Fabric will become the religious venue’s exclusive partner for contemporary music events from this year until 2030
Áine Fox Press Association Social Affairs Correspondent
12:57, 01 Sep 2026
A co-founder of one of the country’s most famous nightclubs has hailed a new four-year partnership to hold music events at St Paul’s Cathedral as “an extraordinary and unexpected coming together of two very different parts of London”.
Fabric will become the religious venue’s exclusive partner for contemporary music events from this year until 2030. The first event will take place on October 29, although details of the artist have yet to be announced.
The cathedral’s director of visitor engagement said they were hopeful the “carefully curated programme of exceptional concerts” would bring “new visitors” to the historic building.
Sandra Lynes Timbrell said: “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.
“We look forward to inviting people to experience the unique atmosphere that live music can create within this remarkable setting.”
Cameron Leslie, co-founder of Fabric, said: “Fabric has always been about bringing people together through music and creating experiences that stay with people.
“The opportunity to do that at St Paul’s Cathedral over the next four years is incredibly exciting for us.
“It’s an extraordinary and unexpected coming together of two very different parts of London, and we’re looking forward to building on the success of the events we’ve already held and creating something genuinely special and befitting of this incredible space.”
In recent years, the decision to host music events at Canterbury Cathedral came in for criticism, having been dubbed a “rave in the nave”.
Petitioners said silent discos belong in nightclubs, not “the most important Christian church in England” and a petition to stop the discos had more than 1,600 signatures.
Organiser of that petition, Cajetan Skowronski, at the time said: “It will not bring young people closer to Christ, rather it will send the message that Christ and his church, and all the truth, beauty and goodness it has to offer, are unimportant – that entertainment deserves our attention more than God, that Christians do not take their faith or their holy places seriously.”
St Paul’s held music events featuring artists RY X in 2024 and Patti Smith in 2025.
The new partnership will “present a range of contemporary artists from different musical backgrounds and disciplines whose work responds to the Cathedral’s distinctive atmosphere, acoustics and architectural heritage”, organisers said.
They added that the collaboration “reflects St Paul’s Cathedral’s commitment to welcoming diverse audiences and creating opportunities for people to experience the Cathedral through music, culture and the arts”.
Fabric nightclub had its licence revoked in 2016, after Islington Council found it had a “culture of drug use”.
Two 18-year-olds died in separate incidents that year after taking illegal substances in the venue.
The club, in Farringdon, re-opened its doors in January 2017 after all parties agreed to new licensing conditions including a raised-entry age and tougher security measures.
