Jubilee at a Cathedral near you

25th May 2022

Celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee in flowers, crafts, picnics, processions and special musical arrangements. 

Bradford, Chester, Durham and Truro cathedrals unveil their events for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. 

Jubilee at a Cathedral near you

And Lichfield Cathedral urges local people to remember those most in need this extended Bank Holiday with the launch of a Big Jubilee Lunch food donation point inside the cathedral too.

Durham Cathedral is the latest cathedral to share its celebrations to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Every day visitors are invited to bring along a picnic at lunchtime and set a blanket down on the grass in the Cloisters – this space is being opened specially for this historic occasion.

Visitors can make a Jubilee crown or follow a trail to spot Bede the Bear around the cathedral and discover why people have made pilgrimage journeys to this special place.

On Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 June you can join a workshop to learn how to hand sew a “boro” patchwork flag to take home and wave for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

For families with older children, Durham Cathedral Museum is telling the stories of Durham’s encounters with royals over the centuries in the latest exhibition Crown and Cathedral: Durham’s Royal Stories.

During the evening on Thursday 2 June, the cathedral will be joining other monuments across the UK to light up in red, white and blue.

Durham’s Annual Showcase Concert, Summer in the City: Fanfare! will this year take place over the Jubilee weekend on Friday 3 June.

And a Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Saturday 4 June at 3pm, including music from a special children’s choir brought together specifically in honour of the Queen’s historic milestone.

For more information about Jubilee celebrations and how to book places and tickets visit the Durham Cathedral website here.

St Paul’s, Salisbury, York, Ely, Peterborough, Rochester, Lichfield, Southwell, Bristol, Ripon and Derby cathedral all have Platinum Jubilee events – find out about them here.

There’s coffee and cake served all day in the nave at Truro Cathedral to accompany a wide range of craft and story-telling activities for children from flag making to dance workshops over the extended Bank Holiday.

The flags will be used for the Jubilee Parade through the city followed by an open-air service of thanksgiving for The Queen with the City of Truro Male Choir leading the singing.

The bells of Truro Cathedral will ring out for her Majesty and there will be live music with The Landscape Society headlining, supported by Mog Jones and Cattalyst. A bar and pasties will be available and the wearing of suitable Jubilee attire is encouraged!

Tickets are £5 each – Book your tickets

Bradford Cathedral is hosting five events and services around the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, starting on Tuesday 31st May with free family activities, including quizzes and crafts to “Design Your Own Crown” and “Design Your Own Throne”.

On Saturday 4th June the monthly Bradford Faith Trail returns with added “royal” details and stories being highlighted along the route. Places are limited so do please book education@bradfordcathedral.org.

There will be  ‘A Civic Service of thanksgiving for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee” on Jubilee Sunday led by the Bishop of Leeds and other dignitaries. and finally, on Saturday 11th June, there is the ‘Matinée Concert on the Queen’s Official Birthday’, with a celebratory afternoon of patriotic music followed by a ‘Jubilee Street Party to mark the Queen’s Official birthday’.

Come along, dressed for the occasion in red, white and blue, to enjoy a buffet, live music, games and a quiz, plus there is a fancy-dress competition for children.

You can find out more about all these events and services, how to book your tickets, and the Cathedral opening times over the extended Platinum Jubilee weekend here.

Chester Cathedral is saying it with flowers with special Jubilee floral celebrations over the extended Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday as well as the launch of a new exhibition

Chester and the Crown that will take visitors on a journey through the city’s relationship with the monarchy and will be available until 30 June.

There’s a Coronation Celebration of music inspired by the Coronation in 1952 and on Friday 8 July, the Cathedral will host Platinum Proms, a fundraising concert in aid of Cheshire Community Foundation. Presented by Gyles Brandreth, the evening will be a musical extravaganza to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

For tickets and more click here.

Lichfield Cathedral will set up a dedicated ‘Big Jubilee Lunch’ donation area from 28 May until 3 June working with its local Foodbank to call for special donations of food to families in need.

The Dean of Lichfield, the Very Revd Adrian Dorber, said: “On this joyous occasion, as we all celebrate in our own ways, it should be at the forefront of minds that there are thousands of households in the UK who are struggling to put food on the table.”

Lichfield Cathedral has a packed programme for the extended bank holiday weekend.

There will be a special event to light the Platinum Jubilee Beacon outside the cathedral which will be illuminated in red, white and blue.

Bells will be rung at 9.30 pm followed by an official announcement from the Town Crier and the Lichfield Cathedral Jubilee Choir will perform the ‘Song of the Commonwealth’, specially written and composed for the Platinum Jubilee. A piper will play and a bugler will announce the lighting of the beacon with a special bugle call entitled ‘Majesty’.

 There will be a Choral Eucharist on Sunday 5 June at 10:30 to close the celebrations.

For details on opening, available tours and services visit: www.lichfield-cathedral.org

Photo Credit – Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

More Jubilee events at Cathedrals here.