Christmas Concerts, Carols and Music Events in Lincolnshire
Experience the sound of Christmas in Lincolnshire, with cathedral concerts, candlelit carols, festive film screenings and seasonal music in historic settings across the county.
Updated 12/12/2025
There is something deeply atmospheric about Christmas music in Lincolnshire. As December evenings draw in and the county settles into winter, music fills some of its most remarkable spaces — from soaring cathedral naves to historic houses and community churches — bringing warmth, reflection and shared tradition to the festive season.
Christmas concerts and carol services are woven into the fabric of winter in Lincolnshire. They are moments to pause, to gather, and to experience the season through sound as much as sight. Whether it is a candlelit choir performance, a festive film accompanied by live music, or a traditional carol service rooted in rural life, these events offer a quieter, more meaningful way to experience Christmas.
This guide brings together the most memorable Christmas concerts, carols and music events taking place across Lincolnshire, highlighting cathedral performances, historic house concerts and long-standing community traditions throughout December.
The Snowman at Lincoln Cathedral
This special festive screening of The Snowman transforms a much-loved Christmas film into a live musical experience inside Lincoln Cathedral. Shown in the nave and accompanied by a live orchestra and choristers, the event brings added depth and emotion to Raymond Briggs’ classic animation, with the cathedral’s vast interior amplifying both sound and atmosphere.
Event dates: 14th - 15th December 2025
Session times, Saturday 14th December: Performances at 11:30, 13:30, 15:00, 19:00 and 20:30
Session times, Sunday 15th December: Performances at 17:30, 19:00 and 20:30
Location: Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln LN2 1PX
Tickets: Available here
Price: Ticket prices vary by seating type
Parking: City centre car parks available nearby; public transport recommended
Website: Visit Lincolnshire event listing
It is a particularly popular choice for families, while also appealing to adults who grew up with the film and are keen to experience it in a more immersive, shared setting.
For many, this event captures the magic of Christmas music at its most accessible, blending film, live performance and a setting that feels genuinely special. From here, the season’s music moves away from cinematic spectacle and into the quieter, more intimate surroundings of Lincolnshire’s historic houses.
Christmas Chapel Concert at Burghley House
Set within the family chapel at Burghley House, this Christmas concert offers an intimate and refined festive music experience. Classical Christmas pieces are performed in a space designed for quiet reflection, allowing the music to feel personal and unhurried. The historic surroundings lend a sense of occasion without overwhelming the performance itself.
Event date: Sunday 14th December, 18:00 - 20:30
Location: Burghley House, Stamford PE9 3JY
Tickets: Ticketed event, advance booking required. Tickets available here.
Price: Ticket prices vary
Parking: On-site parking available
Website: Visit Lincolnshire event listing
This concert is especially well suited to couples and visitors seeking a calm, elegant alternative to larger cathedral events.
After the stillness of the chapel, festive music at Burghley House expands into a grander setting, where tradition and celebration come together in one of the estate’s most impressive rooms.
Carols in the Great Hall at Burghley House
Carols in the Great Hall brings traditional Christmas music into one of Burghley House’s most striking spaces. Performed beneath the hall’s grand ceiling, familiar carols take on a new richness, shaped by the acoustics and the sense of shared gathering the room has hosted for centuries.
Event date: Tuesday 16th December, 18:00 - 20:30
Session times: Evening performance
Location: Burghley House, Stamford PE9 3JY
Tickets: Ticketed event, advance booking advised. tickets available here.
Price: Ticket prices vary
Parking: On-site parking available
The atmosphere feels celebratory yet grounded, making it a popular choice for those who enjoy traditional carols in historic surroundings.
From the stately warmth of Burghley’s Great Hall, Christmas music returns to Lincoln Cathedral, where festive concerts take on an added sense of purpose through charity and community support.
Christmas Carol Concert at Lincoln Cathedral – Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance
This festive concert at Lincoln Cathedral combines Christmas music with charitable fundraising in support of the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance. Featuring traditional carols and choral performances, the evening offers a warm and uplifting seasonal experience while supporting a vital regional service.
Event date: Tuesday 16th December, 19:30 Onwards
Session times: Evening concert
Location: Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln LN2 1PX
Tickets: Ticketed event, tickets available here
Price: Ticket prices vary
Parking: City centre parking available nearby
It is an opportunity to enjoy the cathedral’s musical heritage while contributing to a cause closely connected to communities across Lincolnshire.
As the season deepens, the focus shifts towards more contemplative music, with choral works that invite reflection rather than celebration.
Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols at Lincoln Cathedral
Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols is a highlight of Lincoln Cathedral’s Christmas music programme. Performed by the cathedral voices with harp accompaniment, the work blends medieval texts with modern composition, creating a sound that is contemplative, layered and quietly joyful.
