A partnership between St Paul’s Cathedral and Fabric nightclub has caused an uproar online
London’s latest pearl-clutching moment has come courtesy of two of the city’s biggest cultural spaces – St Paul’s Cathedral, and the notorious Farringdon nightclub Fabric. For those who missed the news, the 316-year-old cathedral and 27-year-old club – which are already neighbours, just 10 minutes walk from each other – have announced a series of live music events, to a mixed reception.
First in the calendar is The Cinematic Orchestra Live at St Paul’s on Thursday, October 29. There is certainly an appetite for such events with the first installment already sold out, and both institutions clearly believe strongly in the concept, as an exclusive partnership deal has been signed lasting until 2030.
However, there have been some vocal critics of the decision, with claims that such events are disrespectful to the sacred space of St Paul’s.
I will concede that a valid point over Fabric’s chequered past was raised – the club lost its licence in September 2016 following a review into drug-related deaths, before being allowed to re-open under stricter conditions that November. But ten years on and playing nicely under its new conditions, the club remains as one of the only remaining relics of central London’s once bustling rave scene, while others shutter their doors or are pushed to the city’s fringes.
Indeed, this sort of moral panic is not what London’s struggling late-night music scene needs, nor is it what the church needs. St Paul’s has already come out in defence of its decision to host the events, confirming that they will be strictly drug-and-alcohol free, with no bar operating on the premises.
Hosting music events at St Paul’s is also not a brand-new idea. The cathedral is obviously more well-known for hosting classical acts, such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, but it has already hosted multiple successful events with Fabric in recent years, including an intimate Patti Smith performance in 2024.
If I can split hairs for a moment, the sort of music The Cinematic Orchestra play can in no way be described as ‘rave’ music, or even rave-adjacent. But even if it was, why would that be such a problem? Why are some genres of music so readily criticised and pushed to the fringes, despite being enjoyed by so many and bringing so much to our city?
Rave culture is very much part of London’s culture, with now-lost clubs such as Bagley’s and The End providing a backdrop for the capital’s partygoers in the nineties, and Ministry of Sound and Fabric still hanging on 30 years later.
Thankfully, more clubs have since sprung up and somehow endured the Covid nightlife dark times such as The Cause and Fold. Rather than emerging from the ashes of their central-London predecessors, these newer clubs have found themselves confined to London’s industrial edges, pushed out by eye-watering rents, strict licences and unhappy neighbours.
In my eyes, ‘raves in the nave’ as the St Paul’s events have been fondly described are just one positive step in keeping music culture alive in central London. Mayor Sadiq Khan supported the scheme on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “Fabric. St Paul’s Cathedral. Name a more iconic duo. Bringing together these two institutions will create a one-of-a-kind experience, pairing world-class music with one of our most special landmarks.”
I can’t help but agree – St Paul’s is one of London’s most important spaces, and it deserves to be appreciated and enjoyed by all. If that statement seems controversial, you might want to take it up with St Paul’s themselves, as the Cathedral happily welcomes anyone to their services regardless of belief or background.
Statistics published by the Church of England back in May found that church attendance has actually been steadily improving for the past five years, but it is yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. In order to draw new people into the church, creative events like these could be just the answer.
The idea of a music event being in conflict with Christian culture and values is also absurd. Last month, I attended Greenbelt festival as a performer for the first time, and witnessed how seamlessly religion, music, culture and activism can intertwine. These days the festival, which began life as an evangelical Christian celebration back in 1974, welcomes people of all faiths and backgrounds as well as Christians.
There, I saw people enjoying all kinds of music genres from country to punk to rap, intertwined with periods of spiritual reflection led by religious leaders from across the faith spectrum. Those who turn their nose up at the idea of unconventional music styles being represented in religious spaces are frankly missing out on the connection and euphoria that can bring.
After all, cathedrals, of all places, are designed with sound in mind – and in 2026, there’s no reason why a space like St Paul’s can’t branch out beyond the usual choral offering, as brilliant as that is. So I say dim the lights and turn the music up – it would be a waste of the amazing acoustics not to.
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