Conclave smoke livestream: can you watch for the white and black smoke? Pope election explained

• Pope Francis’ successor will be elected very soon.
• The Papal Conclave is meeting to pick the next Bishop of Rome.
• But is there a way to watch for the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel?

Millions of catholics around the world are waiting to discover the identity of the next Pope - following the death of Francis last month. The Papal Conclave is set to begin and the cardinals will be voting to decide his successor.

Italy’s Pietro Parolin and the Philippines' Luis Antonio Tagle are believed to be among the frontrunners to win the vote. You might be wondering if you can watch at home.

The conclave has no set time limit - with the previous one in 2013 taking two days. Here’s all you need to know:

Can you watch the Papal Conclave?

The cardinals are going to be sequestered away from the world today (May 7) and will remain in isolation until the next Bishop of Rome (aka the Pope) has been elected. They will vote in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City - with a candidate needing a two-thirds majority to win.

No cameras will be allowed inside the church during the vote, so the result will remain secret until white smoke emerges from the chimney that has been affixed atop the Sistine Chapel.

Is there a livestream of the Sistine Chapel?

If you are wanting to keep your eyes on the chimney to see if white or black smoke emerges from the Papal Conclave, you might be wondering if there is a livestream you can follow. Global TV news broadcasters are in the Vatican and will be providing round the clock coverage - we have embedded one such livestream below, please give it a moment to load in.

It is expected that the first ballot will take place this afternoon, once the cardinals have been sequestered away in the Sistine Chapel. So watch out for the first smoke of the conclave today (May 7).

What does the white and black smoke mean?

After each ballot takes place during the conclave, the votes will be burned along with chemicals that cause it to turn black or white. But what exactly do the two different colours mean?

If black smoke emerges from the chimney at the Sistine Chapel it means that none of the cardinals have successfully achieved the two-thirds majority required to be declared Pope - and as such they will have to vote again. However if the smoke if white, it signals that a new Pope has been selected and will soon be introduced to the world.

Can you watch Conclave the movie?

In a quirk of timing, Ralph Fiennes starred in the 2024 film Conclave which was all about the election of a fictional Pope. It was up for plenty of awards at the Oscars and if you missed it, now is the perfect time to catch up.

Conclave has recently been added to Prime Video and subscribers can watch it at no extra cost. It can also be rented digitally, if you aren’t a Prime member.

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