The Way of the Cross (Via Crucis) is the Pope's public praying of the fourteen Stations of the Cross, with meditations written for that year. In 2026 about 30,000 people attended, and Pope Leo XIV carried the cross himself through every station. The custom of praying the stations here goes back to the eighteenth century: St. Leonard of Port Maurice promoted the devotion, and a Way of the Cross was erected inside the Colosseum at the request of Pope Benedict XIV on December 27, 1750. Those stations were removed in 1874, and the Pope's Good Friday devotion there is a modern custom. The Colosseum is kept as a memorial of the martyrs, although historians find no solid evidence that any particular martyr died in that arena.
Good to know before you go: this is a devotion, not the Good Friday liturgy. The Celebration of the Lord's Passion comes first, in the late afternoon in St. Peter's in 2026 and in churches across the city, so attend the liturgy first and go to the Colosseum afterwards. You will be outdoors and on your feet for the wait and for the devotion itself, so dress for a cool spring night, wear comfortable shoes, carry little and expect security checks. Street and transit arrangements around the Colosseum are announced by the city during Holy Week; check them on the day. Many Roman churches also pray the Stations on Good Friday, without tickets, if the crowd is too much.
The Holy See confirms each year's time, and whether the Pope presides in person, a few weeks ahead. In 2027 Good Friday falls on March 26.