The Nutcracker at York Minster – SOLD OUT!
Tickets for both concerts are now SOLD OUT.
Enjoy a festive treat for all the family with a magical performance of The Nutcracker in York Minster’s spectacular Nave. The perfect introduction to classical music.
Immerse yourself in Tchaikovsky’s winter wonderland set on a cold Christmas Eve, brought to life on the cathedral’s Grand Organ. Hear the twinkle of the Sugar Plum Fairy and join the epic battle against the Mouse King as local children’s actress Gemma Sharp from Hoglets Theatre takes us on a journey to the land of sweets with the help of Ben Morris, York Minster’s Assistant Director of Music.
Expect a beautiful handmade puppet, spectacular organ music, imaginative storytelling and plenty of Christmas magic.
The performances will take place on Saturday 9 December, at 2pm and 7pm and will each last approximately one hour. Children are encouraged to bring a toy with them and are welcome to come dressed in their pyjamas ready for bed, but remember to wrap up warm! A buggy park will be available.
Tickets for the family concerts are now on sale HERE or by calling our Bookings Team on 01904 557200. Tickets cost £8 for an adult and £6 for a child. A family ticket of £22 for two adults and two children is also available. Children over the age of two need their own seat.
The performance is recommended for ages 5 to 95!
Doors will open at 1pm for the first performance and 6pm for the second performance.
Organist and narrator details:
Ben Morris – Organist
Benjamin Morris is Assistant Director of Music at York Minster. In this role, he plays for services and accompanies the choir in the Minster’s daily cycle of music, in concerts, tours, recordings and broadcasts, and assists in the training of the boy and girl choristers.
Prior to this, he was Organ Scholar and then Assistant Organist at Jesus College, Cambridge, graduating with First-class honours in Music. Before starting university, Ben spent a year as Organ Scholar at Gloucester Cathedral.
With recent venues including Sage Gateshead, Selby Abbey, Leeds Town Hall and Westminster Cathedral, Ben is active as a soloist for recitals and other performances. He has performed as organ soloist under Sir Roger Norrington, Howard Shelley, Paul McCreesh, and Sir Stephen Cleobury, and has played organ and harpsichord continuo alongside His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts, The Saraband Consort and Britten Sinfonia. He is a prizewinning Fellow of the Royal College of Organists.
Gemma Sharp – Narrator
Gemma Sharp is an actor, writer and Theatre Maker based in York.
Gemma is Artistic Director of Hoglets Theatre, a company she created after 15 years professional experience working in the Theatre and becoming a mother.
Hoglets Theatre specialise in creating original performances and storytelling experiences for pre-school and primary aged children, producing work that can be performed anywhere: theatres, libraries, festivals, car parks and even cathedrals.
Hoglets Theatre have previously worked with Rural Arts, Bradford Literature Festival, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and have recently become an associate company of York Theatre Royal.
Christmas Carol Concerts
York Minster’s popular Christmas Carol Concerts return offering the perfect start to the festive season.
The Choir of York Minster, one of the UK’s leading cathedral choirs, will perform traditional and much-loved Christmas music, with seasonal readings from special guest David Bradley and the chance for the audience to join in with carols.
The concerts take place in the beautiful setting of York Minster’s awe-inspiring Nave and include music by the Yorkshire Volunteer Band.
Tickets for the popular concerts priced £15 – £35 are now on sale via this page or by calling our Bookings Team on 01904 557200.
Reserved seats in the Central Nave can be booked HERE. Unreserved seats in the Nave Side Aisles can be booked HERE.
Children over the age of two need their own seat.
Doors will open at 6pm.
David Bradley
York born David is a BAFTA Award winning actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company where he appeared in many productions including Henry IV Part II, for which he was nominated for the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor. His appearances at the National Theatre include The Homecoming, the title role in Henry IV Parts I & II and The Fool in King Lear, for which he won the 1990 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
David’s work for film includes Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz and The World’s End, Another Year, directed by Mike Leigh, and his celebrated performance as Argus Filch in all seven of the beloved Harry Potter films.
His television appearances include Doctor Who, The Strain, Walder Frey in HBO’s Primetime Emmy Award-winning Game of Thrones, Gillenormand in the BBC’s recent adaptation of Les Misérables, Ricky Gervais’s After Life for Netflix, and Jack Marshall in ITV’s Broadchurch, for which he won the Best Supporting Actor BAFTA. He recently starred in Allelujah with Dame Judy Dench and was the voice of Geppetto in Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar winning Pinocchio.
