Architecture,  Colour,  Lens-Artists,  London

Luminescence in Westminster Cathedral

August 10, 2026 / 59 Comments

Every first-time visitor to London, I suspect, has Westminster Abbey high on their must-see list. Fewer however make a point of visiting nearby Westminster Cathedral, the city’s central Roman Catholic place of worship. And that’s a shame, as the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood, to give it its full name, is striking in appearance and has an interesting history of its own.

The building of the cathedral

Westminster Cathedral

The cathedral was built around the turn of the twentieth century. At that time the Catholic Church’s hierarchy had only recently been restored in England and Wales. When Cardinal Wiseman, the first Archbishop of Westminster, died in 1865 the church resolved to build a cathedral in his memory. Construction finally started in 1895, with John Francis Bentley as architect. According to the cathedral’s website, the then-cardinal, Cardinal Vaughan had:

three key requirements for his new church:  first, a broad uninterrupted nave with the high altar as the focus; second, a building whose structure could be completed first (the decoration could come later) and third, sensitive to the politics of the age, a desire not to compete with the Gothic grandeur of Westminster Abbey, a near neighbour. The Cardinal wanted a new vision for the new diocese, not a poor replica of the past.

https://westminstercathedral.org.uk/the-cathedral/history-of-the-cathedral/

The Catholic church in England wasn’t rich, and although it had wealthy benefactors who were pleased to donate to the cost of building, funds were limited. Brick was chosen for the exterior. Cheaper than stone, it also echoed the grand buildings (mills and factories) of the industrial age. And the point about interior decoration was key. The decoration in Byzantine churches is applied, rather than integral to the architecture, so finishing the interior decoration of the cathedral could be left to subsequent generations. And while the interior is today very impressive, with some Neo-Byzantine mosaics and substantial monuments, it is not (yet) as richly decorated as Bentley intended.

Luminescence

How ‘over the top’ might this cathedral have looked if its interior designs had been completed? We got some idea of this when we attended a performance of Luminescence, the self-styled ‘immersive 360° video projection concert’. There have been versions of this in many locations; this one was designed to tell the story of the cathedral and its place in London history.

The script was voiced by Hugh Bonneville, the star of Paddington and Downton Abbey. As he related the history of the cathedral’s construction, and we were treated to stirring music and a beautiful choir, the light show aimed to replicate what the intended Byzantine mosaics might have looked like had the whole ceiling, dome and walls been covered in them.

For this week’s Lens Artists challenge, in which Egidio asks us to share images of sights that struck us as ‘over the top’, I have a collection of both still photos and videos taken at the performance. Do please switch your sound on for the videos in order to get a better impression of the experience.

I attended this performance in Westminster Cathedral in July 2026

59 Comments

  • Chuckster

    September 14, 2026 at 09:23 Reply

    What a Far Out Groovy immersive experience, like when the dudes in the neighborhood used to watch the Sorcerer’s Apprentice half lit. Add in the incense and all the Gregorian chants and morose pipe organs and you have a full on Spiritual rage working upon your suseptable mind. 🏄‍♂️

  • wetanddustyroads

    August 22, 2026 at 14:15 Reply

    During our Camino in Spain, we initially visited a few cathedrals but later preferred to go to the smaller and simpler churches, because we found that many cathedrals were just a bit over the top. That said, I do appreciate your photos and videos.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      August 22, 2026 at 16:56 Reply

      I know what you mean about the simplicity of a smaller church sometimes having more appeal than a grand cathedral – especially in Spain where they really do like a bit of ‘bling’!

  • Sofia Alves

    August 14, 2026 at 09:50 Reply

    I missed this Cathedral and you got me curious about how it looks without all the lights. It seems that next time in London, I’ll be dropping by 🙂
    Now, I can see this post is getting a mixed reaction! I think it’s perfect for the challenge. There’s something alike in Lisbon and I enjoyed the one there, I don’t think the photos, in my case, did justice to the overall effect.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      August 14, 2026 at 10:05 Reply

      You’re not alone, a lot of people miss it! It doesn’t have the history and pomp of Westminster Abbey but it IS interesting (and free to visit!) I’m glad you share my interest in this sort of thing. I agree photos can’t really do it justice but I hope the videos give a little better idea of the experience 🙂

  • Anonymous

    August 13, 2026 at 18:39 Reply

    Cathedral Kaleidoscope! What an amazing over the top idea. I can’t decide if I’m in Margaret or Klaus’ camp. Would definitely like to see the show IRL to decide. : )

    • Sarah Wilkie

      August 13, 2026 at 19:00 Reply

      ‘Cathedral Kaleidoscope’ is a great way to describe it 🙂 Yes, seeing it IRL would give the best opportunity to judge it, but I hope the videos gave you some idea at least?

