A 'silent disco' was held at Canterbury Cathedral in England
An event featuring 1980s music at Canterbury Cathedral has drawn sharp criticism from British Christians.
A 'silent disco' featuring music from the 1980s was held on 15 August 2026 at the Anglican Church cathedral in Canterbury. This was reported by Christian Today.
The event was organised by the company Silent Discos in Incredible Places and consisted of two sessions of two and a half hours each. A similar event had already taken place in 2024, when it prompted a petition against it signed by more than 2,000 people.
The new event was noted by senior Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Register Edward Pentin, who pointed out that Canterbury Cathedral is a place of special holiness for both Protestants and Catholics. Pentin also highlighted that the disco took place on the feast day of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Tim Dieppe, director of the organisation Christian Concern, wrote on social network X that the Church no longer believes in the drawing power of the Gospel and is instead resorting to secular music. Christian commentator Adrian Hilton described what was happening as "a desecration of sacred space".
The organisers of Silent Discos in Incredible Places have announced similar parties at cathedrals in Beverley, Sheffield, Hereford, Chester, Ely, Salisbury, St Albans and Truro.
As the Union of Orthodox Journalists previously reported, Canterbury Cathedral had earlier allowed dogs to enter in order to attract tourists.
