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December at Westminster Abbey
Visiting Westminster Abbey at Christmas time is truly special.
Join us for one of our services and experience the wonder of Christmas.
Read on to find out about what’s happening at the Abbey in the month of December – we’re looking forward to welcoming you!
An Advent Liturgy
Date: Sunday, 1st December
Time: 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Location: The Abbey
Tickets: Free (no booking required)
A dramatic, candle-lit service of hymns, readings, and anthems sung by the Abbey Choir.
This service will reflect upon the Advent themes of judgement and of the joyful expectation of the coming of Christ.
The service will be sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey and music will include:
Jonathan Dove – I am the day
Boris Ord – Adam lay ybounden
Edward Elgar – Benedictus in F
Anton Bruckner – Virga Jesse floruit
This service will last approximately 60 minutes and is not well-suited for young children.
Watch this service
You can watch this service live or on demand.
This service will be available to watch until 5.00pm on Tuesday 31st December.
FIND OUT MORE HERE
An Advent Liturgy
Date: Sunday, 8th December
Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Location: St Margaret’s Church
Tickets: Free (no booking required)
A dramatic, candle-lit service of hymns, readings, and anthems sung by the St Margaret’s Choristers
This service will reflect upon the Advent themes of judgement and of the joyful expectation of the coming of Christ.
This service will last approximately 60 minutes and is not well-suited for young children.
Lunchtime Talk: The Tudors, Faith, Family and Fortune
Date: Wednesday, 11th December
Time: 1:00pm – 1:50pm
Location: St Margaret’s Church
Tickets: £5.00
Leanda de Lisle considers the role of religion in the dramatic story of the Tudor succession and explores the faith of Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.
When Henry VIII died, and his young son Edward succeeded him, the hope of stability was soon shattered. With Edward’s accession came a religious revolution. England was to become, for the time, a Protestant country.
Within six years Edward was dead – buried in Westminster Abbey. As one sister reigned, then another, the impact of religious instability was felt across the whole country.
Join leading Tudor historian Leanda de Lisle as she sheds light on the contrasting attitudes that Henry VIII’s children displayed towards religion during their reigns and the far-reaching implications this had for the country that they governed.
This event is part of our monthly Lunchtime Talk series. On the second Wednesday of every month, join us at St Margaret’s Church for an in-depth exploration of part of the Abbey’s history.
FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE
Christmas Concert
Date: Friday, 20th December
Time: 7:00pm – 8:20pm
Location: The Abbey
Tickets: £15.00 – £47.00
Drawing inspiration from the traditional Festival of Lessons and Carols, the Choir of Westminster Abbey presents an enticing Christmas programme featuring festive choral works interspersed with much-loved carols and seasonal readings.
The centrepiece of the programme is Benjamin Britten’s magical Ceremony of Carols for treble voices and harp, performed by the Abbey Choristers and harpist Cecilia De Maria.
The Choir of Westminster Abbey is renowned worldwide as one of the finest ensembles of its type, its repertoire extending from plainsong and Renaissance polyphony to twentieth-century masterpieces and new commissions. In addition to singing the daily services, as it has done since the fourteenth century, the Choir plays a central role in the many royal and state occasions which are held in the Abbey, most recently the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
“The Christmas Eve carol service at Westminster Abbey is one of the most warming events in the festive calendar … The singing is a constant delight.” The Daily Telegraph
This concert takes place thanks to the generous support of David Keltner and Patricia Owen Keltner
FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE
Christmas Services at Westminster Abbey
Celebrate the Christmas Story with us at the Abbey. All our services are free, but some require a ticket. Click on the button below to visit our website and find out more.
SERVICES OF LESSONS AND CAROLS – ST MARGARET’S CHURCH
Tuesday 24th December, 6:00pm – 7:00pm
A traditional service including the singing of Christmas carols.
There will also be readings as well as anthems sung by the St Margaret’s Choir.
FIRST EUCHARIST OF CHRISTMAS (MIDNIGHT MASS)
Tuesday 24th December, 11:00pm -12:30am
This late-night service celebrates the birth of Christ, the Light of the World, in the midst of darkness.
First Eucharist of Christmas night includes the singing of Christmas Carols, music from the Abbey Choir, a sermon and Holy Communion.
CHRISTMAS DAY HOLY COMMUNION
Wednesday 25th December, 8:00am – 8:40am
A quiet, said service (without music), according to the Book of Common Prayer (1662).
Holy Scriptures are read, prayers are offered, and bread and wine are consecrated and received as the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
CHRISTMAS DAY SUNG EUCHARIST
Wednesday 25th December, 10:30am – 11:30am
The main service to celebrate Christmas morning, and the appearing of Jesus as Emmanuel – ‘God with us’.
This Eucharist includes the singing of Christmas Carols, music from the Abbey Choir, a sermon and Holy Communion.
EVENSONG
Wednesday 25th December, 3:00pm – 4:00pm
This service follows the traditional pattern in The Book of Common Prayer.
Our Christmas Day Evensong will consist of choral music (psalms, canticles, and anthems) from the rich Anglican musical tradition, scripture readings, and prayers.
GIVE THE GIFT OF MEMBERSHIP THIS CHRISTMAS
From just £55 you can treat friends and family to year-long free entry to the Abbey and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries, access to special Members’ events, discounts and much more.
Connect with over 1,000 years of history and give the gift of Association membership to someone you love this Christmas.
DID YOU KNOW…?
Jane Austen is buried in Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire but a small tablet was unveiled to her memory in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey, on 17th December 1967. This was given by The Jane Austen Society. The polished Roman stone tablet, designed by the Abbey’s Surveyor S.E. Dykes Bower, is on the wall adjacent to Shakespeare’s memorial and the inscription reads simply:
JANE AUSTEN 1775 1817
She was the daughter of a country clergyman, George Austen, and his wife Cassandra (Leigh) and was born at the rectory at Steventon in Hampshire on 16th December 1775. In her books she portrayed the society and manners of the life to which she belonged: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. The family later moved to Bath and after her father’s death she lived in the village of Chawton. Although she had several suitors Jane never married. She died in Winchester on 18th July 1817.
A copy of the sermon preached at Evensong before the unveiling can be obtained from Westminster Abbey Library.
READ MORE ABOUT THE ABBEY’S HISTORY HERE
SHOP
Featuring a playful mouse perched atop a colourful cupcake, this decoration captures a sense of fun and whimsy, ideal for adding a touch of Christmas cheer to your home.
VISIT OUR SHOP ONLINE
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.
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?
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR VENUES FOR HIRE
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