Famed 335-Year-Old Anglican Church Set for Nightclub Debut at London

St. Paul’s Cathedral is in the limelight this week after signing a four-year contract with nightclub production company fabric to host electronic dance shows at the home of the bishop of London, raising objections from Christians who suggest it is sacrilegious to perform house music in the Lord’s house.The famed church, consecrated in 1691 after being redesigned by architect and physicist Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London, was founded in 604 of the Common Era in honor of Paul the Apostle. It has been rebuilt and retooled over the centuries to accommodate and serve monarchs as the worshipful site for jubilees and thanksgivings for George III, Victoria, George V, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth II. It hosted the marriage vows of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.The church has also been host to solemn events, serving as a symbol of resistance to Londoners during the Blitz and the funeral site for Admiral Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Winston Churchill, and Margaret Thatcher. It remains an active church with hourly prayer and daily services while also serving as a tourist attraction. The new deal between the church and the nightclub will begin with live performances on October 29. It is not the first time fabric has operated under the dome. It hosted individual candlelit events in 2023 and 2024 with Australian singer Ry X and American Patti Smith.The new collaboration reflects a “commitment to welcoming diverse audiences and creating opportunities for people to experience the Cathedral through music, culture, and the arts,” the church said in a statement announcing the partnership. “These events showcase world-class talent and create unforgettable experiences for audiences within one of London’s most iconic spaces. We hope the partnership will introduce new visitors to the Cathedral, encouraging people to discover and engage with this historic building in new and exciting ways,” the church’s director of visitor engagement, Sandra Lynes Timbrell, said. She added the collaboration will “bring a carefully curated program” to the cathedral. The co-founder of fabric, Cameron Leslie, called it “an extraordinary and unexpected coming together of two very different parts of London.”Converting churches into alternative spaces is not new. The famed late 20th century Limelight nightclub at New York City was housed in the former Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The deconsecrated church has also been a drug rehab facility and a gym. Thousands of other churches across the United States and Europe have also been converted to restaurants and nightclubs.But few, if any, have remained an active cathedral renowned for its own worshipful musical programming while also contracting with a famed nightclub that experiences pilgrimages of its own by fans of electronic dance music. How it will appeal to either audience remains a question as the famed three-roomed nightclub built in 1999 in a cold storage warehouse is known for its “immersive” house, techno, and bass music experience. Following in Limelight’s drug-laden footprints, fabric has also seen its share of troubles, having been shut down in 2016 after at least six drug‑related deaths since 2011. The club’s owners worked with local authorities to enable its reopening in 2017 with a stated zero-tolerance drug policy. With a vacancy at the See of London following the installation of Dame Sarah Mullally as archbishop of Canterbury in January, the church leadership has been quiet about the decision. However, relatives of Lord Nelson likened the upcoming performances to “dancing on his grave.”“St Paul’s is one of the great sacred spaces of Christianity and a place of enormous significance to our national life and history,” the president of the Nelson Society and a descendant of Lord Nelson’s brother, Peregrine Hood, told the Telegraph. “Is nothing sacred any more? What a sad reflection on where spiritual integrity and Christianity are today,” he said. “St Paul’s Cathedral positioning itself in this way is deeply depressing,” Mr. Hood continued.London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, on the other hand, called the combination of church and club an “iconic duo” that will bring together two institutions to “create a one-of-a-kind experience, pairing world-class music with one of our most special landmarks.” The remark elicited a query as to whether the mayor would support a “mosh in the mosque” the way he is backing a “rave in the nave.”

Famed 335-Year-Old Anglican Church Set for Nightclub Debut at London

Famed 335-Year-Old Anglican Church Set for Nightclub Debut at London

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