London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 23, 2026

Ramadan: Cathedrals, museums and stadiums host iftar meals

Ramadan: Cathedrals, museums and stadiums host iftar meals

From Shakespeare's Globe to football stadiums, landmark locations have held events to celebrate the Islamic holy month of Ramadan across England.

London's Victoria and Albert Museum provided a stunning surrounding for an iftar meal in March

Manchester Cathedral and King's College in Cambridge were among the venues hosting iftar meals - to break the daily fasts - for people of all backgrounds.

Organisers at Ramadan Tent Project say they want to bring communities together.

"There's been huge appetite - especially since the pandemic - to connect," manager Waseem Mahmood said.

Cambridge University hosted an open iftar at King's College, founded in the 15th Century

CBeebies presenter George Webster attended an event at the Rawdah Mosque in Bradford


The organisation has been hosting the events every night since Ramadan started on 22 March.

For Muslims, the month marks the start of divine revelation of the Quran and often spurs extra devotion and charity.

CBeebies presenter George Webster attended an event at the Rawdah Mosque in Bradford


Mr Mahmood, who has been on the road for the past three weeks, said: "For me personally, Islam has a very strong vertical and horizontal element - the vertical is about getting closer to God but to do that, you have to expand yourself horizontally and that means service."

He said iftar organisers wanted people to "get out of their comfort zones" by visiting local landmarks they may never have seen.

"For example, with Manchester Cathedral and Aston Villa, there were people who don't go to church or aren't football fans.

"The astonishment on their faces when they come in - and immediately take pictures before they sit down - shows we did a good job."

A rabbi was among those addressing an interfaith iftar with 1,400 people at Manchester Cathedral

Children performed a sonnet on stage at Shakespeare's Globe in London


Mr Mahmood, a Manchester United fan, even had to grin and bear a Chelsea scarf for a photo opportunity at the London club, which was one of five football grounds hosting iftars with the Ramadan Tent Project.

He said "every single location have said they want to do it again" after more than 20,000 people attended events at nearly 20 venues in London and nine outside the capital.

London mayor Sadiq Khan joined those breaking the fast at Trafalgar Square

Muslims make up nearly 7% of the population in England and Wales, according to the 2021 census


Organisers also wanted to make events sustainable by avoiding plastic and cutting down on waste.

Hundreds turned up for an iftar at Aston Villa's stadium in Birmingham

While Chelsea FC hosted a pitchside event


About 40% of attendees were not Muslim, with some later joining a 500-strong group of volunteers "because they wanted to give something back", Mr Mahmood said.

"It's about how we inspire people to break bread and have conversations, but also the concept of stewardship and responsibility when it comes to food.

"This whole journey has inspired and fulfilled me and made my heart smile."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Opens National Artificial Intelligence Safety Testing Facility
UK Government Finalizes Plans to Bring Remaining Regional Rail Services Into Public Ownership
Environment Agency Imposes Record Penalties on Water Companies Over Illegal Sewage Discharges
Great British Energy Announces Offshore Wind Partnership in North Sea
UK Government Tightens Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Development
NHS Launches Digital Overhaul to Cut Elective Care Waiting Lists
Bank of England Signals Interest Rates May Stay Higher for Longer as Inflation Pressures Persist
The rise and fall of Hui Ka Yan, China’s richest man
Woke: Britain Considers Plain Packaging for Cigars as Specialist Shops Warn of Industry Collapse
Britain's Public-Service Productivity Remains Below 2019 as £80 Billion Output Gap Fuels WFH Debate
Mandelson Epstein Case in Jeopardy as U.S. Files Stay Out of Reach
Prince Harry and Six Others Ordered to Pay £9.5 Million After High Court Defeat
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Inflation and Energy Risks Persist
UK AI Security Tests Find Autonomous Agent Attempting Malicious Code Injection
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Amid Global Pressures
UK Joins European Allies in Condemning Israeli Settlement Plans in West Bank E1 Area
Multiple People Killed in A66 Collision Near Middlesbrough Involving Police Vehicle
UK Government Holds First National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism
UK Met Office Warns of Severe Autumn Storms as Strong El Niño Follows Historic Drought
Petrol Bombs Set Luxury Cars Alight Outside Birmingham Wedding as Police Hunt Three Men
Bitcoin Surges Toward $80,000 as Short Squeeze and ETF Inflows Ignite Crypto Rally
Prince Harry and Co-Claimants Ordered to Pay £9.5 Million Toward Daily Mail Publisher’s Legal Costs
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Reportedly Plan Return to Britain With Their Children
UK Court Ruling Threatens Deportation Plans for Potential Trafficking Victims to Albania
Kemi Badenoch Presses UK Government for Decisions on Rosebank and Jackdaw Oil Fields
UK Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Calls for Ban on Goods from Occupied West Bank
Andy Burnham Government to Place Civil Servants Directly in English Mayoral Offices
Met Office Warns Major El Niño Could Bring Stormier, Wetter Autumn to UK
UK Economy Gains Unexpected Momentum Ahead of Andy Burnham Government’s First Budget
Twenty-Nine US States Take Meta to Trial Over Alleged Child Addiction on Instagram and Facebook
Former Scottish National Party Executive Peter Murrell Jailed for Five Years Over £400,000 Embezzlement
Moderna and Merck's Personalized Cancer Vaccine Succeeds in Historic Late-Stage Melanoma Trial
Prince Harry and Meghan to Move Back to Britain With Their Children
England and Wales Have Fewer Than 1,800 Prison Places Left for Men
Royal Navy to Accelerate DragonFire Laser Deployment Against Growing Drone Threat
Northern Ireland Approves Five Hundred Million Pound Belfast Harbour Expansion
Great British Railways Takes Full Control of Avanti West Coast as Rail Nationalisation Reaches Final Stage
UK AI Safety Institute Calls for Mandatory Security Audits of Advanced AI Models
Scotland Secures Three Billion Pounds for Floating Offshore Wind Hub in Aberdeen
Government Overrides Local Councils to Approve Green Belt Housing Across Southern England
UK and EU Move Toward Mutual Recognition of Food Standards to Ease Cross-Channel Trade
Government Plans Multibillion-Pound Private Healthcare Expansion to Cut NHS Surgical Backlogs
Bank of England Signals Faster Rate Cuts as Inflation Falls Below the Two Percent Target
Suspected People Smuggler Arrested After Investigation Identified Him
Children's Doctors Warn That Vaping Can Lead Young People to Smoking
Hundreds of Thousands of Students Receive GCSE and Vocational Results Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Here Is What Can Never Happen in Your Country: Taiwan Is Giving Money to All Its People Because It Collected Too Much Tax
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9% as Energy Bills Jump
UK Issues New Conduct Guide for Asylum Seekers on Consent and Respect
Moderna Shares Surge After Positive Personalized Skin Cancer Trial Results
×