Attending a service

Service times may be subject to change, so please check our service listings for full details of our daily services. Entrance is via the Great West Door.

The weekday Eucharist lasts 25-30 minutes, and about an hour on Sundays.

We may not be able to accommodate everyone who wishes to attend. We suggest you arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Holy Communion can only be offered in one kind (the bread only) under current guidance, and can only be received into the hand, not on the tongue.

No, there’s no charge to attend a service at Westminster Abbey.

We take a collection at Sunday services, with the money going to nominated organisations and charities. You are welcome to contribute.

Everyone’s welcome at all our regular services, free of charge.

For all services, please note that we may not be able to accommodate everyone who wishes to attend. We suggest you arrive early to avoid disappointment

Special services

For most of our special services, attendance is by invitation only. You can apply for free tickets to some special services, check our special services listings for details.

Christmas

You’ll also need tickets for some of our popular Christmas services. Free tickets are usually available from mid-November.

For most services, you’ll use the Great West Door, which is on The Sanctuary. If you’re not sure where to enter, please ask a member of staff.

We don’t have a specific dress code, but for services we ask you to dress in a respectful way. Also, please bear in mind that it can be quite cold inside the Abbey during the winter.

You are welcome to visit us for private prayer. We do not charge to visit simply for prayer.

Please enter through the Great West Door entrance – you can ask an Abbey Marshal on the gate for directions.

All visitors are welcome to light candles in front of the icons in the Nave of the Abbey.

Prayers are regularly said in the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor but we are not currently able to allow the public into the Shrine due to social distancing measures.

Many people come to Westminster Abbey seeking God’s forgiveness, healing and wholeness, as part of their journey as followers of Jesus Christ.

Subject to the availability of a member of the clergy, we may be able to offer a brief pastoral conversation if there is a particular need, which we will try to make as private as possible whilst maintaining social distancing. Please speak to an Abbey Marshal in the first instance.

We regret that we cannot currently offer the Anointing of the Sick (with the laying-on-of-hands).

We welcome serving clergy free of charge during visiting hours. Please come to the Great West Door entrance and speak to one of our marshals.

Members of the clergy from any denomination in the UK can also apply for a church pass. This lets up to four members of your congregation visit the Abbey free of charge during visiting hours. You can use passes up to six times a year. Please note: church passes are available only to UK parishes and chaplaincies.

For more information about clergy visits, please contact:

Catherine Williamson, Canons’ PA
020 7654 4805
[email protected]

The Abbey has a distinctive role within the Church of England. It is neither a cathedral nor a parish church, and it stands outside the normal jurisdiction of bishops and archbishops. It is instead a ‘Royal Peculiar’ – the status granted to it in 1560 by Elizabeth I, under which the Dean and Chapter are directly answerable to the Sovereign.

Your safety is our priority

Please be aware that some areas of the Abbey are dimly lit and some chapels have low doorways. Much of the floor and many steps are uneven, so we recommend sensible footwear.

Visiting during Coronavirus (COVID-19)

There are still some social Coronavirus guidance and recommendations in place when visiting the Abbey.

Photography is not permitted during regular and special services. See our photography policy for more information.