Step into the season of hope and new life this Easter at Gloucester Cathedral

At the centre of the programme are the Cathedral’s Holy Week and Easter services, open to all with no booking required.

Highlights include the Palm Sunday Eucharist – featuring Puzzle the Donkey leading a procession from St Mary de Lode church to the Cathedral – and a Holy Week series of evening lectures led by Guest Preacher, the Venerable Dr Rachel Mann. Exploring the theme In the Midst of Love: With Jesus Through Holy Week, the lectures will offer space for deeper reflection during this sacred season.

Special services on Good Friday will reflect on the meaning of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross and on Easter Sunday, all are warmly invited to gather for joyful celebrations of the resurrection of Jesus at the Cathedral’s Festal Eucharist and Evensong.

Alongside its worship, the Cathedral’s renowned musical tradition continues on Good Friday (3 April, 7pm) with a performance of Bach’s St John Passion by the Cathedral Choir, accompanied by the acclaimed period-instrument ensemble La Serenissima. First heard in 1724 in Leipzig, this dramatic and deeply moving work portrays the final hours of Jesus’s life with striking intensity. Funds from ticket sales will support the Cathedral’s In Tune Music & Organ campaign. Tickets start from £10 and can be booked online.

Visitors can also discover more of the Cathedral’s incredible heritage through guided Library Tours on selected dates, exploring centuries of history preserved within its collections. Meanwhile new Cloister Tours on selected Saturdays from March will trace the story of these remarkable medieval corridors from their origins to modern-day conservation. Tower Tours, running on selected dates, offer breathtaking views across the city and county for visitors willing to climb to the top. More details, including pricing and booking information is available on the Cathedral website.

Families are especially welcome throughout the Easter season. The Secret Easter Garden Trail (14 March – 12 April, during visiting hours) invites children to search for hidden flowers around the Cathedral and create their own garden design. Spring into Easter: Family Activity Days (Tuesday 7, Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 April, 11am–3pm) offer drop-in activities exploring signs of new life around the Cloister and the connections between nature and Easter traditions.

The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni, Dean of Gloucester, said:

“This Easter season, you are warmly encouraged to join us here at Gloucester Cathedral: in the rhythm of our worship and Holy Week liturgies; in the splendour of our music, including the St John Passion concert on Good Friday; in family activities that invite children and young people to explore and engage with the Easter story; and in guided tours that reveal the richness of our history and faith.

Whatever brings you here in this holy season, there is a place for everyone, and you can be assured of the warmest of welcomes.”

This Holy Week and Easter, Gloucester Cathedral invites everyone to experience its life as a living place of faith, culture and community.

For more details please visit the Cathedral website: https://gloucestercathedral.org.uk/whats-on/holy-week-and-easter-2026.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

For more media information, please email Elspeth Keep:

Elspeth.keep@gloucestercathedral.org.uk