Summer Holidays at York Minster
Discover York Minster this summer with exciting events and activities for young explorers!
Open air theatre in Dean’s Park
Friday 23 June, Sunday 25 June, Friday 15 September & Saturday 16 September, 7.30pm
Rushed off their feet with musical instruments in hand, a hapless troupe of actors is coming to Dean’s Park with endless costume changes, chaotic comedies and confusion.
The Three Inch Fools will be performing legendary folktale Robin Hood and Shakespeare’s most chaotic comedy As You Like It.
Find out more and book your tickets here.
Luna Cinema in Dean’s Park
Tuesday 29 August, Wednesday 30 August & Thursday 31 August, 8pm
The UK’s leading open-air cinema is returning to York Minster’s Dean’s Park with a line-up of all the latest blockbusters, alongside classic feel-good favourites on the big screen.
See Elvis, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Sister Act against the beautiful backdrop of the medieval Minster.
Find out more and book your tickets here.
Majesty: Monarchy and York Minster
Show off your best royal wave as you pose for a majestic photograph with a soft-toy corgi in our new exhibition celebrating York Minster’s royal collections and connections. Visitors can also try on regal robes and bear a crown and sceptre before adding your wishes for the Coronation year to a special crown-shaped tag.
Entrance to the exhibition is free with general admission, find out more here.
Try our new trails
Look for shapes, patterns, colours and creatures as you journey around York Minster on our brand-new trails: Maths Quest, Light Quest and Nature Quest. Perfect to keep little brains busy over the holidays!
Collect your free trail maps from our Welcome Desks or download using the links here.
Free nature tours
Wednesdays 26 July to 30 August
Has your child got the nature bug? Join our Learning and Gardening teams on Wednesdays throughout the summer holidays for free nature tours in Dean’s Park. Identify leaves and flowers in our sensory garden, find out how we are helping hedgehogs and listen out for our resident Peregrine Falcons.
There will also be an opportunity to meet the teams from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the RSPB. Sessions will take place at 10am and 2pm, last an hour and are free to attend. Children must be accompanied by their parents/carers. No booking is required. Sessions are weather permitting.
Little Explorer Backpacks
Our Little Explorer Backpacks are filled with gadgets including maps, binoculars, and a magnifying glass to help your young adventurer explore the medieval Minster.
Free with general admission.
Undercroft Museum
Follow in the footsteps of Roman soldiers as you discover 2000 years of history in our state-of-the-art Undercroft Museum. Delve beneath the cathedral’s floor and see archaeological finds from across the centuries through digital displays and interactive chambers.
Free with general admission.
Explore our green spaces
Relax in Dean’s Park, Minster Gardens or College Green and take in these vibrant green spaces nestled in the heart of York.
Find out more here.
General admission is free for York residents and students with valid proof of a York address. Don’t forget that up to four children aged 17 and under go free with a paying adult.
Majesty: Monarchy and York Minster
Discover York Minster’s royal connections and collections through an exhibition exploring the cathedral’s centuries-old relationship with the monarchy in celebration of the Coronation of King Charles III.
The influence of the monarchy can be traced throughout York Minster’s history. From the humble baptism of King Edwin of Northumbria on Easter Day in 627 in a small wooden church built hastily for the service – the first York Minster, to HM King Charles III’s poignant return in November 2022 to unveil a statue of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Explore these royal events and how they have shaped life and worship at York Minster over the centuries.
See a Minster Police truncheon emblazoned with royal arms, Maundy Money distributed by Queen Elizabeth II during her last visit to York Minster in 2012 and the Great Seal of Queen Anne used to authenticate important documents. Other highlights include Chinese silk gifted to Queen Victoria on her wedding day and a Victorian fire bucket with a royal crest.
Visitors can also try on regal robes, bear a crown and sceptre, and pose for a majestic photograph showing off their best royal wave with a soft-toy corgi, before adding their wishes for the Coronation year to a special crown-shaped tag.
The exhibition, which takes place in the cathedral’s Treasury, will run until Sunday 1 October.
Entrance to the exhibition is free with general admission – book your timed entry ticket here.
York Minster has a living collection which includes objects that are still used in the cathedral today. If you are making a special journey to see a specific object, please do contact us so we can check whether or not it will be on exhibition.