Festivals

The perfect setting for a festival

By bringing together fantastic local musicians, producers, artists and volunteers in incredible surroundings, churches, chapels and meeting houses are built for festivals! With delightful displays and floral fragrances in abundance, maybe even tempting your taste buds with local beer or a place for you to enjoy sublime music in wonderful surroundings, you should check out a festival happening at a church this year.

Churches are vibrant cultural hubs where visitors can enjoy live performances, local brews, and engaging talks amid stunning historic settings. These events offer a unique chance to explore the art and architecture of sacred spaces while experiencing a lively and immersive atmosphere.

Find a festival to visit this year. Click on any image to go to the festival website.

We'd love to include all festivals taking place in churches around the UK this year. If you know of one that we have not included please let us know by email or message us on social media.

Walking festivals

Our churches, chapels and meeting houses are blessed. They are set within some of the finest natural landscapes in the country, and to visit is to discover the past, present and future of our place within them. Our villages, towns and cities are great places to start, and often have a local pub serving wholesome homemade food and local ales!

We are compiling a map and list of walking festivals that include churches, chapels, and meeting houses along their routes.

Explore our walking festivals page to find one near you

Heritage festivals

Heritage festivals offer a unique opportunity to explore historic churches, showcasing their stunning architecture, intricate stained glass, and centuries old artwork. They also invite visitors to appreciate the cultural and artistic heritage of sacred spaces that are often closed to the public.

Click on the title or image to go through to the official website for each festival, find out more there and register to take part.

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Heritage Open Days

England: 11 to 20 September 2026 Theme: Everyday Histories

Official website
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Patronal Festivals 2025

The Choral Evensong Trust supports patronal festivals at churches across the country. This enables them to celebrate with a choral evensong, sung by a visiting choir if they do not have their own, followed by a reception with free food and drink. There is a map on their website, but don't forget to check your local church, minster or cathedral in case they are organising their own.

See the map on the Choral Evensong Trust website
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