Cathedrals enjoyed record Christmas attendance as festival-going millennials keen on new experiences helped swell the ranks of festive congregants.

Statistics released by the Church of England showed 135,000 people worshiped at cathedrals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day last year – an increase of three per cent on the previous year, and the highest total since records began in 2000.

Attendances for advent services dropped slightly in 2017, to 576,000, which was a decrease of nine percent from the 631,000 seen in 2014, when records began.

However the church said that could have been affected by Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday last year, effectively shortening the advent period.

Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield Cathedral, in Staffordshire, he had seen more young people coming to his cathedral for events such as its Cathedral Illuminated display, where its facade was lit up with a festive luminous projection.

He said he felt the such services appealed to young people who were drawn to communal events like music festivals and who were more “spiritually inquisitive” than previous generations.

“I think there is a general search for experiences,” said Mr Dorber. “And looking at the way my teenage and adult children from friendship groups it is often going off and doing things at festivals where you are with a community to experience things and sounds you really approve of and you express something of your identity.