Carols at the Guildhall with Festive Afternoon Tea 2026

Carols at the Guildhall with Festive Afternoon Tea runs on 7, 8, 14 and 15 December at St Mary's Guildhall, with each sitting starting at 2pm. It's a simple enough premise: traditional Christmas carols performed by a quartet of singers from Coventry Cathedral, paired with a full festive afternoon tea. The music comes from the Cathedral, and the tea is a proper spread of finger sandwiches, seasonal sweets and freshly baked scones, served with English Breakfast tea or coffee.

The whole thing takes place in the Great Hall of St Mary's Guildhall on Bayley Lane, in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter. It's a 700-year-old building that's still standing in the city centre, and the historic surroundings do a fair bit of the heavy lifting here. The carols are sung by a quartet from Coventry Cathedral, and the tea is a full spread of finger sandwiches, seasonal sweets and freshly baked scones, served with English Breakfast tea or coffee.

It's part of the Guildhall's 2026 Christmas programme, which looks back at Victorian and Tudor traditions and how they've shaped the way we do Christmas now. Around the carols, there's storytelling with Father Christmas, candlelight mulled wine tours, Tudor and Victorian workshops, Gatsby nights and festive murder mystery nights. The carols and tea are one of the quieter entries in that line-up.

Booking is essential, and they suggest arriving 10-15 minutes before the start. The afternoon tea is £42 per person, which includes tea or coffee; the Prosecco Afternoon Tea is £49, adding a glass of prosecco to the tea and coffee. Both run at 2pm on 7, 8, 14 and 15 December in the Great Hall.