St Paul’s Cathedral Faces Backlash After Partnering with Fabric, Iconic London Nightclub

St Paul’s Cathedral, the main cathedral in London that serves as the seat of the Bishop of London, is facing backlash after it announced that it’s entering a four-year partnership with Fabric, the capital city’s iconic nightclub known for its variety of contemporary music, from drum and bass to house and techno.

St Paul’s Cathedral has a rich history and has been part of many state events such as the funerals of British Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, as well as the wedding of King Charles III, when he was Prince of Wales, to Princess Diana. The cathedral is also home to important artworks, from a copy of William Holman Hunt’s The Light of the World (1853) that was completed with help from Edward Robert Hughes to Henry Moore’s Madonna and Child (1943).

In addition to its importance to the Church of England, St Paul’s Cathedral is also the burial place of Horatio Nelson, a British naval commander who was instrumental in the Napoleonic Wars. His family have come out and said that “this seems to be going far beyond having a one-off concert,” according to the Times of London. (The cathedral has previously hosted rare live performances by RY X in 2024 and Patti Smith in 2025.)

“He was the absolute hero of his age. It is a profound insult to his memory, but to all those national heroes who are either buried or memorialized at St Paul’s Cathedral,” said Andy Smith, the press officer for the Nelson Society.

In a statement to the Daily Telegraph, Peregrine Hood, president of the Nelson Society and a descendant of Nelson, 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. This extends far beyond Nelson. St Paul’s is one of the great sacred spaces of Christianity and a place of enormous significance to our national life and history.”

When the partnership with Fabric was announced, Sandra Lynes Timbrell, director of visitor engagement at St Paul’s Cathedral, said planned events will “showcase world-class talent and create unforgettable experiences for audiences” with the hopes that the partnership will introduce new visitors to the cathedral and that it will encourage “people to discover and engage with this historic building in new and exciting ways.”