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July at Westminster Abbey
We hope you are keeping well!
Our summer season continues in July and we have more exciting news to share with you. From brass band concerts in College Garden to after hours live music in the Cloisters.
Read on to find out more about further events happening at Westminster Abbey in the month ahead…
We look forward to welcoming you soon.
Westminster Abbey Choir School Summer Fête
Location: Dean’s Yard
Date: Saturday 13th July
Time: 11:00am – 3:30pm
Tickets: Free
Join us for a host of family events and activities.
The annual Choir School summer fête is an unmissable event in the picturesque garden square of Dean’s Yard. Everyone is welcome to join in the fun.
Events and activities
Family fun
- Children’s games
- Face painting
- Crafts and gardening stalls
- 60ft inflatable obstacle course
- Last man standing inflatable
Food and drink
- BBQ
- Pimms, beer, and soft drinks tent
- Delicious tea, cakes, and coffee
Competitions
- Fabulous raffle
- Prize tombola
Music and dancing
- Morris dancing
- Speed composing
Additional information
The fête is free to enter but there may be a charge for certain activities and events.
Toilets are located in the cloisters.
The fête is in aid of the Westminster Abbey Choir School Music Fund.
Creation Lates: Summer Sessions
Location: The Abbey
Date: Wednesday 17th July & Wednesday 14th August
Time: 4:30pm – 7:00pm
Tickets: Included in the price of admission
Explore the Abbey after hours and enjoy live music in the Cloisters.
Take a self-led tour exploring highlights of the Abbey then enjoy the evening sunshine in Cloister Garth with live music.
Musicians will be from the folk genre and will be announced soon.
This event is delivered in conjunction with Found in Music.
Found in Music work with many high profile clients helping them use music and other forms of live performance to enhance their visitor, customer and employee experience and engagement. Busk in London, created by Found in Music for the Mayor of London in 2015, is the world’s largest curated and managed street performance programme. The performers use busking as part of their music careers, bringing a fresh, friendly and high quality performances to a huge variety of locations and clients including Wembley Park, Battersea Power Station, Network Rail, Arsenal Football Club, Twickenham Stadium and Royal Horticultural Society.
Additional information
Last entry into the Abbey will take place at 6:00pm.
Live music will begin at approximately 4:45pm and finish at 6:45pm with a break in between.
Seating will be available in the Cloister Garth from 4:00pm
Tickets
Tickets to the Abbey Lates cost £19 (adult) and £8 (child).
Creation Concert: Brass on the Grass
Location: College Garden
Date: Wednesday 31st July – Wednesday 28th August
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Tickets: Free (no booking required)
Immerse yourself in the symphony of nature as you enjoy our annual season of brass band concerts in the historic College Garden.
This year sees the return of the annual Brass on the Grass concerts. Each week a different Brass Band will play an hour of music for you to enjoy on your lunch break.
There will be delicious cakes and hot drinks available from Benugo in College Garden during the concert.
Details of Brass Bands performing will be announced closer to the time.
Meeting location
Please enter the cloisters through Dean’s Yard where a member of staff will show you the way to College Garden. Please note that in the event of wet weather the concert will be held in St Margaret’s Church.
Ticketing information
This event is free to attend and does not allow you entry to the Abbey. If you would like to book tickets to visit the Abbey, please do so via our ticketing page.
Creation Trail: Wellbeing wander
Location: The Abbey
Date: Thursday 20th June – Friday 6th September
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Tickets: Included in the price of admission
Discover tranquillity in the cloisters and Abbey gardens on this self-guided walk.
Listen to a guided exploration of the Cloisters and Gardens of Westminster Abbey. This self-guided walk helps you to focus on small details and notice the nature around you in this historic site.
Connecting with and noticing nature is proven to help our mental health and is connected to eco-conscious actions. Use the skills you learn on this walk to connect with nature around you in your everyday life.
This self-guided walk starts in the South-East corner of the Cloisters, near the Pyx Chamber.
The link for this walk will be available on the 20th June.
Timings
Please note the gardens are only open Monday to Friday.
Please be aware that the Gardens are closed on some days during the summer months. Please check the opening times before visiting.
