Service Highlights

Join us for the heart of the Christmas season at Wells Cathedral. Our beautiful Christmas services are a chance to gather in worship, reflection, and celebration, marking this sacred time together. From the candlelit beauty of our Advent services to the joy of Christmas Day, each service invites you to experience the season’s spirit in a profound way.

Christmas Prayers: As throughout the year, the Cathedral is open  for visitors to light candles and pray, and throughout December you can write and hang your special Christmas prayers on our Prayer Tree in the Cloisters.

Dedicate a Candle: Sponsor a candle for a loved one this Christmas and add to the light of thousands of others at this year’s Carols by Candlelight concerts. Sponsorship costs £2, and your message will be written around the base of one of the candles that will be lit each night from 19–21 December. You can also choose to have your message printed in the programme as a keepsake. Please visit the Cathedral Shop for more information.

Concerts and Events

Visit our What’s On page to find out more about this season’s upcoming events and get your tickets. Highlights before Christmas include:

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by Candlelight Wednesday 4 December, 7.30pm
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol Saturday 7 & 14 December, 1.00pm & 3.00pm
Karl Jenkins: The Armed Man Saturday 7 December, 7.00pm
Somerset County Schools’ Celebration Monday 9 December, 7.00pm
AGE UK Somerset Carol Service, Wednesday 11 December, 11.00am
Women’s Institute Carol Service, Wednesday 11 December, 2.30pm
Christmas with the Bevan Family Consort Friday 13 December, 7.30pm
Christmas at the Movies Sunday 15 December, 7.00pm
Opus Anglicanum: Medieval Carols Monday 16 December, 7.30pm
Carols by Candlelight Thursday 19, Friday 20 and Saturday 21 December, 7.00p.m.
Christmas Sing-Along Saturday 21 December, 10.00am
Family Holiday Activities: Festive Foliage Saturday 21 December, 11.15am–3.00pm
Cathedral Carol Services Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 December, 6.00pm

January

‘Space’ by Luxmuralis Tuesday 28 January – Saturday 1 February 2025

Carols by Candlelight

Thursday 19, Friday 20, and Saturday 21 December, 7.00 p.m.

Wells Cathedral Choir; Timothy Parsons, conductor; Carolyn Craig, organist

The highlight of the Wells year, enjoy a feast of Christmas carols, festive favourites, and seasonal stories in the magical surroundings of Wells Cathedral lit by thousands of candles.

Admission: £6-£56; via Eventbrite; pre-concert dinner available in the award-winning Cathedral Café, The Loft

Seasonal Offers

Discount Wednesdays in the Cathedral Shop: Continuing our tradition of discount Wednesdays in the run up to Christmas, enjoy 10% off everything in the shop on Wednesdays, including our hand-crafted decorations and locally-sourced gifts. Merry Christmas!

Warm Spaces

Help support or make use of our Warm Spaces scheme, which returns for the third consecutive year in a bid to help beat the cold in our community this winter.

Our Loft Café is a designated Warm Space, Please do come in. Free teas and filter coffees are available — Just say “I’m here to keep warm.” Speak to a member of the café team to make a donation with your order (suggested £1), and help others stay warm this Winter.

Visitors are also invited to support or help themselves to items on our Warm Rail, next to the Cathedral Shop. If you would like to make a contribution, please ensure garments are clean and any coat pockets are empty. All contributions are greatly appreciated.

Christmas for Children

Visit the Cathedral during the Christmas holidays and follow our Christmas Story Trail. Explore the Cathedral to find the glass, carvings, and embroideries that relate to the Christmas story, then colour in and cut out the story panels to take home!

This year we also have a special Christmas Family Sing-Along on Saturday 22 December from 10.00 a.m. Wells Cathedral Song Squad choirs are inviting families to sign-up for this special festive event, which is particularly aimed at children aged 4 to 11. Enjoy singing fun Christmas songs and joyful carols, free entry to the Cathedral, and after the event there will be free hot chocolate and shortbread for all participants.

Get the holidays off to a festive start with our creative workshop, Festive Foliage, for children! Make a seasonal centrepiece to adorn your table this Christmas using natural materials, including foliage from the Cathedral gardens, and explore the Cathedral with our free Christmas Story trail. FREE with adult entry: No need to book – simply drop in on the day in the Cathedral’s Education Room (entry via the Cloisters) 11.15am – 3.15pm.

And  don’t miss our very popular Crib Services on Christmas Eve, perfect for children and families. Children are invited to dress up for this fun service — come dressed as a shepherd, an angel, a wise man, or even a super hero!

Beyond Christmas Day

Christmas Day marks not the end, but the beginning of the season! The Cathedral is open daily to Visitors every day of the year, including Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, and we’d be delighted to see you over this period. Explore the Cathedral on a tour, pop into our café, or simply soak up the festive atmosphere and have a chat with one of our friendly volunteers. Christmas opening times can be found here.

In January, the Nave is cleared of chairs for cleaning, and this is a wonderful time to experience a number of glorious promenade concerts while moving around the open spaces of the Cathedral.

A Ceremony of Carols

Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols
Saturday 2 February, 1.05 p.m.

The Choristers of Wells Cathedral
Timothy Parsons, conductor

Experience this ever-popular and inspiring arrangement of medieval carols for children’s voices and harp, in the beautiful setting of Wells Cathedral. Admission by Donation (suggested: £5–£10); seats reserved via wcct.co.uk; in aid of Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust