Obviously St Paul's comes to mind but are there better, possibly less crowded options in Central London? I saw mention of St Martin-in-the-Fields in another thread for their concerts, which would be closer to where we're staying (Westminster) than St Paul's.
We'd be looking primarily for aesthetics and a good location so we're not taking too much out of our day traveling to and from mass, but avoiding crowds (likely impossible on Christmas Day) would be a bonus.
While I can't answer your question regarding churches, I wanted to mention that there is no public transportation on Christams day....no buses, no underground, no trams, no trains. Your choice will be a taxi, private car service or ride share like Uber. And they will not be cheap.
Well for a Mass you'd look for a catholic church which rules out St Pauls and St Martins in the Fields.
Try Westminster Cathedral (not the Abbey)
Where are you staying? And do you mean catholic mass, or Anglican communion?
agreed - saying "Westminster" opens a huge area. Can you please narrow down where you will be staying?
and which religious tradition you want
Apologies, grew up Catholic so used to using "Mass" but by no means does it need to be a Catholic church lol. Anything Christian will do. We're staying at The Guardsman.
From there you are a short walk from Westminster Abbey (Anglican) and Westminster Cathedral (Catholic).
St Martin in the Fields (Anglican) is slightly further but doable, as is the Chapel Royal in St James Palace (not sure whether they would have a service on Chritmas Day and there is nothing on the website.
Of those listed which would you recommend? A half hour or so walk wouldn't be a problem.
There are plenty of Anglican Churches of the high church persuasion who have Mass, I go to one each Sunday.
St Mary's, Bourne Street and All Saints, Margaret Street are the closest Anglo-Catholic ones I have (a lot of) personal experience of, where it will be sublimely beautiful Sung High Mass, but there will be others.
Bourne Street famously competes with the rumble of tube trains underneath! You get used to it. From an aesthetics Point of View Margaret Street wins down.
Very helpful thank you!
For where you are, I'd recommend Westminster Abbey or St Martin in the Fields. Have been to both a few times and loved both. For what it's worth, I'm a high church Anglican and I feel at home with the service style in Westminster Abbey, so if you were brought up as a Catholic it may also appeal.
We went to an evening service at Westminster Abbey on Dec 23 and it was beautiful. We had to get tickets months in advance. I don't know if you need tickets on Chrristmas Day.
One thought…with so many churches having livestream masses, you could look through the YouTube videos of the parishes within walking distance of your hotel to get an idea of the church architecture, music, and vibe. That may help with your decision should you decide to stick with a Catholic Church.
On tickets, yes they're required for some (not all) Christmas services at Westminster Abbey (but they are free).
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass (yes, Anglicans do indeed use the term 'mass') is usually the most popular.
