The BBC’s festive religious broadcasting lineup for Christmas 2025 and New Year 2026 represents a comprehensive commitment to faith-centered programming, featuring four significant services spanning Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant traditions. From a live Midnight Mass at OLEM Church Cambridge celebrating Mozart’s classical masterpieces, to a vibrant multicultural Christmas service from Bradford Cathedral (UK City of Culture 2025), a traditional Scottish Christmas service from St Giles’ Edinburgh, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Elect’s New Year Message—the BBC demonstrates institutional dedication to religious worship as essential public service broadcasting.
These programs air across BBC One and BBC iPlayer during the Christmas period and New Year 2026, affirming that religious programming remains central to BBC public service values despite broader cultural secularization trends.
Midnight Mass from OLEM Church, Cambridge: Classical Liturgical Excellence
Midnight Mass from Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs (OLEM) Church celebrates “The First Mass of the Nativity” live from one of England’s largest Roman Catholic churches, located in the historic university city of Cambridge.
The Venue’s Significance: OLEM Church, consecrated in 1890 following a bequest from Yolande Lyne-Stephens (a former Parisian ballet dancer who married a wealthy East Anglian landowner), has become one of Cambridge’s iconic landmarks with its distinctive huge spire and sturdy tower. The church serves a large, diverse congregation and has established rich liturgical and musical traditions spanning Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony, and classical period music.
The Liturgical Program:
- Candlelit Procession and Blessing of the Crib: Traditional pre-Mass ritual honoring the Christmas nativity
- Mozart’s Coronation Mass in C Major: One of the classical period’s most beloved choral liturgies, originally composed for Archbishop Colloredo’s coronation in 1779
- Francis Poulenc’s “O Magnum Mysterium”: The contemporary Christmas motet showcasing modern liturgical composition
- Traditional Congregational Carols: Including “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Hark! The Herald”
Leadership: The Rector, The Rt Revd Monsignor Canon Harkness, leads the Mass, while Dominican Friar and Assistant Chaplain at Cambridge University, Fr Albert Robertson, delivers the sermon.
This liturgical structure balances institutional Catholic tradition with classical artistic achievement, transforming Midnight Mass into a culturally significant artistic event without compromising genuine worship authenticity.
Christmas Morning Service from Bradford Cathedral: Multicultural City of Culture Celebration
Christmas Morning Service from Bradford Cathedral celebrates the “joyful birth of Christ” while explicitly embracing Bradford’s designation as UK City of Culture 2025. The service airs live at approximately 10:00 AM GMT on December 25th on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, reaching millions while welcoming local attendees (doors open 08:45, seating allocated first-come-first-served).
Cultural Significance: The Very Reverend Andy Bowerman, Dean of Bradford, emphasized that the broadcast would showcase the city’s “diversity,” “joy,” and “vibrancy.” Bowerman noted the nervousness about delivering his sermon to an anticipated massive BBC Christmas Day viewership, while simultaneously celebrating the opportunity to demonstrate Bradford’s cultural identity nationally.
The Service Structure:
- Diverse Readings and Prayers: Explicitly reflecting “a range of cultures and languages,” emphasizing multicultural Christianity
- Dynamic Gospel Performance: Canon Ned Lunn (Canon for Intercultural Mission and the Arts) presents a “lively” performance of the Christmas Gospel story, combining theatrical presentation with theological content
- Jonathan Dove’s “Missa Brevis”: A “contemporary communion setting” by the British composer, providing modern musical accompaniment to ancient liturgy
- Philip Wilby Carol: A piece specifically commissioned for Bradford Cathedral Choir by Yorkshire composer Philip Wilby
- Congregational Carols: Including “Angels From The Realms of Glory” and “O Come All Ye Faithful”
Leadership and Reflection: Dean Bowerman offers “a reflection on the power of cross-cultural encounters,” explicitly articulating the service’s theological emphasis on Christian unity across cultural boundaries.
This service demonstrates how contemporary Anglican worship can celebrate cultural diversity while maintaining theological authenticity, using the Christmas narrative as framework for cross-cultural spiritual connection.
