Advent Procession

York Minster marks the start of Advent with its Advent Procession, two candlelit services of music, readings and prayers on Saturday 28 November and Sunday 29 November. Both start at 5:30pm and run for about an hour. The Minster describes them as its way of marking the season: a celebration and anticipation of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

The service begins in darkness, and from there a single flame is used to spread light through the cathedral, with each member of the congregation holding their own candle. The music comes from the Choir of York Minster, and the whole thing is built around that slow shift from dark to light. It's a candlelit procession, so the music, readings and prayers are woven into the movement rather than just being a programme you sit through.

There's a change this year: for 2026 there are two services instead of one, so you've got a choice of the Saturday or the Sunday. The second service is also live-streamed on the York Minster YouTube channel, which is handy if you can't make it in person. In-person tickets are available through the Minster's website or by phone, and a small number of seats may be left for those without them, with anyone else invited to queue outside and admitted if space permits.

Both services are free, and they run on Saturday 28 November and Sunday 29 November, starting at 5:30pm at York Minster, Deangate, York, YO1 7HH.