You are invited: Cathedral at Night in Hereford and St Davids, Wales

Hereford Cathedral and St Davids from the Church in Wales are inviting people to experience the historic sacred space of the cathedrals in a new light this Saturday when they open their doors ‘after hours’ for special Cathedral at Night events.

Cathedral at Night in Hereford and St Davids, Wales

Hereford and St Davids join other participating cathedrals across Europe this Saturday including – Reims, Bayeux, Orange, and Rouen. And, for the first time since its devastating fire, Notre Dame will participate this year with guides offering visitors regular tours of the surrounding areas of the cathedral ahead of its planned re-opening later this year.

Hereford Cathedral’s  “Cathedral at Night” event starts at 7pm -9 pm on Saturday 11th May when the cathedral will be lit by candles.

There is a range of free activities available for visitors including entry to the Mappa Mundi and Chained Library to see the latest exhibition Master of the Library, there are two tower tours available and the cathedral Guides will be running special tours exploring the history and architecture of the building.

 There will also be a gentle sound experience, performed by local choir Companion Voices, in the Lady Chapel from 7 pm -8.30 pm. And from 8.30 pm Assistant Director of Music, Peter Dyke will take to the cathedral’s world-famous Father Willis organ to perform a selection of music before the evening draws to a close at 9 pm.

Visitors are welcome to explore the cathedral independently using the range of guides and trails or to simply spend time reflecting in the quiet and calm of the small chapels or the Crypt which will be candlelit for the evening.

Jess Stallwood, Events Manager at Hereford Cathedral, said:

“Cathedral at Night is one of our favourite events here at Hereford Cathedral. This relaxed evening is full of fun things to discover and a great opportunity to see what we can offer visitors. Whether you’ve visited us a hundred times before or walk past every day and have never come inside the building, a warm welcome awaits!”

Refreshments will be available to purchase from the Cathedral Café throughout the event.

St David’s Cathedral from the Church in Wales will open to visitors from 5.30pm for their Cathedral at Night event. There will be family-friendly activities, lantern making including a procession, tours of the library and treasury, and Compline to bring the evening to a close.

Cathedral At Night was a campaign for 2020 that drew inspiration from the European initiative, Les Nuits des Cathedrales, and brought our cathedrals together in a single unified nationwide campaign that put invitation at its heart

Many of our cathedral choose to open their doors after hours at different days during the year now to suit their own programming.

Les Nuits des Cathedrales first launched in 2008, and participating European cathedrals open their doors after hours on the second Saturday in May to offer a cultural and spiritual experience for free.

Cathedral at Night events are free and no booking is necessary.