for staff and 22,139 euros for supplies. The Municipal Police had the largest allocation, receiving 257,845 euros for their operations during the visit. Urban planning and mobility services also incurred several thousand euros in expenses. The Department of Urban Planning, Environment, and Mobility spent around 61,000 euros on various tasks, including bonuses for mobility agents and additional services for cleaning crews. The Department of Works and Equipment allocated 36,892 euros for road maintenance related to the setup of the event, including paving, lighting, and infrastructure adjustments. Finally, the Department of Culture, Tourism, and Sports contributed to the budget with smaller allocations, primarily for security and minor contracts. Madrid Destino, the city’s tourism agency, spent 4,103 euros on security and cleanliness, plus an additional 1,372 euros on institutional publicity. These figures reflect the extensive logistical and administrative effort required to host such a high-profile international event.
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