Carol services are free at 7pm on 20, 21 and 23 December 2026. The Big Nativity moves to 22 and 23 Dec, Midnight Mass 11pm, plus every Advent service.
Winchester Cathedral has published its 2026 Advent and Christmas service list. The public carol services are at 7pm on Sunday 20, Monday 21 and Wednesday 23 December, free and unticketed, and the Cathedral says to come early. Two things have moved from last year: the carol services start at 7pm, not 6.30pm, and the Big Nativity is on 22 and 23 December, not Christmas Eve.
The Christmas market in the Close runs from 20 November to Tuesday 22 December 2026.
The quick answer
- Carol services: Sun 20, Mon 21 and Wed 23 December at 7pm, sung by the Cathedral Choir, free, no booking; come early.
- The Big Nativity: Tue 22 and Wed 23 December at 11am, for all ages.
- Christmas Eve: Carols with the Blessing of the Crib at 5.30pm and Midnight Mass at 11pm.
- Visiting: the Cathedral is open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 12.30pm to 3pm; worship is always free.
Updated 5 October: the Cathedral has published the 2026 service list, which replaces last year’s dates on this page. Carols move to 7pm and the Big Nativity to 22 and 23 December.
The 2026 Advent and Christmas services
All from the Cathedral’s Advent and Christmas services page, checked 5 October 2026. Worship is free and everyone is welcome.
| Service | 2026 date and time | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Advent Procession | Sat 28 Nov, 6.30pm | 70 min |
| Advent Journey (Chamber Choir) | Sun 29 Nov, 3.30pm | 1 hour |
| Advent Evensong | 1, 3, 4 and 5 Dec, 5.30pm | 45 min |
| Market Carols: Strictly Come Christmas | Sun 6 and Sun 13 Dec, 3.30pm | 45 min |
| A Winchester Christmas (Christmas Evensong) | 8, 10 and 11 Dec at 5.30pm; 14, 15, 17, 18 and 19 Dec at 5.15pm | 40 min |
| Carol Services (Cathedral Choir) | Sun 20, Mon 21 and Wed 23 Dec, 7pm | not stated |
| The Big Nativity | Tue 22 and Wed 23 Dec, 11am | 50 min |
| Carols with the Blessing of the Crib | Thu 24 Dec, 5.30pm | 50 min |
| Midnight Mass | Thu 24 Dec, 11pm | 90 min |
| Holy Communion (1662) | Fri 25 Dec, 8am | 30 min |
| Festal Mattins | Fri 25 Dec, 9.45am | 50 min |
| Festal Eucharist | Fri 25 Dec, 11.15am | 90 min |
| Festal Evensong with Procession from the Tree | Fri 25 Dec, 3.30pm | 60 min |
Getting a seat at the carol service
The 2026 listing says only “come early to avoid disappointment”. Its “more information” link still opens the 2025 carol services page, whose rules last year were:
- Free and unticketed. Arrive early; the nave has a maximum capacity.
- A queue formed outside before the doors opened, 90 minutes before the start. Stewards can provide a seat for people who cannot stand in the queue; ask on arrival.
- Some seats are reserved for participants’ families and invited guests.
- Can’t get in? The service was streamed live on YouTube.
The 2026 door time has not been published. The services page also mentions a private thank-you carol service for volunteers, staff and choir families that the public can watch online, but dates it “Thursday 18th December”, which is last year’s date (18 December 2026 is a Friday), so treat that line as not yet updated.
The Big Nativity
The Cathedral calls it Winchester’s favourite family service. Children come dressed as a Christmas character and make up the nativity. In 2025 it ran on Christmas Eve; in 2026 it is on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 December at 11am.
Christmas concerts in 2026
Concerts are listed separately from the services and most are ticketed. From the Cathedral’s music and concerts page:
- Maggie’s Christmas Carol Concert, Friday 4 December, 7.30pm: the Royal Marines Association Concert Band and Romsey Male Voice Choir.
- Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Saturday 5 December, 7.30pm: the Waynflete Singers in the nave.
- The Gift by Luxmuralis, 14 to 19 December, 6.30pm to 9pm: a light and sound show inside the Cathedral, booked separately; see our Cathedral light show page.
- Chamber Choir Christmas Concert, Saturday 19 December, noon to 12.45pm: free with an annual pass, but tickets must be booked.
- Viennese Christmas Spectacular by Candlelight, Saturday 2 January 2027, 7.30pm.
The same page lists Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols on Christmas Eve at 4pm but still dates it 2025, so check before you plan around it.
Visiting the Cathedral in winter
- Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 12.30pm to 3pm, last entry 30 minutes before closing (Winchester Cathedral).
- Closures: the Cathedral is closed to visitors from Tuesday 20 to Friday 23 October for University of Winchester graduations. Check the closure list the week you go.
- Tickets: visitors buy an annual pass that covers 12 months of visits, with £1 off when booked online. Children aged 11 and under go free with a paying adult (book your visit).
- Kings and Scribes exhibition: included in the pass. Monday to Saturday 10.30am to 4.30pm, Sunday 12.30pm to 2.30pm, subject to volunteers.
- Dogs are welcome during visiting hours and at services, with designated seating.
The Cathedral also publishes a whistlestop guide for market visitors with only 20 minutes to spare.
Getting there
Park and ride buses do not run on Sundays or bank holidays (Winchester City Council), so there are none for the Sunday carol services or on Christmas Day. See our parking in Winchester page and the Christmas trains page. Nearby in December: the Christmas lights switch-on, Santa at the Great Hall and the pantomime.
Still to be confirmed
- Door opening time for the 2026 carol services and whether they are streamed again; the Cathedral’s carol services page has not been rolled on to 2026.
- Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols on Christmas Eve, still shown with a 2025 date.
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