  • Leya

    August 12, 2026 at 22:21 Reply

    Ah, gorgeous! I once visited an event like this one – don’t remember where in the world – and it was an experience for sure. Loved your take on and your pictures! I didn’t think England would feature such a thing!

  • Tina Schell

    August 11, 2026 at 21:38 Reply

    OK don’t get me wrong Sarah but for me the cathedral is the stuff of nightmares!!! All that color and contrast and detail would definitely give me a migraine!! That said, as always your photography is terrific and I did indeed listen to the music which made the experience even more striking.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      August 12, 2026 at 10:19 Reply

      I’m glad you enjoyed the music Tina 😀 I can absolutely see what you mean about the colours and that’s why I chose this for the OTT theme! But I think if they were the intended mosaics rather than projected light they would be slightly more subtle although still very ‘in your face’ perhaps?

  • photobyjohnbo

    August 11, 2026 at 12:29 Reply

    Almost nothing is as over-the-top as the cathedrals in Europe. This one surely is over-the-top with a light show and beautiful interior design. We saw the exterior of Westminster Abbey, but the line was so long to visit the interior, we moved on. Next trip to London, we’ll need to check out this cathedral. The closest I’ve been to a light show at a church was in San Antonio Texas, where an evening presentation of Texas history is projected on the side of San Fernando Cathedral in Main Plaza.

    • Sarah Wilkie

      August 11, 2026 at 13:37 Reply

      You’re right about some of the cathedrals in Europe John, especially the Baroque ones in countries like Spain and Italy. This one is plainer but the light show certainly changed all that! It’s worth a visit if/when you’re in London for sure. It’s quieter than the Abbey and free to visit, and although it has less historical significance it’s still interesting and you can go up one of the towers (by lift). I’ve never yet done that but I’ve heard the views are great 🙂

  • Monkey's Tale

    August 11, 2026 at 03:33 Reply

    Wow, what a beautiful light show. And how amazing to not only imagine, but see the cathedral in different designs. What they can do with light lately is simply amazing. We saw a stunning one recently in Poland, but completely different than this.

  • Teresa

    August 10, 2026 at 23:28 Reply

    Wow this is really on top of that over the top theme. But still marvellous to see and I guess you enjoyed the experience so much too! Thanks for sharing Sarah.

  • margaret21

    August 10, 2026 at 20:36 Reply

    Westminster Cathedral would respond well to ths treatment, I’m sure. It seems quite a ‘contained ‘ space that woukd be relatively easy to choreograph compared with many larger religious buildings. Thanks for sharing this with us. I’d have enjoyed the Real Thing.

  • Alli Templeton

    August 10, 2026 at 17:54 Reply

    Wow! Utterly breathtaking, Sarah. What an experience! I’m bowled over just watching the videos and looking at the photos, so with Hugh Bonneville’s dulcet tones, the incredible light show and beautiful choral music in this sacred space I can only imagine what it must have been like to be there in person. It must be an unforgettable evening. Glorious! 🙂

  • Egídio

    August 10, 2026 at 17:27 Reply

    Sarah, if there was a prize for the most over-the-top post, I think this would be way up at or near the top. I’m so glad the Byzantine mosaics were not used in the interior of this cathedral. It would have been a tad over the top. 🙂

    • Sarah Wilkie

      August 10, 2026 at 18:37 Reply

      Thanks Egidio – as soon as I saw your OTT theme I knew this would fit it 😀 But unlike you I think it would have looked rather special if the mosaics had been finished. The building is large enough to take them and it wouldn’t look nearly as OTT as the light show did, I suspect. Maybe one day they will be finished …

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