Celebrating 1350 years of Ely's Foundation

2023 marks 1350 years since St Etheldreda first established a monastery in Ely in AD 673.

To mark this significant occasion, Ely Cathedral are celebrating the life and legacy of this remarkable Saxon Queen with a year-long programme of events, concerts, services and exhibits.

Highlights include a new guided tour focussing on Etheldreda’s time in Ely, a visual interpretation depicting the four key stages of her life from East Anglian Princess to Anglo Saxon Saint, and a live performance of a newly commissioned play.

In celebration of St Etheldreda’s Day in June the Archbishop of York will join us for a Diocesan service and a special floral display will adorn her shrine area. Further commemorative services will be held in October as we mark the feast of the Translation of Etheldreda

The Cathedral Choir will perform alongside Britten Sinfonia for a gala concert of Handel’s Messiah, plus some beautifully staged Son et Lumière evenings towards the end of the year.

Other events across the city will bring the community together to commemorate this historic anniversary year for Ely.

Find out more

• Find out more and read the St Etheldreda 2023 event booklet on the Cathedral website here