For the first time ever Church of England cathedrals will open their doors after hours on at least one evening this year. The aim is to welcome in people of all ages to experience and explore the buildings.
There will be a variety of free evening activities and displays including; a fire garden, music, prayers, hymns and Pimms at the events.
2020 Year of Cathedrals is the first nationwide project that brings together the 42 Church of England cathedrals, Westminster Abbey, Cathedral Isle of Man, and St David's and St Asaph from the Church in Wales.
The group hopes the campaign will help cathedrals reach new audiences and re-engage with those more familiar with "cathedral life", by offering a mix of cultural, heritage and spiritual activities.
The concept has been used very successfully in European cathedrals which open on the same night in May every year and it is hoped Cathedrals at Night will become a regular fixture in the UK too.
The first event took place in Rochester Cathedral on Sunday under Luke Jerram's Museum of the Moon installation in the nave.
Very Rev Adrian Dorber, the Dean of Lichfield and chair of (AEC), said: "This simple campaign is a fantastic opportunity for us to celebrate our cathedrals and their rich spiritual heritage and give our visitors the opportunities to see them in new and exciting ways.
"This year has been designated Year of Cathedrals, Year of Pilgrimage, and we want the nation to fall in love with our cathedrals and experience these extraordinary spaces of peace, tranquillity and prayer anew," he added.
St Edmundsbury Cathedral will host the final event in November which will form a part of the city's 1,000th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the Abbey.
