Alban Day pilgrimage photography – St Albans 2026
The first time I photographed Alban Day, I had no idea what I was walking into. Twelve-foot puppets, eyeballs on sticks, bishops wilting in the heat. The whole thing was a glorious surprise, and the images almost took themselves.
This year was different. I knew the route, the characters, and roughly where the St Alban puppet would appear above the rooflines of the High Street. The element of surprise was gone.
What I got instead was something more useful: intention.
What is Alban Day?
Alban Day is the annual pilgrimage and festival held each June in St Albans, Hertfordshire, celebrating Saint Alban, Britain’s first Christian martyr. A Romano-British citizen of Verulamium, the Roman city that became St Albans, Alban sheltered a Christian priest fleeing persecution, was arrested in the priest’s place, and was executed on the hill where the Cathedral now stands.
The day begins with a pilgrimage procession from St Peter’s Church, weaving through the city to St Albans Cathedral, with 12-foot puppets dramatically retelling Alban’s story. Clergy, Roman re-enactors, community groups, Army cadets, musicians and hundreds of participants from across the diocese all take part. In 2026 the event fell on Saturday 20 June, with the city centre buzzing further still thanks to the market running alongside it.
If you want the full backstory on the history and spectacle, my 2025 post covers it in detail. This post is about something different: what returning to the same event teaches you as a photographer.
When you stop reacting, you start looking
The Bishop of St Albans greets pilgrims as they arrive at the cathedral at the end of the Alban Day 2026 pilgrimage walk.
First-time event photography is mostly reactive. Something extraordinary happens and you point the camera at it. You come away with images that document what was there, and if you’re in the right place at the right moment, a few that genuinely capture how it felt.
The second time, you already know what’s extraordinary. So your attention shifts. Instead of chasing the big set pieces, you find yourself waiting. Watching. Looking for the things that exist just outside the obvious frame.
The laugh shared between two clergy members mid-procession, caught completely off guard. A young man holding a gilded cross and an icon of St Alban, his expression utterly calm while everything moved around him. Two priests standing on the cathedral steps filming the procession on their phones, grinning like everyone else in the street.
Those were the images I came home most pleased with. Not the spectacle, but the people inside it.
Clergy gather outside the west front of St Albans Cathedral ahead of the Alban Day 2026 service.
The 2026 procession
The day was warm and slightly overcast, which gave softer, more even light than last year’s full sun. Better for faces. Better for pulling colour out of those extraordinary costumes.
The giant puppets were back. St Alban himself towering above the High Street with his golden halo. The colourful figure of Amphibalus alongside him. A huge lion puppet surrounded by a wave of blue flags. The Mayor in full ceremonial robes. Roman re-enactors in chainmail. Children dressed as legionaries, completely committed to the role. A pilgrim carrying a painted icon. All of it moving through streets that have been part of this story for 1,700 years.
That breadth of participants is something you feel more on the second visit than the first. The first time you’re absorbing the surface of it. The second time, you start to feel the weight of what it actually is.
Bishops and clergy pose with the Saint Alban puppet on the cathedral steps, joined by pilgrims and marshals at the close of Alban Day 2026.
What returning to an event does to you
There’s a version of event photography where you show up, react to what’s in front of you, and leave. That approach produces decent work. But when you return to the same event a second time, something shifts. You arrive with a question rather than a blank page. My question this year was simple: what did I miss last year?
The answer was the faces.
Last year I was drawn to the puppets, the costumes, the Roman helmets catching the light. This year I kept coming back to the people wearing them, and the people watching them. The joy on a child’s face as the procession passed. The concentration of a re-enactor holding his character. The woman in red vestments laughing as she posed with the St Alban puppet head, completely unselfconscious.
Those moments don’t announce themselves. You have to be patient enough to wait for them, and relaxed enough in the surroundings to spot them when they come. That relaxation only comes from having been there before.
Onlookers and cathedral staff capture the moment as the Alban Day 2026 procession arrives at St Albans Cathedral.
Why this event keeps drawing me back
I’ve lived in St Albans for over 23 years. I’ve photographed a lot of what this city has to offer, from quiet architectural details on Look Up London shoots to busy market days on the High Street. Alban Day sits in a category of its own.
Once a year, the whole story of this place comes out onto the streets. A 1,700-year-old act of courage, retold through colour, music and community, right there between the shops and the market stalls. There isn’t another event quite like it anywhere in the country.
As a photography subject it’s also genuinely demanding. Moving procession. Unpredictable light. Huge visual elements competing with small human moments. A crowd that’s part audience, part participant. Getting it right takes everything you have, and there’s always something you wish you’d caught differently.
That’s exactly why I’ll be back in 2027.
Photographing events in St Albans and Hertfordshire
Alban Day is one of a number of outdoor events I photograph regularly across St Albans and the wider Hertfordshire area. Others include the Harpenden Highland Gathering, the Redbourn Classic Motor Show, and a range of corporate and community events throughout the year. If you’re looking for an experienced event photographer based in St Albans, take a look at theevents photography pageor get in touch to talk about your brief.
Q&A
When does Alban Day take place in St Albans?
Alban Day is held each June in St Albans, Hertfordshire, on or near the feast day of St Alban on 22 June. The 2026 event took place on Saturday 20 June.
What is the Alban Day procession?
The pilgrimage procession starts at St Peter’s Church and moves through the city centre to St Albans Cathedral. It features giant carnival puppets retelling the story of St Alban, alongside clergy, Roman re-enactors, community groups and hundreds of participants from across the diocese. A street festival with live music, medieval activities and market stalls runs alongside it throughout the day.
Who was St Alban?
St Alban was a Romano-British citizen of Verulamium, the Roman city that became St Albans. He sheltered a Christian priest fleeing Roman persecution, was arrested in the priest’s place, and was executed on the hill where the Cathedral now stands. He is recognised as Britain’s first Christian martyr.
Is Alban Day worth photographing as an outdoor event?
Without question. It offers a constantly changing mix of large visual set pieces, intimate human moments, extraordinary costumes and a moving procession through a historic city centre. It’s one of the most visually rich community events in Hertfordshire, and completely free to attend and photograph.
Can I hire an event photographer in St Albans or Hertfordshire?
Yes. I’m a photographer based in St Albans covering events across Hertfordshire and into London. Whether it’s a community event, corporate function, festival, or private celebration, I’d love to hear about it. Take a look at the events photography page or get in touch here.