Holy Week and Easter 2026
SERVICES AT BELFAST CATHEDRAL
FOR HOLY WEEK, HOLY SATURDAY AND EASTER SUNDAY 2026.
Sunday 29th March to Sunday 5th April, 2026.
Palm Sunday - 29th March:
11.00am Palm Sunday Choral Eucharist, with Procession of the Palms.
For the start of this service the congregation will gather at Writers’ Square (by permission), before making our way across the square and into the cathedral with a re-enactment of Jesus’ triumphant Entry to Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday. The service will then continue with the reading of the Passion Narrative from the Gospel, before our sharing of the Palm Sunday eucharist.
3.30pm Choral Evensong
Evening Service in G, Herbert Sumsion (1899-1995)
Preces & Responses: Plainsong
Holy Monday (30th March):
1pm Eucharist, Chapel of the Holy Spirit
Holy Tuesday (31st March):
1pm Eucharist, Chapel of the Holy Spirit
Holy Wednesday (1st April):
1pm Eucharist, Chapel of the Holy Spirit
7.30pm Organ Meditation, given by Mr Jack Wilson
Following on the success of last year’s event, Jack Wilson will perform organ pieces chosen for Holy Week including music by J.S. Bach, Healy-Willan, Messiaen, and Vierne.
Using close-up cameras and a large scale screen, those attending will not only hear these magnificent pieces performed, but will be able to watch the intricate keyboard and foot work necessary to play this repertoire. An evening not to be missed.
Maundy Thursday (2nd April):
7.30pm Choral Eucharist, with re-enactment of the Last Supper.
Walking the footsteps of Jesus and his disciples, we will share in the powerful re-enactment of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, before preparing them to understand the meaning his impending crucifixion. The preacher will be Rev Cameron Mack.
This service will include the cathedral choir singing the hauntingly beautiful Byrd Mass for Four Voices, and Maurice Duruflé’s Ubi Caritas. The motet will be Messiaen’s O sacrum convivium. During the stripping of the altars, to remove all colour from the cathedral, the choir will sing Psalm 22.
Following the end of this service, the cathedral will remain open for a period for silent prayer and contemplation in the stillness of this sacred space; a time for reflection for us all on the enormity of the event of Christ’s betrayal and crucifixion.
Good Friday (3rd April):
12 – 3pm Vigil at the Foot of the Cross.
This year, the ever popular Three Hour Service considering Christ’s final seven words spoken from the cross will be led by the Rt Rev’d Ken Clarke. Bishop Ken Clarke is the former Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, a diocese which stretched from the shores of Lough Erne to the Atlantic Ocean. Also a former Chair of the South American Mission Society (SAMS), Bishop Ken brings a lifetime of experience and spiritual reflection to the words which Jesus spoke from the cross out of the darkness of the first Good Friday. Please join us for some or all of this most powerful of services.
5:30pm Choral Evensong
We draw our Good Friday worship to a close with Choral Evensong led by the Cathedral choristers. Through the simplicity of this service, and the final testimony of the gospels, we join with the disciples of Jesus in their place of grief and brokenness.
Holy Saturday (4th April):
8pm Easter Vigil, Baptism & First Eucharist of Easter.
Piercing the darkness of Holy Saturday night we find the light and hope of the Christ’s resurrection propelling us towards the dawning of Easter morning.
This most dramatic of services begins when we light the Easter Fire on the steps of the cathedral. We then make our journey through the Biblical texts from the beginning of creation, to the story of God’s rescuing of our humanity. As we follow the journey of our own baptism into new life, we will share in the adult baptism of one from our own cathedral congregation. Finally with the proclamation of Christ’s resurrection, we shall share in the first Communion of Easter. Music for this service includes the Missa Brevis by Jonathan Dove, and Martin Baker’s anthems O filii et filiae, and Alleluia! Ye sons and daughters of the king. This spectacular service that journeys from loss to life, and from despair to hope, will conclude with Jean Laglais’ organ voluntary Incantation pour un jour Saint.
Easter Day (5th April):
9:03am BBC Radio Ulster Broadcast
This year, we are privileged that the Easter Sunday morning live radio broadcast with Radio Ulster will be transmitted from Belfast Cathedral. As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb of Gethsemane to bring God’s life giving hope to a world in dire need, we will be joined by those from across our community and around the world. The service will be led Rev Cameron Mack, Mrs Gillian McGaughey and by our cathedral choir. The Dean is preacher and the Bishop of Connor is celebrant. If you plan to attend this service, please be seated in the Chor stalls by 8:30am.
11am City Festival Eucharist.
And for 11am we fling wide the cathedral doors to welcome all to our city celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter morning. For the 11am service our cathedral choir will be joined by the choristers of the cathedral. As with the earlier radio broadcast, the setting for our choral eucharist is Gerre Hancock’s triumphant Missa Resurrectionis with Timpani and a Brass Quartet. The motet is John Bertalot’s On Easter Day our Lord Arose. Once again the preacher is the Dean and celebrant the Bishop of Connor.
Please join us for this or any of our other services across Holy Week and Easter Day for 2026.
And from Palm Sunday, we are incredibly pleased to welcome our new Sub Organist and Assistant Master of Music, Mr Jack McCabe, as he returns home to Northern Ireland from Peterborough Cathedral in England to join the Music Department of Belfast Cathedral.
