Carols in the Cloister is Saturday 12 December at 4pm and Midnight Mass starts at 11.15pm. Every Norwich Cathedral Christmas date, plus festive opening hours.
Norwich Cathedral has published its full Advent and Christmas programme for 2026. The season opens with the Candlelit Advent Procession on Sunday 29 November, Carols in the Cloister is on Saturday 12 December at 4pm, and Midnight Mass begins at 11.15pm on Christmas Eve. The cathedral closes to sightseeing visitors for part of Christmas Eve.
The quick answer
- Carols in the Cloister: Saturday 12 December, 4pm. Christmas with Norwich Cathedral Choir is the night before, Friday 11 December at 7.30pm.
- Christmas Eve: Crib Service at noon, Christmas Procession with Carols at 3.30pm, Midnight Mass at 11.15pm.
- Visiting on Christmas Eve: the cathedral is closed to general visitors from 1.30pm to 5pm because of the 3.30pm service.
Advent and Christmas dates
All dates and times are from the cathedral’s own Christmas listings, checked on 25 September (Norwich Cathedral).
| Date | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 29 Nov | Candlelit Advent Procession | 6pm |
| Mon 30 Nov | Silence in Norwich Cathedral | 7pm to 8pm |
| Fri 4 Dec | Evensong with the making of a Child Bishop | 5.30pm |
| Fri 4 Dec to Sun 3 Jan | Tree of Remembrance | During opening hours |
| Fri 11 Dec | Christmas with Norwich Cathedral Choir | 7.30pm to 10pm |
| Sat 12 Dec | Carols in the Cloister | 4pm |
| Sun 13 Dec | Sankta Lucia Festal Evensong | 3.30pm |
| Sat 19 Dec | Messiah by Candlelight | 7pm to 9.30pm |
| Sun 20 Dec | Christmas Procession with Carols | 3.30pm to 4.45pm |
| Wed 23 Dec | Christmas Procession with Carols | 7pm to 8.15pm |
| Thu 24 Dec | Crib Service | 12pm to 12.45pm |
| Thu 24 Dec | Christmas Procession with Carols | 3.30pm to 4.45pm |
| Thu 24 Dec | Midnight Mass | 11.15pm to 12.45am |
| Fri 25 Dec | Family Eucharist of Christmas Day | 10.30am to 11.45am |
| Fri 25 Dec | Festal Evensong on Christmas Day | 3.30pm to 4.15pm |
| Fri 1 Jan | New Year's Day Organ Recital | 11am |
| Fri 1 Jan | New Year's Day Eucharist | See listing |
The Christmas Procession with Carols runs three times, on 20, 23 and 24 December, which gives you a choice if one date clashes. The 23 December one is the only evening option. For the Christmas Eve procession, the cathedral says it expects large numbers.
The listings do not yet say which events need tickets or what they cost. The cathedral’s event pages for Carols in the Cloister, Christmas with Norwich Cathedral Choir and Messiah by Candlelight carry the date and time only so far (Carols in the Cloister, Christmas with Norwich Cathedral Choir, Messiah by Candlelight).
Christmas opening hours
The cathedral’s festive hours, from its Christmas page:
| Date | Cathedral | Refectory Café |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 24 Dec | 7am to 6.30pm, closed 1.30pm to 2pm; closed to general visitors 1.30pm to 5pm; reopens 10pm for Midnight Mass | 8am to 1pm |
| Fri 25 Dec | 7am to 4.30pm | Closed |
| Sat 26 Dec | 8am to 4.30pm | Closed |
| Sun 27 Dec | 7am to 4.30pm | Closed |
| Mon 28 to Thu 31 Dec | 8am to 4.30pm | 8am to 6pm |
| Fri 1 Jan | 8am to 4.30pm | Closed |
| From Sat 2 Jan | Normal hours, 7am to 6.30pm daily | Normal hours, 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, 8.30am to 4pm Sunday |
The gift shop is open daily through the season.
Before Christmas: the half-term light show
If you want to see the cathedral at its most unusual this winter, go before December. Time by Luxmuralis fills the building with projected light and sound from Tuesday 27 to Saturday 31 October, with a family ticket at £25 (Norwich Cathedral). More on our October half term in Norwich page.
Also in the city this Christmas
- Norwich Christmas market: Christkindl Market in Chapelfield Gardens, 11 to 20 December.
- Christmas lights switch-on: Thursday 19 November.
- Norwich Christmas trains and buses: what runs over the holiday.
Still to be confirmed
Ticketing and prices for the concerts and carol services. We will add them when the cathedral publishes booking details.
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