Out of this world!

From choral evensong to Pink Floyd by candlelight – Blackburn Cathedral may soon celebrate its 100th anniversary, but there’s absolutely no signs of things there slowing down.

In fact, the Cathedral’s dedicated team is doing quite the opposite – ensuring it well and truly lives up to its ‘cool cathedral’ status.

And cool it was when it flew us to the moon in November, hosting the incredible Museum of the Moon (pictured above).

More than 40,000 visitors – some travelling from across the country – turned out to see it in all its glory, with a dedicated team of 40 volunteers ready to greet them with a warm Lancashire welcome.

There was yoga under the moon, live music concerts, weekly science and faith lectures, a tai chi demonstration, sound baths, silent discos, and more.

Plus, to coincide with the installation, the Cathedral held a nationwide Lunar Photography Competition, with the winners and shortlisted entries going on display in a special exhibition.

Museum of the Moon is a masterpiece by British artist Luke Jerram, famous for the sculptures and large artwork installations he creates.

Impressively, the moon has been exhibited in 30 different countries across the world since 2016 – a coup, then, for the Cathedral team to bring it here to Blackburn with Darwen.

In 2018, Jerram went on to create Gaia, a spherical, rotating replica of the Earth.

And, following the huge success of Museum of the Moon, that’ll be spinning its way to Blackburn Cathedral this October for six whole weeks.

Dean of Blackburn, The Very Revd. Peter Howell-Jones, told The Shuttle:

The Museum of the Moon exhibition was a huge success and one that we are extremely proud of.

We’re excited for the second Luke Jerram exhibition and hope that Gaia will continue to raise the profile of Blackburn, bringing additional cultural, tourism, and economic impact to the town and borough.

With the centenary on the horizon in 2026, the Cathedral team is busy working on a packed year of celebrations – looking back on the past 100 years but also towards the future.

Be sure to check out www.blackburncathedral.com for more, including about the fascinating history of the Cathedral.