Christmas Tree Festival Terms
By taking part in the Blackburn Cathedral Christmas Tree Festival 2026, you agree to the following terms:
Please read these terms carefully prior to confirming your booking. By completing your booking, making payment, or participating in the Festival, you agree to comply with the following:
1. General Information
Event Name: Blackburn Cathedral Christmas Tree Festival 2026.
Organiser: The Blackburn Cathedral Christmas Tree Festival 2026 is organised and owned by Blackburn Cathedral of Cathedral Office, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 5AA, United Kingdom. Blackburn Cathedral is the operating name of The Cathedral Church of St Mary The Virgin Blackburn which is a charity registered with the Charity Commission in England & Wales. Charity Number: 1207822. Registered with the UK Fundraising Regulator.
2. Key Dates and Timings
Festival Public Opening: The Festival will be open to the public from Monday 30th November until Sunday 20th December 2026 (subject to Cathedral opening times and regular pattern of worship). Some entry restrictions may apply on certain days.
Decoration Set-up Period: [DATES/TIMES HERE]
Decoration Pack-down Period: [DATES/TIMES HERE]
3. Tree Allocation and Logistics
Provision: Real trees are provided and situated exclusively by Blackburn Cathedral.
Sizing: Various tree sizes are available. The tree size provided to you is determined by the specific booking package purchased.
Positioning: Blackburn Cathedral retains the right to determine the location and positioning of all trees. Participants must not move their allocated tree under any circumstance.
Ownership: All trees remain the property of Blackburn Cathedral before, during and after the Festival.
4. Lighting and Power
Provision: All trees will be supplied with pre-installed lights.
Restrictions: To comply with strict Cathedral safety and electrical regulations, no external lights (mains, battery-operated, or solar) may be brought on-site or added to the trees by participants.
5. Decoration Guidelines and Materials
We highly encourage festive creativity and unique styles! However, because the Cathedral is a historic building and a public space, the following strict rules apply:
Prohibited Items: No open flames, alternative electrical or battery-operated items, liquids, or perishable food items (eg. sweets or fresh produce) are permitted.
Material Constraints: No musical or noise-making decorations, sharp/bladed items, or materials that disintegrate easily (such as clay or non-hardening modeling wax) may be used. Inflatable items and balloons are prohibited due to temperature fluctuations.
Weight Restrictions: Decorations must be lightweight and securely attached so as to not weigh down, distort, or damage the tree branches, or cause the tree to become unstable. We strongly recommend the use of shatter-proof ornaments.
Aesthetic and Context: All decorations must be appropriate for a Cathedral setting. They must not be offensive, biased, or partisan. Blackburn Cathedral reserves the absolute right to refuse, alter, rearrange, or remove any inappropriate items or entire displays at their sole discretion.
6. Branding, Signage, and Footprint
Festive Balance: Displays must remain primarily decorative and festive in character.
Corporate Branding: Participants are welcome to incorporate their own corporate branding and/or promotional style upon their allocated tree.
Physical Footprint: All decorations, branding, and promotional materials must be contained entirely within the physical footprint of the tree provided. Encroaching into public walkways, adjacent tree spaces, or creating trip hazards is strictly prohibited.
Exhibition Display: Blackburn Cathedral will provide a small display stand alongside your tree which will be used to display participant information. Therefore participants must provide their company/organisation name and logo in an appropriate digital format by the requested deadline. No additional freestanding signage, pop-up banners, or promotional furniture of any kind are permitted.
7. Set-up, Pack-down, and Abandoned Property
Capacity: A maximum of two people per organisation (unless otherwise agreed) may attend to decorate and/or dismantle their tree to ensure a safe environment and minimise disruption.
Conduct: Blackburn Cathedral is a working place of worship. Participants must follow all instructions given by Cathedral staff and vergers during set-up and pack-down, and maintain a respectful level of noise.
Deadlines for Removal: All personal decorations must be removed during the designated pack-down slots.
Liability for Abandoned Items: Any items left behind after the final deadline will be deemed abandoned. Ownership is legally forfeited, and items will either be recycled where possible or destroyed. Blackburn Cathedral is entirely exempt from any financial liability for the loss or disposal of these items.
8. Maintenance, Safety, and Security
Cathedral Responsibility: Blackburn Cathedral will take responsibility for general environmental security and the regular watering and care of the trees.
Public Safety: Exhibitors bear full responsibility for ensuring their displays pose no hazard to the public (including choking or injury hazards for young children).
Exhibitor Risk: While every care is taken to protect the displays, Blackburn Cathedral cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss, or theft of personal decorations. Displays are left entirely at the owner’s risk.
9. Media, Photography, and Public Engagement
By participating in the Festival, exhibitors grant Blackburn Cathedral and their authorised media partners full permission to photograph, film, and broadcast the displays for promotional, marketing, archival, and social media purposes without requiring further sign-off or fees.
The Festival is a highly visual, public experience designed to celebrate our communities. Visitors and members of the public will be actively encouraged to photograph the event and share their experiences on digital and social media platforms.
Furthermore, the Festival will attract significant external interest; by entering into this agreement, exhibitors acknowledge and accept that displays may be featured in local, regional, and national media coverage, including print press, online publications, and television broadcasts. Blackburn Cathedral cannot accept responsibility for how external media organisations or members of the public frame, caption, or share images of the displays.
10. Cancellations and Bookings
Spaces are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Cancellation Policy: [CANCELLATION & REFUND DEADLINES GO HERE].
11. Force Majeure
There may be circumstances beyond our control that delay, alter, or prevent the event from taking place – either on individual days or in its entirety. Blackburn Cathedral shall not be liable for any loss or damage resulting from: fire, flooding, building damage, communicable disease, the death of the Monarch or a senior member of the Royal Family, civil unrest, terrorism, strikes, utility failures, other major incident affecting Cathedral operations, or the inability to obtain necessary institutional permissions.
Further Information: If you have any questions about these terms or the Festival in general, please contact Blackburn Cathedral at [email protected]
12. Acceptance of These Terms
By completing your booking, making payment, or participating in the Festival, you are deemed to have accepted all of the terms and conditions outlined above and to have granted the rights to Blackburn Cathedral set out herein.
Please do not proceed with your booking or enter into this agreement unless you are prepared to fully accept and adhere to these terms.
Further Information: If you have any questions about these terms or the Festival in general, please contact Blackburn Cathedral at [email protected]
