BBC television’s Midnight Mass live broadcast on Christmas Eve – probably the most-watched piece of religious broadcasting in the country each year – will come from Croydon Minster on December 24.
The choice of Croydon is a massive tribute to the high standards of music performance and excellence of the choir at the Minster.
There has been a church on the site in Croydon since Saxon times, and the original building was listed in the Domesday Book. The church is the final resting place for six Archbishops of Canterbury, because of Croydon’s close association with the Anglican church’s primates’ summer palace. But this will be the first time that what was, until 2011, known as Croydon Parish Church will have been used for such a prestigious piece of the Christmas broadcasting schedules.
According to an announcement by the Minster, “The service is open to everyone, but to ensure that everyone who wishes to attend can get a seat, tickets are being made available for collection from the church on Sundays.”
Which means that to get a seat and appear in the BBC broadcast of the traditional carol service, you will actually need to go to church before Christmas.
Tickets are free.
On the night of the Christmas service, the congregation will be asked to be seated at 11.15pm. The service is expected to last until around 1am.
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