Once the Concert for Peace empties out, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine keeps its doors open for Watchnight, a traditional liturgy of prayer, scripture and communion that looks back at the year ending and welcomes the one arriving. All are welcome to join, ticket or no ticket, in a nave that could hold many times the congregation that actually turns up. If Times Square is your idea of a nightmare, this is its exact opposite.
What to expect
You walk into a mostly dark nave on Amsterdam Avenue as the concert audience thins out around you. The service is spoken and sung rather than performed, built around prayer, scripture and communion, and it runs under an hour. There is no countdown and no champagne; it finishes just before midnight and you leave into the street.
Good to know
- Take the 1 to Cathedral Parkway-110 St, then walk north on Amsterdam Avenue to 112th Street.
- No ticket and no reservation are needed; you can simply turn up at the door.
- Much of the congregation carries over from the concert, so the nave thins noticeably as the liturgy starts.
- The Cathedral is stone and genuinely cold at night, so overdress rather than underdress.
- This is a liturgy rather than a performance and suits people wanting a reflective end to the year.
- Plan your way home in advance, because it lets out into Morningside Heights right at the changeover.
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Common questions
Do I have to attend the concert first?
No. Watchnight is a separate service and anyone can come in for it, whether or not they held a ticket to the Concert for Peace.
Is communion open to visitors?
The liturgy includes communion and the Cathedral says all are welcome to join the service. You are free to stay seated if you would rather not take part.
Does it carry on past midnight?
No. It is scheduled to end just before midnight, so decide in advance where you want to be for the changeover.
