First Eucharist of Christmas with choral music by St William's Singers; no booking required.
York Minster holds its Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, 24 December, the first Eucharist of the Christmas season. It's a midnight celebration of the joy of Christ's birth, and as the name suggests, it's the first time the Eucharist is celebrated as part of the Christmas festivities.
The service brings together a few different elements in one go: the Eucharist, a sermon, and choral music. The music comes from the St William's Singers, who'll be singing throughout, and the preaching is led by the Reverend Timothy Goode, Canon for Congregational Discipleship and Nurture. It's a full service that runs well into the early hours, so if you're planning to stay for the whole thing, it's worth keeping the timing in mind.
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On the practical side, the service runs from 11:30 pm on Christmas Eve through to 1:00 am on Christmas Day, so you'll be seeing in the holiday from inside the Minster. Doors open at 10:30 pm, which gives you plenty of time to get in and find a spot before things get started. Entry is free and no booking is required, so you can just turn up on the night without worrying about tickets. If you're coming from across the city, that hour-and-a-half window between the doors opening and the service starting is a good bit of breathing room.
