Journey through Holy Week
April at Guildford Cathedral is a season of light, renewal, and joyful celebration as the Easter story unfolds. Following the solemnity of Lent and Holy Week, the Cathedral bursts into life with worship that proclaims hope, resurrection, and new beginnings.
Easter services form the heart of the month, from the quiet expectancy of Holy Saturday to the joy-filled celebrations of Easter Day. Inspiring choral worship, triumphant music, and meaningful liturgy invite all to share in the message of renewal at the centre of the Christian faith.
Beyond Easter, April continues to offer moments of reflection and community through regular services, concerts, and special events that celebrate creativity and spiritual growth. The lengthening days and returning light make the Cathedral a welcoming place to pause, reflect, and reconnect.
Families are warmly invited to take part in Cathedral Tots and Storytime at the Cathedral, alongside seasonal activities that celebrate spring and new life, while quieter services provide space for prayer and contemplation.
Whether you are celebrating Easter, exploring faith, or simply enjoying the beauty of the season, April at Guildford Cathedral offers inspiration, welcome, and hope as the year moves forward.
Wednesday 1 April – Holy Week
5.30pm Evening Prayer
7pm Tennebrae (c.45 mins)
Thursday 2 April – Holy Week Maundy Thursday
11am Diocesan Chrism Eucharist
5.30pm Evening Prayer
7pm Eucharist of the Last Supper with foot washing
The evening of Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the ‘Triduum’, the Great Three Days. From this point, the Church’s worship is a continuum through to the evening service on Easter Day.
This evening, we begin with a note of thanksgiving as we celebrate the gift of the Eucharist, instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper. In John’s gospel we read an account of this meal, where Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and instructed his followers to do the same for each other. This will be re-enacted as the bishop kneels to wash the feet of volunteers. As Jesus moves on to Gethsemane and his subsequent betrayal and arrest, we strip the cathedral of adornments and move to the ‘garden of repose’ for The Watch. Those who wish to linger and pray may do so until 9.30 pm.
Holy Week Good Friday
Friday 3 April | 10am to 11am
Good Friday All Age Service
An informal service for all ages, including craft activities and refreshments.
Free – no booking necessary.
12 noon – 3pm | The Three Hours Liturgy of Good Friday
Participation in the Triduum (The Great Three Days) continues today with the Liturgy of Good Friday, in which we prayerfully reflect upon the time during which Jesus hung on a cross to die. People are welcome to come for as long as they wish and to leave at any point, or to stay for the whole time.
…interspersed by congregational singing.
12pm
Hymns and Devotional Addresses
by the Holy Week Preacher
1.30pm | Choral Eucharist
The Cathedral Choir joins the gathering for this traditional reflective Good Friday service during which a large wooden cross is carried into the Nave. Some of the consecrated bread and wine from the service last night was left on the altar as a reminder of Jesus’ time in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest. This will be consumed today.
5.30pm | Choral Evensong
Those familiar with this choral service will discover a solemn, pared-down, unaccompanied version for Good Friday, in keeping with the desolation and confusion experienced by Jesus’ disciples following Jesus’ death and burial.
Saturday 4 April – Easter Eve
4pm Evening Prayer
8pm Easter Vigil
Sunday 5 April – Easter Sunday
We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus in our worship today – Jesus is risen!
9.45am Festival Eucharist
6pm Easter Evensong
Wednesday 8 April | 10am to 12.30pm
Family Fun Day
Come and see what you can create inspired by our wonderful space. Free event, but must be booked in advance. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Cost of tickets: free but booking essential | https://www.guildford-cathedral.org/events/boxoffice
Thursday 9 April | 10.30am Coffee | 11.15am Concert
Coffee Concert - Adina Smallwood-Jazz and contemporary singer
Join us for our ever-popular free Coffee Concert series.
Free – no booking necessary
Friday 24 April | 7.30pm
Elvis by Candlelight
Featuring a spectacular live band, epic backing vocals and one of the UK’s leading Elvis tributes
Ticket cost Entry: From £35
Box office | https://boxoffice.concertsbycandlelight.com/events/kindadustyltd/1958805
Saturday 25 April | 7pm
Ed Sheeran by Candlelight
A seasonal festival of unique gifts handcrafted by local artisans and makers.
Ticket cost Entry: From £35
Box office/website: concertsbycandlelight.com
31 March to 12 April
Art Exhibition : Ukrainian Icons Exhibition
Guildford Cathedral is proud to host the powerful Icons on Ammunition Boxes Exhibition, showcasing extraordinary works by Ukrainian artists who paint traditional religious icons on reclaimed ammunition boxes from active war zones.
By transforming instruments of death into symbols of life, hope and faith, the exhibition raises vital funds for frontline medical aid in Ukraine, with support from local Rotary Clubs.
The exhibition has returned to the Cathedral on several occasions in recent years, helping to fund essential medical supplies and vehicles and making a meaningful impact on the lives of those affected by the conflict.
Free admission – please check website before visiting.