St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh: Traditional Scottish Protestant Worship
St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh concludes the “Prayer and Reflection” television series with a traditional Christmas service representing Scottish Protestant worship traditions.
The Service Structure:
- Traditional Scripture and Readings: Led by parishioners and Reverend Dr Scott Rennie, ensuring community participation in liturgical leadership
- St Giles’ Choir Performances: Under the direction of Musical Director Jack Oades, the choir sings hymns and carols celebrating the Christmas season
- Congregational Participation: Members of the congregation participate actively in the worship experience rather than functioning as passive audiences
This 30-minute service represents authentic community worship filmed for broadcast, maintaining genuine congregational worship while sharing that experience nationally.
The location—St Giles’ Cathedral, the principal church of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile—carries centuries of Protestant theological significance and Scottish cultural identity.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Elect’s New Year Message: Institutional Religious Authority
The Archbishop of Canterbury Elect’s New Year Message features The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally delivering a five-minute address on New Year’s Day (January 1st, 2026) on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Institutional Significance: Mullally’s appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury Elect represents a historic milestone: she will become the Church of England’s first female Archbishop when she assumes office, succeeding Justin Welby. This brief message carries substantial symbolic weight—affirming new institutional leadership while positioning the Church of England within national cultural conversations about faith, hope, and renewal at the calendar year’s threshold.
The five-minute format demonstrates BBC convention of positioning religious addresses as reflective interludes within broader entertainment programming, making faith content accessible without demanding extended viewer commitment.
Production Details: BBC Studios Events and Tern Television Partnership
These religious broadcasts represent significant BBC production investment:
Midnight Mass from OLEM Church, Cambridge:
- Producer: BBC Studios Events Production
- Commissioning: Daisy Scalchi (Head of Commissioning, Religion and Ethics)
- Executive Producer: Sarah Gibbs
Christmas Morning Service from Bradford Cathedral:
- Producer: BBC Studios Events Production
- Commissioning: Daisy Scalchi (Head of Commissioning, Religion and Ethics)
- Executive Producer: Dawn Payne
St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh:
- Producer: Tern Television
- Commissioning: Daisy Scalchi (Head of Commissioning, Religion and Ethics)
- Executive Producer: Harry Bell
Archbishop of Canterbury Elect’s New Year Message:
- Producer: BBC Studios Events
- Commissioning: Daisy Scalchi (Head of Commissioning, Religion and Ethics)
- Executive Producer: Claire Popplewell
This production structure, with dedicated commissioning leadership and specialized event production units, demonstrates institutional commitment to religious programming excellence.
Broadcast and Viewing Details
Midnight Mass from OLEM Church, Cambridge: Christmas Eve, specific time BBC-scheduled
Christmas Morning Service from Bradford Cathedral: Christmas Day, approximately 10:00 AM GMT
St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh: Specific date within Prayer and Reflection series schedule
Archbishop of Canterbury Elect’s New Year Message: New Year’s Day (January 1st, 2026)
All programs air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with post-broadcast availability on BBC iPlayer for on-demand streaming.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do these religious services air?
Midnight Mass airs Christmas Eve; Christmas Morning Service airs Christmas Day ~10:00 AM GMT; St Giles’ airs as part of Prayer and Reflection series; Archbishop’s message airs New Year’s Day 2026.
Which churches host these services?
OLEM Church Cambridge, Bradford Cathedral, St Giles’ Cathedral Edinburgh.
Who leads these services?
Monsignor Canon Harkness (Midnight Mass), Dean Andy Bowerman (Bradford), Reverend Dr Scott Rennie (St Giles’), Archbishop of Canterbury Elect Dame Sarah Mullally (New Year message).
What musical performances are featured?
Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Poulenc’s O Magnum Mysterium (Cambridge); Jonathan Dove’s Missa Brevis, Philip Wilby commissioned carol (Bradford); St Giles’ Choir performances (Edinburgh).
Can I attend these services?
Bradford Cathedral doors open 08:45 GMT, seating first-come-first-served. St Giles’ welcomed visitors during recording. Others broadcast from existing services.
Are these programs available after broadcast?
Yes, all programs will be available on BBC iPlayer for on-demand streaming
