Record Visitor Numbers at Rochester Cathedral in 2025

Rochester Cathedral welcomed the highest number of worshippers and visitors on record in 2025, with over 323,000 people visiting over the year. This marks a 23% increase from 2024, when 262,000 people came to the Cathedral.

The previous record for visitor numbers was set in 2022, when around 291,000 visitors came to see Luke Jerram’s Gaia and the world’s longest interlocking brick bridge.

 High visitor numbers in 2025 were supported by two headline exhibitions at Rochester Cathedral. Mars: War and Peace took place in February, followed by the restored Short Scion Floatplane in August. These two free exhibitions attracted thousands of people to Rochester. In particular, the Floatplane exhibition, which explored Medway’s aviation history and was supported by Rochester Bridge Trust, attracted 59,500 visitors in just 30 days.

 August 2025 became the second busiest month in the Cathedral’s history, surpassed only by February 2020, when 107,000 visitors came to see Museum of the Moon.

 Over the year, services were attended by more than 82,000 people, an increase of 3.5% on 2024. Increased interest in the Cathedral from our events led to higher attendance during Advent and Christmas, with over 17,500 people attending a service or event in December. This represents an increase of 50% from December 2024.