Ten Cheltenham faith groups host 11 free events from 8 to 16 November, from a synagogue Sabbath to a curry night at the Hindu centre. Times and rules.

Ten of Cheltenham’s faith and belief groups will open their doors to visitors during Inter Faith Week, with 11 events from Sunday 8 to Monday 16 November. Every ticket is free, and anyone is welcome, whatever their own faith or none (Cheltenham Borough Council, 26 October 2026).

The visits run from a labyrinth walk at St Philip and St James to an open Sabbath service at Cheltenham Synagogue. The week ends with music, poetry, dance and a free vegetarian curry at the Hindu Community Centre.

Cheltenham Inter Faith organises the week with the borough council. This year’s national theme is “Lighting the way for a shared future”.

The open events

All are booked through Cheltenham Inter Faith’s TicketSource page, where every ticket is listed at £0.

Day Time What and where
Sun 8 Nov 3pm Evensong, Cheltenham Minster, St Mary’s (GL50 3PL)
Sun 8 Nov 4pm to 5pm Labyrinth walk, St Philip and St James Church (GL50 2DD)
Mon 9 Nov 10.30am “What’s the point of the Baptists?”, Charlton Kings Baptist Church (GL53 8AR)
Tue 10 Nov 11am to 1pm Cheltenham Spiritualist Church (GL50 4ED)
Tue 10 Nov 6.30pm The Church of the Latter Day Saints, as listed (GL53 7AS)
Wed 11 Nov 1pm to 3.30pm Bayshill Unitarian Church (GL50 3ET)
Thu 12 Nov 9am to 10am Taoist gentle exercise, meet outside the Pump Room, Pittville Park
Fri 13 Nov 9.45am to 11am Hindu Community Centre (GL50 4AY)
Fri 13 Nov 6.30pm Open service to welcome the Sabbath, Cheltenham Synagogue (GL50 3PU)
Sat 14 Nov 7pm Bahá’í community event, venue emailed on booking
Mon 16 Nov 6.30pm to 9pm Evening of celebration, Cheltenham Hindu Community Centre (GL50 4AY)

The Evensong and the labyrinth walk are regular events at both churches, the listings say. They fall within the week and are open to Inter Faith Week visitors.

Before you go

The synagogue has security rules. The service lasts about 40 minutes, with explanations in English of the psalms and prayers, then a blessing over wine or juice. Every adult must:

  • fill in the synagogue’s security form, one per adult
  • bring ID
  • arrive between 6.15pm and 6.25pm
  • leave bags at home

The closing evening needs no religious background. The Hindu Community Centre serves a free vegetarian curry, with a vegan option. Visitors can also watch the temple prayers between 6pm and 7pm beforehand, with chairs set out at the back. Organisers want performers: anyone who would like to share music, poetry or a dance on the theme of light can email the organisers; the address is on the TicketSource listing.

At Charlton Kings Baptist Church, the session is titled “What’s the point of the Baptists?”, and covers baptism.

Two more dates

Tomorrow, Saturday 31 October, Cheltenham Inter Faith hosts a talk by Dr Scilla Elworthy at the Friends Meeting House (GL52 2NP), 2pm to 4.30pm. Her subject is why women are “the key to a safer global future”, followed by a short workshop. Entry is by donation. The listing describes her as three times nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and the founder of Peace Direct and the Oxford Research Group (TicketSource).

In Gloucester on Wednesday 11 November, Gloucester Inter Faith Team holds a multi-faith panel on what light means in different traditions. It runs from 6pm to 8.30pm at the University of Gloucestershire Business School, Oxtalls Campus (GL2 9HW), on the Cheltenham side of Gloucester, about seven miles west. Places are limited and booked by Google form, with a suggested £10 donation that includes a vegetarian meal.

What it means for you

  • It costs nothing, but book: the listings are ticketed so hosts know numbers.
  • Pick one near you. Charlton Kings and Pittville both have an event, and most of the rest are within walking distance of the town centre.
  • Go with questions. Revd Kevin Devaney, chair of Cheltenham Inter Faith, said he hoped visitors would “learn more about them, ask questions and enjoy themselves”.

Councillor Jamie Jamieson, the council’s cabinet member for safety and communities, called it “a free, immersive and inclusive week of events for people of any background”.

More to do this month is on our what’s on in Cheltenham page, and Remembrance Sunday falls on the first day of the week: see our Remembrance Sunday page.