London’s cathedrals and big churches hold some of the most beautiful carol services anywhere, and almost all of them are free. The catch is that the most famous ones, at St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey, need a free ticket, and those go within minutes or by ballot. Here’s every major free carol service for 2026, when the tickets are released, and the services you can simply walk into.
All free carol services at a glance
| Service | Date and time | How to get in |
|---|---|---|
| St Paul’s: Advent Carol Service | Sat 28 and Sun 29 Nov, 5pm | Free, no ticket |
| Southwark: Advent Procession | Sun 29 Nov, 6pm | Free |
| St Martin-in-the-Fields: Advent Carols | Sun 29 Nov, 5pm | Free |
| Trafalgar Square: Blessing of the Crib | Sun 6 Dec, 5pm | Free, outdoors |
| St Paul’s: Britten’s Ceremony of Carols | Sat 12 Dec, 5pm | Free, no ticket |
| Southwark: Canterbury Chamber Choir carols | Sat 12 Dec, 2pm | Free, no ticket |
| St Martin-in-the-Fields: Nine Lessons and Carols | Sun 13 Dec, 3pm and 5pm | Free, no ticket |
| Southwark: Community Carols and Sing In | Thu 17 Dec, 12.45pm | Free |
| St Paul’s: Family Carols | Sat 19 Dec, 11am | Free ticket, by ballot |
| Southwark: Cathedral Carol Service | Sun 20 and Mon 21 Dec, 6pm | Free ticket, from 9 Nov |
| St Paul’s: Blessing of the Crib | Sun 20 Dec, 3pm | Free, no ticket |
| Westminster Abbey: Lessons and Carols | Wed 23 and Thu 24 Dec | Free ticket, from 16 Nov |
| St Paul’s: Christmas Carol Service | Wed 23 and Thu 24 Dec, 4pm | Free ticket, by ballot |
| Southwark: Crib Service | Thu 24 Dec, 4pm | Free |
Map view
Free carol services in London 2026
The cathedrals and churches with free carol services this Christmas, plus the Trafalgar Square tree, where groups sing carols through December.
- Free carol services
- Outdoor carols
5 locations available on the map.
St Paul’s Cathedral
All of St Paul’s Advent and Christmas services are free, and most don’t need a ticket. Doors open one hour before each service.
Free, no ticket needed:
- Advent Carol Service, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November, 5pm. A candlelit service the cathedral calls one of the year’s most dramatic.
- Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, Saturday 12 December, 5pm, with harp and choristers.
- Blessing of the Crib, Sunday 20 December, 3pm, including the lighting of the cathedral’s Christmas trees.
Free, but by ticket ballot:
- Family Carols, Saturday 19 December, 11am.
- Christmas Carol Service, Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 December, 4pm. The 23 December service has British Sign Language interpretation.
The ballot opens in November. Anyone can enter, once per service, and winners are picked at random however early you entered. If you win, you can book two tickets. Unclaimed tickets are then released to the public. Children under two sitting on a lap don’t need a ticket. Seating is unreserved, so arrive early even with a ticket: you need to be seated more than 15 minutes before the start. St Paul’s Advent and Christmas
There’s no cloakroom and bags are searched, so travel light. The two paid concerts, Handel’s Messiah (2 December) and A Celebration of Christmas (10 December), are not free.
Westminster Abbey
The Abbey’s Service of Lessons and Carols on 23 and 24 December is free but needs a ticket, and it’s one of the hardest to get in London. Tickets are released in batches on Eventbrite:
- Monday 16 November at 9.30am and 2.30pm
- Wednesday 18 November at 9.30am and 2.30pm
Each application can book up to two tickets, and multiple applications are cancelled. If they’ve gone, join the small waiting list: if a ticket comes back you get eight hours to claim it. Most of the Abbey’s other Advent and Christmas services don’t need a ticket, so check the Abbey’s calendar for an alternative. Westminster Abbey at Christmas
Southwark Cathedral
Southwark has the most free carols of London’s big cathedrals.
