Passiontide at Merton
"The Passiontide Festival at Merton College, Oxford, remains one of the treasures among musical events heralding Easter. Its choir is now rightly famed as one of the best in Oxford and Cambridge." - Church Times
The Passiontide at Merton 2026 Festival will run from March 27-29. Tickets available soon!
“an unmissable event on Oxford’s musical calendar”
BBC Music Magazine
A three-day festival of concerts, talks and services, the annual Passiontide at Merton festival is a highlight of Oxford's musical year.
The first Passiontide at Merton festival took place in 2010. The festival has become a popular musical and liturgical event, attracting a large following, with many visitors staying in the College for the duration of the festival. The festival usually takes place over the Palm Sunday weekend.
Although the resident College Choir is the featured ensemble, visiting performers have included The Tallis Scholars, The Marian Consort, Oxford Baroque, Carducci Quartet, Emma Kirkby, and Elin Manahan Thomas. A number of works have been premièred at the festival, including Gabriel Jackson’s The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ and Emily Levy’s In Paradisum.
Festival and Event Tickets for 2026 will be released in due course. Please see below for an example of our residential ticket offering in previous years:
Single room for one guest or Twin room for two guests including:
- Tickets and reserved seats for all festival events
- Breakfast, lunch, and the Festival dinner on Saturday
- Breakfast and lunch on Sunday
- A drinks reception with the artists on Sunday evening
Non-residential festival tickets:
- Tickets and reserved seats for all festival events
- Lunch and the festival dinner on Saturday
- Lunch on Sunday
- A drinks reception with the artists on Sunday evening
Friday 27 March
17.00 Choral Evensong
Choir of Merton College
Benjamin Nicholas conductor
Saturday 28 March
11.00 Choral Matins
Girl Choristers and Lower Voices
Benjamin Nicholas conductor
18.00 Choral Evensong
Choir of Merton College
Benjamin Nicholas conductor
Sunday 29 March
10.30 Procession and Sung Eucharist for Palm Sunday
Choir of Merton College
Benjamin Nicholas conductor
Friday 27 March
13.00 TBC
19.30 TBC
Saturday 28 March
14.30 TBC
TBC
Sunday 29 March
18.00 JS Bach: St Matthew Passion
Choir of Merton College
The Choristers of Merton College
Instruments of Time & Truth
Ruairi Bowen, Evangelist
Giles Underwood, Christus
Henry Neill, Pilate & Bass Arias
Hannah Dienes-Williams, Soprano
Kathryn Rudge, Alto
Simon Wall, Tenor
Benjamin Nicholas conductor