Event date: Saturday 20th December, performances at 14:00 & 19:00
Session times: Evening concert
Location: Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln LN2 1PX
Tickets: Ticketed event, tickets available here
Price: Ticket prices vary
Parking: City centre parking available nearby
The cathedral’s acoustics enhance the performance, making this concert particularly appealing to classical music enthusiasts and those seeking a reflective festive evening.
From classical choral traditions, festive music broadens its scope once more, embracing cinematic soundtracks and candlelit atmospheres beyond the cathedral walls.
Cinematic Music by Candlelight, Stamford
Cinematic Music by Candlelight offers a festive evening of iconic film music performed in a softly lit, candlelit setting in Stamford. Drawing on well-known scores and seasonal favourites, the concert creates an atmosphere that feels nostalgic and immersive, perfectly suited to winter evenings.
Event date: Saturday 20th December, 19:00 doors open ~ 19.30 - 21.30
Session times: Evening performance
Location: Stamford, Lincolnshire
Tickets: Advance booking required, tickets available here
Price: Ticket prices vary
Parking: Local parking available
It provides a contemporary alternative to traditional Christmas concerts while retaining a strong sense of seasonal warmth.
As Christmas approaches, music in Lincolnshire becomes increasingly rooted in community and tradition, moving away from performance and towards shared experience.
Lincolnshire Farmer’s Carol Service
The Lincolnshire Farmer’s Carol Service is a long-established tradition reflecting the county’s agricultural heritage and strong community ties. Bringing together farming families, rural communities and visitors, the service focuses on familiar carols and shared reflection rather than spectacle.
Event date: Sunday 21st December, 15:00 - 16:00
Location: Bailgate Methodist Church, Lincoln
Tickets: Free to attend
Parking: Local parking available nearby
For many attendees, it represents one of the most authentic ways to experience Christmas music in Lincolnshire.
As the festive period reaches its most meaningful moments, attention turns once more to Lincoln Cathedral for services designed to bring families together.
Family Carol Service at Lincoln Cathedral
Held on Christmas Eve, the Family Carol Service at Lincoln Cathedral offers a welcoming and accessible way to mark the start of the celebrations. Featuring well-loved carols and festive readings, the service is designed to be inclusive and particularly suitable for families with children.
Event date: 24 December 2025
Session times: Afternoon service
Location: Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln LN2 1PX
Tickets: Free to attend, seating may be limited
Price: Free
Parking: City centre parking available nearby
It provides a gentle and reassuring transition into Christmas Day, set within one of the county’s most iconic spaces.
Before Christmas Eve arrives, however, the cathedral also hosts one of the most visually striking and much-loved carol events of the season.
Carols by Candlelight at Lincoln Cathedral
Carols by Candlelight remains one of the most atmospheric Christmas music events in Lincolnshire. As the nave fills with soft candlelight, the choir performs much-loved carols that resonate through the historic stone interior, creating a sense of calm and reflection at the heart of the festive season.
Event date: Monday 8th & Tuesday 9th December 2025, 19:00 - 22:00
Session times: Evening concert
Location: Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln LN2 1PX
Tickets: Advance booking recommended, tickets avaiable here
Price: Ticket prices vary
Parking: City centre parking available nearby; public transport recommended
The balance of grandeur and intimacy makes this a perennial favourite for visitors and locals alike.
Alongside traditional carols, Lincoln Cathedral also embraces a more contemporary festive programme, offering concerts that appeal to film and music lovers alike.
Hans Zimmer & Film Favourites Illuminated at Lincoln Cathedral
Hans Zimmer & Film Favourites Illuminated brings a dramatic, modern edge to Christmas music at Lincoln Cathedral. Iconic film scores are performed within the cathedral and enhanced by immersive lighting, transforming the space into a visually striking performance environment.
The concert offers a bold finale to Lincolnshire’s Christmas music calendar, blending contemporary sound with historic surroundings in a way that feels both festive and unforgettable.
Event date: 10 December 2025
Session times: Evening concert
Location: Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln LN2 1PX
Tickets: Ticketed event, advance booking required, tickets avaiable here
Price: Ticket prices vary
Parking: City centre parking available nearby
Across Lincolnshire, Christmas music unfolds in many forms — from grand cathedral concerts and candlelit carol services to intimate performances in historic houses and community gatherings shaped by rural tradition. Together, these events form a seasonal rhythm that reflects both the county’s heritage and its contemporary cultural life.
Whether drawn to classical choral works, festive film screenings or shared carol services, visitors will find that music provides a quiet thread through the winter months, bringing people together in spaces that feel meaningful and deeply connected to place. In Lincolnshire, Christmas is heard as much as it is seen, and these concerts and services offer moments of stillness and celebration that linger long after the final notes fade.