- Cathedral Carol Service, Sunday 20 and Monday 21 December, 6pm. A candlelit service of lessons and carols with the full cathedral choir. Free, but tickets are released at 10am on Monday 9 November. Southwark Cathedral Carol Service
- Advent Procession, Sunday 29 November, 6pm. Free.
- King’s Place Choir Christmas Songs, Saturday 5 December, noon. Free.
- Canterbury Chamber Choir carol concert, Saturday 12 December, 2pm. Free, no ticket needed, and aimed at families.
- Community Carols and Sing In, Thursday 17 December, 12.45pm, with brass. Free.
- Newstead Wood School Chamber Choir, Saturday 19 December, 12.30pm. A free drop-in hour of carols.
- Crib Service, Thursday 24 December, 4pm. A free, family-friendly telling of the Christmas story.
The cathedral is next to London Bridge station and Borough Market. Southwark Cathedral what’s on
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin’s, on Trafalgar Square, is best known for its paid candlelit concerts, but its carol services are free:
- Advent Carols, Sunday 29 November, 5pm.
- Nine Lessons and Carols, Sunday 13 December, at 3pm and 5pm.
- Blessing of the Crib, Sunday 6 December, 5pm, outdoors in Trafalgar Square.
St Martin’s doesn’t issue tickets for services and all are welcome, so just arrive early.
If you’d rather pay for a concert, some seats for A Festival of Carols by Candlelight on 18 December start at £10. St Martin-in-the-Fields at Christmas
Carols in Trafalgar Square
The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, a gift from Norway every year since 1947, is lit on Thursday 3 December. Throughout December, choirs and groups sing one-hour sessions of carols at the foot of the tree. It costs nothing to stand and listen, and you don’t need to plan: if you’re passing in the evening, there’s a good chance someone is singing. Christmas at Trafalgar Square
How to get a seat
- Put the release dates in your calendar now. Southwark’s tickets go at 10am on 9 November, and the Abbey’s in four batches on 16 and 18 November. Be online a few minutes before.
- Sign up for St Paul’s mailing list to hear when the ballot opens, and enter the ballot for every service you’d like: it doesn’t matter when you enter.
- Go for the walk-in services. St Paul’s Advent carols and St Martin’s Nine Lessons and Carols need no ticket, just arrive early. St Paul’s opens its doors an hour before.
- Dress for a queue. Popular services have queues outside before the doors open.
- Travel light. Cathedrals search bags and have no cloakroom.
Common questions
Are carol services in London free?
Yes. The carol services at St Paul’s, Westminster Abbey, Southwark Cathedral and St Martin-in-the-Fields are all free. Some need a free ticket because demand is so high. Concerts at the same venues usually cost money, so check whether you’re booking a service or a concert.
When do Westminster Abbey carol tickets come out?
For 2026, tickets for the Service of Lessons and Carols on 23 and 24 December are released on Monday 16 and Wednesday 18 November, at 9.30am and 2.30pm each day, on Eventbrite.
How does the St Paul's ballot work?
The ballot opens in November. You enter once per service, winners are chosen at random, and each winner can book two tickets. It covers Family Carols on 19 December and the 4pm Christmas Carol Services on 23 and 24 December.
Which carol services don't need a ticket?
St Paul’s Advent Carol Service on 28 and 29 November, Britten’s Ceremony of Carols on 12 December and the Blessing of the Crib on 20 December, plus St Martin-in-the-Fields’ Nine Lessons and Carols on 13 December and several of Southwark Cathedral’s daytime carols.
For more festive things to do, see free things to do in London in December, our London Christmas lights guide, the London Christmas markets map and cheap pantomimes from £10.
Details are from St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Southwark Cathedral, St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Greater London Authority, checked on 29 October 2026. Ticket release dates can change, so check each venue before you book.