Creation Exhibition: Communion Forest
Location: Undercroft
Date: Monday 22nd July – Sunday 8th September
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Tickets: Included in the price of admission
An exhibition welcoming you to explore the beauty of the natural world and the ongoing efforts of the Communion Forest to preserve it.
Embark on a journey of stewardship, renewal and faith at the Communion Forest exhibition, where the Anglican Communion’s commitment to environmental conservation comes to life.
From Kenya to Australia, Tanzania to India, this exhibition celebrates the beauty and biodiversity of forests while highlighting the pressing need for their protection.
This unique showcase celebrates the intersection of spirituality and environmentalism, highlighting the practical and symbolic efforts of Anglican communities worldwide to protect and restore the Earth.
Timings
The exhibition will be open from 10.00am to 3.00pm on days when visiting is available.
Please check the opening times before your visit.
DID YOU KNOW…?
On 18th July 2018 a memorial stone for Nelson Mandela was unveiled in the nave of Westminster Abbey, just in front of the altar there. The letter cutter was Nick Sloan and the inscription in the centre of the stone reads:
Nelson Mandela 1918-2013
In a circle around this are the words
Forgiveness Reconciliation
Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Mvezo, Transkei on 18th July 1918.
His school teacher gave him the Christian name Nelson. In 1944 he joined the African National Congress and helped form the Youth League.
In the same year he married his first wife Evelyn Mase and had four children. In 1952, with Oliver Tambo, he started the first black law firm. His second wife was Winnie and they had two daughters.
He was acquitted in the 1952 Treason Trial but in 1962 he was convicted of leaving the country illegally and inciting workers to strike. In 1964 he was sentenced to life imprisonment for sabotage, being released in 1990. In 1993, with President F.W. de Klerk, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and in 1994 became the first democratically elected President of South Africa. He served until 1999. His third wife was Graca Machel.
He established the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Mandela Rhodes Foundation. He died in Johannesburg on 5th December 2013.
He had visited the Abbey in 1996 and wrote in the Distinguished Visitors Book “Visiting the Abbey was an unforgettable experience”. His memorial service was held on 3rd March 2014 at which Archbishop Desmond Tutu preached.
A statue of him stands in Parliament Square, London.
READ MORE ABOUT THE ABBEY’S HISTORY HERE
SHOP
Inspired by Anne Boleyn’s famous ‘B’ necklace, choose your own letter to give this brooch a personal touch. Each replica brooch features faux pearls and the letter pendant is gold-plated.
Personalised jewellery, using initials, was very popular in Tudor times. Even though we all remember Anne Boleyn’s ‘B’ necklace, it is also said that she wore an ‘AB’ brooch and even Henry VIII had a brooch with his initials on.
Please note: this item is shipped directly from our supplier and is therefore not available to buy in store or purchase through our online click and collect service.
- Letter brooch measures approx. W 2.7 x H 4cm (width is dependant on letter, a M was measured for this)
- Made with glass faux pearls and gold plated initial
Comes in a gift box
FREE SUNDAY ORGAN RECITALS
Sundays throughout the year
Held on Sundays at 5.00pm, these popular 30-minute recitals are given by visiting and the Abbey’s own organists and feature a wide range of music to suit all tastes.
Admission is free, tickets are not required.
DAILY SERVICES
Westminster Abbey has been a place of worship since the tenth century and we still hold services every day.
Everyone is welcome to worship with us; services are free of charge and most do not require a ticket.
SUPPORT WESTMINSTER ABBEY
It costs over £14 million a year to maintain the Abbey, and we do not receive any funding from the Church, the Crown, or the Government. The drastic reduction to our income caused by the Covid pandemic is putting our priceless heritage at risk.
You can support the work of the Abbey, and preserve over 1,000 years of history, by becoming a member of the Abbey Association. From just £40, membership benefits include free entry to the Abbey and Galleries, exclusive member events and tours and discounts in our shops and the Cellarium Café and Terrace.
FIND OUT MORE AND BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!
CORPORATE HOSPITALITY
Since our founding by Benedictine monks, hospitality has always been at the heart of the Abbey. We have held royal weddings, State Occasions, and every coronation since 1066.
You can now hire an historic space for your next corporate event.
Why not host a dinner or reception in one of our unique heritage spaces, set within the Abbey grounds – and offer your guests a private tour of the Abbey?
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