Music at the Unicorn finds new home at St Helen’s Church in Abingdon

The Music at The Unicorn team are relocating to a new home at St Helen’s Church, with the same great sounds.

Music at the Unicorn is on the move in May, swapping the ancient and beautiful Unicorn Theatre for the even more ancient and beautiful St Helen’s Church.

Important work is being carried out to the Abbey Buildings to protect their 800 years of history from the elements and to bring amenities up to date, necessitating the move. Work is due to be completed in 2028.

Kevin Thomson, fundraiser for MATU (Music At The Unicorn), tells us the brief was simple when it came to looking for a new home for the not-for-profit organisation: somewhere in the centre of Abingdon, ideally with some history. As a steward of the church, Kevin suggested the venue, well aware of the church’s assets as a music venue – the excellent acoustics, seating capacity and location.

St Helen’s Church’s foundations go back to the 10th century although there were probably ecclesiastical buildings on the site as far back as the 7th century. The unique design means it is actually wider than it is long, having five aisles. Did you know that it’s the second widest church in the country?

St Helen’s Church fabric officer Steve Thomas was very excited to help MATU. He said: “We are pleased that St Helen’s Church is able to provide a venue for the continuation of MATU gigs during 2026 and onwards.

We are excited to welcome a wide range of new performers and audiences to this historic space.
Duncan Chappell, MATU’s A&R director, says: “We’re looking forward to seeing our artists entertaining our audiences in another unique space. The grandeur of St Helen’s Church has to be seen (and heard), to be believed!”

Nigel Tait, MATU’s lighting technician, adds: “We have 12 exciting main acts in this year’s programme, more than half of them in St Helen’s Church. I’m sure our regular supporters will follow us here and hope our new venue will attract new audiences who appreciate excellent music in atmospheric surroundings.”

MATU’s concerts will take place mostly in the South Aisle of the church, although there is the option to use more of the church for larger audiences.

The team are always on the lookout for artists and bands to support the main acts. If you are a music fan and would like to suggest an artist or band who should play at the Unicorn (or St Helen’s!), they would love to hear from you as they go from MATU to MASH – Music at St Helen’s.

The first concert takes place at St Helen’s on Thursday, 7th May, with Sam Carter and Jon Wilks double bill.

For more information, visit musicattheunicorn.org.uk or book tickets at ticketsource.co.uk/music-at-the-unicorn.

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