Kabbalah centre investigated for noise complaint after “36-hour chanting sessions”

A Kabbalah centre used by Madonna when she is in London has been hit by complaints from neighbours who said “36-hour chanting sessions” were keeping them awake at night.

The Kabbalah Centre in Stratford Place, near Oxford Street, is now the subject of an investigation by Westminster City Council, after residents filmed the continuous disturbance between Friday night and Sunday afternoon, with loud prayers, clapping and chanting heard from the back. You can watch a video of the alleged disturbance here. 

A council spokesman said: “When a noise complaint is made, our teams attend and issue advice. We urge all organisations to be respectful of their neighbours, especially in the early hours of the morning.”

The centre is understood to have erected a Succah over the holiday period, and it is believed that the noise was due to activities taking place in the temporary shelter, built in the centre’s grounds.

Kabbalah is a mystical offshoot of Judaism with several high-profile devotees, including Hollywood A-listers Demi Moore and her former husband Ashton Kutcher. Gwyneth Paltrow is also said to be a regular at Stratford Place.

Westminster Council last year gave the centre permission to proceed with a large extension, after surging student numbers prompted the expansion. Marcus Weston, a former investment banker who became the centre’s resident spiritual guru, said it now attracts over 1,000 attendees every week.