Plans for ‘raves’ at St Paul’s Cathedral have been branded ‘an insult to Lord Nelson’s memory’ by the family of the famed naval commander, who is buried at the historic London landmark.
St Paul’s has agreed a four-year partnership with Fabric, making the nightclub its exclusive partner for music events until 2030.
The first concert is scheduled for October 29 2026, although the performer has yet to be revealed.
Organisers say the programme will bring together artists from a variety of musical backgrounds whose work responds to the cathedral’s architecture, acoustics and historic setting.
However, the plans have drawn objections because Nelson, one of Britain’s most celebrated naval commanders, is buried in the cathedral’s crypt.
Peregrine Hood, president of the Nelson Society and a descendant of Nelson’s elder brother, said the decision raised wider questions about treating St Paul’s as both a place of worship and a site of national historical importance.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Hood said: ‘Is nothing sacred any more? What a sad reflection on where spiritual integrity and Christianity are today. St Paul’s Cathedral positioning itself in this way is deeply depressing.’
He said his concerns extended beyond Nelson himself, arguing that the cathedral was one of Christianity’s most significant sacred spaces.
St Paul’s Cathedral has faced criticism from Lord Nelson’s family over plans to host music concerts in partnership with London nightclub Fabric
Fabric will be the cathedral’s exclusive partner for music events events until 2030. Pictured: Club-goers queue outside Fabric nightclub
‘Nelson came from a family steeped in the Church, and perhaps it is this misuse of a holy site that would have caused him even greater unease than the prospect of dancing on his grave,’ he said.
Despite descriptions of the events as ‘raves’, it is understood that the concerts will be entirely seated.
Audience members will be instructed at the beginning of each performance that they must remain in their seats throughout.
The events will also take place in the main body of the cathedral beneath the dome, rather than in the crypt where Nelson’s tomb is located.
St Paul’s has stressed that the programme is intended to offer a different way for audiences to experience the historic building, rather than turning it into a conventional nightclub.
Sandra Lynes Timbrell, the cathedral’s director of visitor engagement, said the partnership would allow St Paul’s to present a ‘carefully curated programme of exceptional concerts’ and introduce the building to people who may not otherwise visit.
She said the events would feature world-class performers while allowing audiences to experience the cathedral’s distinctive surroundings and heritage.
Fabric co-founder Cameron Leslie described the collaboration as an unusual meeting of two contrasting sides of London.
He said the nightclub had always sought to bring people together through music and that the partnership provided an opportunity to create performances that were appropriate to the cathedral’s unique environment.
Fabric co-founder Cameron Leslie called the deal ‘an extraordinary and unexpected coming together of two very different parts of London. Pictured: The crowd at Fabric nightclub in Farringdon
The events, which will be entirely seated and held beneath the cathedral’s dome, have been described by Nelson’s descendants as an ‘insult’ to the naval commander’s memory
The collaboration builds on a series of concerts already staged at St Paul’s. Artists including RY X performed at the cathedral in 2024, while Patti Smith appeared there in 2025.
Although Fabric is now becoming the cathedral’s official partner for music events, the relationship between the two organisations predates the new agreement. Fabric has been involved behind the scenes with concerts at St Paul’s since 2024.
The decision comes after similar criticism surrounding music and dance events at other historic places of worship.
Canterbury Cathedral attracted controversy in 2024 when it hosted a series of silent discos.
Critics referred to the events as a ‘rave in the nave’, while a petition opposing them gathered more than 1,600 signatures.
The petition’s organiser, Cajetan Skowronski, argued that such events risked undermining the religious purpose of the cathedral, saying they would not bring young people closer to Christianity but could instead imply that entertainment should take precedence over worship.
Nelson was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and was brought back to Britain before being buried at St Paul’s the following year with full state honours.
His tomb is among several historically significant burials within the cathedral. Nelson’s friend and second-in-command, Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, is also buried there, alongside the cathedral’s architect Sir Christopher Wren and celebrated artist JMW Turner.
The Nelson Society has previously defended the admiral’s legacy, including during the Black Lives Matter protests, when concerns were raised that monuments commemorating Nelson could become targets for vandalism amid criticism of his links to the slave trade.
St Paul’s, meanwhile, has a long history of hosting musical performances. Concerts have taken place at the cathedral since the 1950s, with performers including Paul Robeson and Patti Smith appearing there over the decades.
The latest programme is expected to focus largely on contemporary and electronic music but the cathedral has emphasised that the events will be curated specifically for the setting.
The first Fabric-backed concert at St Paul’s will take place on October 29, with details of the artist still to be announced.
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