Chester Cathedral's Christmas Tree Festival runs 25 November 2026 to 3 January 2027: 80+ trees, Sundays free with no booking, under 5s free, last entry 5.30pm.

Chester Cathedral’s Christmas Tree Festival runs from Wednesday 25 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. More than 80 trees, decorated by local schools and businesses, fill the cathedral, and this year’s theme is Spirit of Christmas. The dates are on the cathedral’s own event page, checked on 3 October 2026. Tickets are not on sale yet: the booking link says “coming soon”.

The quick answer

  • Dates: Wednesday 25 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027
  • Where: Chester Cathedral, St Werburgh Street, in the city centre
  • Sundays are free and need no booking
  • Under 5s go free every day
  • Last entry 5.30pm, but 3.30pm between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, when the cathedral closes at 4pm
  • Ticket prices for other days have not been published yet

What is confirmed for 2026

On 3 October 2026
Dates 25 November 2026 to 3 January 2027
Theme Spirit of Christmas
Trees More than 80
Sundays No booking and no entry fee
Children 5 and under Free
Last entry 5.30pm; 3.30pm from 24 December to 1 January
Booking “Coming soon”
Adult price Not yet published

The cathedral asks visitors to pre-book on paying days “to ensure speedy entry”. It also warns that parts of the building, the nave and the cafĂ©, close on some days during the festival, and lists those closures on its website. Check before a special trip, especially around the Christmas services.

How it compares with last year

The festival is an annual fixture. The 2024 festival ran from 22 November 2024 to 5 January 2025 on the theme “Discover Christmas: What Christmas means to you”, with the same rules: free on Sundays, free for under 5s, and the earlier closing time over Christmas and New Year (Chester Cathedral, 2024 event page). This year’s run starts a few days later and ends on the first Sunday of January.

Decorating a tree: deadline 26 October

Schools and businesses can still take a tree. The cathedral supplies a real tree, fairy lights and a sign with the school’s or company’s logo, and you decorate it to the theme with whatever you like. Expressions of interest close on 26 October 2026, and trees are allocated first come, first served. The contact is Paige Coaley, Sales and Events Coordinator, on 01244 500959 (Chester Cathedral).

Making a day of it

The festival overlaps the rest of Chester’s Christmas calendar:

  • The Christmas market opens in Town Hall Square, next to the cathedral, on Wednesday 18 November and runs to 22 December.
  • The 12 Days of Christmas Parade is on Thursday 19 November; the details are on our Christmas lights page.
  • The Storyhouse panto runs from 4 December; see our panto page.

Parking and getting there

The cathedral is in the pedestrianised centre, so there is no parking at the door. The nearest council car parks and their tariffs, and the park and ride sites, are on our parking in Chester page. Check roadworks and travel before setting off.

What we will add

We will add adult and family ticket prices, the booking link and any nave closure dates as soon as the cathedral publishes them.