July What's On

We have an exciting month ahead of us from the fantastic Chester Cathedral Choir's Summer Choral Classics concert to the return of Making Tracks and evening organ recitals. 

Peter Waterman OBE and the Railnuts return with Making Tracks 200! This year’s railway is 72 feet (an upgrade from the normally 64 foot railways featured in the Cathedral) and will be celebrating 200 years since the first intercity train carried passengers! Making Tracks 200 will honour the year of Railway200 with a variety of trains from the 1820s to present day. The model railway will feature Watford Junction and its amazing cityscape. Come along and see if you can spot all the hidden details, and even have a go at driving the trains yourself. From Thursday 24 July to Saturday 30 August, Making Tracks 200 will run Mondays to Fridays from 10am-4pm. Pre-book your summer entry here. 

During the run of Making Tracks we welcome back our Summer Evening Organ Recital series every Thursday from 24 July to 28 August (including an exciting Battle of the Organs on 28 August). Book the full series and save £5. Tickets available here. 

As part of the Festival of Ideas, Discover Heritage Skills: Careers in craftsmanship and conservation at 2pm on Thursday 3 July. This half-day event is designed for pre-university students and features short talks, a panel discussion, and Q&A session with professionals in the field. They will explore exciting career opportunities in heritage and craftsmanship at Chester Cathedral. Book your free ticket here. 

Join us for an evening of beautiful choral music, sung by the choir of Chester Cathedral on Saturday 5 July at 7.30pm. Summer Choral Classics concert will feature some of the most beloved and enduring works from the choral repertoire. Come and hear the combined forces of our boy and girl choristers, as well as our Lay Clerks, all conducted by Philip Rushforth, Organist and Master of the Choristers. There will be an opportunity to purchase refreshments from our Refectory bar before the concert and during the interval. This concert is in aid of the work of the Music Department. Book your ticket here.

This month we have our last three Small Sounds sessions on Mondays 7, 14, and 21 at 2pm before they go on break for summer holiday, returning Monday 15 September. All are welcome to join us for these free drop-in music sessions for children aged 0 – 5 and their grown ups! No need to book, just turn up. Find out more here. 

For the first time ever, see The Drifters in the magical and remarkable setting of Chester Cathedral, lit by a thousand candles! The Drifters have been inducted the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, chosen to perform for the President of the United States and listed among the Greatest Artists of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine. Come experience the wonder as they play all their classic hits on Friday 11 July at 7.30pm. Book tickets here. 

80s icon, actor, and Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp is taking us Back to the 80s on Saturday 12 July! Get ready for an unforgettable night packed with the biggest anthems of the decade, performed in some of the UK’s most breathtaking and unique venues, including awe-inspiring cathedrals. This event is completely sold out!

Join the Cathedral’s Nave Choir for a concert of joyful music on Saturday 12 July at 7.30pm at All Saints Church in Hoole. O Sing Joyfully! Will include favourite works by Parry, Howells, Gibbons, and much more. No booking required, this event is free with a retiring collection. Please be aware this concert is not taking place within the Cathedral it will be at All Saint Church in Hoole. 

Our speciality Stained Glass Tour returns on Tuesday 15 July 2pm. Chester Cathedral has an impressive collection of internationally significant stained glass, ranging from medieval fragments to the 21st century ‘Creation Window’. On this engaging tour you will learn about the makers, designers, and restorers of these magnificent works of art and hear some of the fascinating stories connected to them. Book your ticket here. 

Experience Beatles by Candlelight Friday 18 and Saturday 19 July. Featuring a cast of West End singers and an epic live band this show is jam packed with over 40 Beatles hits like you’ve never hear them before. Book tickets here. 

Treasure Unearthed returns for their 2025 exhibition on Saturday 19 July from 10am to 4pm in the Chapter House. Members of metal detecting clubs from across the region will be setting up their stalls to show off some of their most precious and interesting finds at this one-day event. Find out more here. 

Creeds exhibition is on now until 19 September with a display in the North Quire Aisle and the Cathedral Exhibition Library. Creeds: a formal statement of belief….but who writes them and how do we put into words what we believe in? Explore the treasures in the collections of Chester Cathedral and friends in this engaging exhibition to discover how ‘creeds’ have been expressed through the centuries. Visitor access to the Exhibition Library is available on some Tuesdays during the exhibition run – make sure to check the website when planning your visit (we aim to give at least two weeks’ notice with library opening times). Book Library visit here. Interested in booking a group visit? Email [email protected] to arrange. 

Key services

Thursday 3 July at 5.30pm there will be a special Choral Eucharist for St Thomas. Often dubbed “Doubting”, Thomas was one of the twelve apostles who witnessed Jesus’ life and ministry first hand. This Eucharist, sung by the Cathedral Choir, is traditional language.

Sunday 27 July at 10.30am the Cathedral Eucharist for Dedication Festival where we celebrate the foundation of this building as a Cathedral Church. On 26 July, during his Progress to the north, King Henry VIII sealed with his Privy Seal the writ for the letters patent reconstituting the monastery of Chester as a Cathedral. He forwarded it to his Lord Chancellor, Sir Thomas Audley (then in Essex) for him to add the Great Seal, which he did on 4 August 1541.