Santa’s elves are out again – and there are more than ever, each keen to lure visitors into rival magical realms. Britain is enjoying a boom in upmarket, immersive experiences but fake snow, pointy elf hats and faux-wooden chalets are now the very least of it. In an odd festive arms race, competitors have entered the Christmas market with a range of increasingly ornate, wintery worlds of wonder, featuring light trails, special effects and often a full supporting cast and crew of actors and technicians.
Grand houses from Auckland Castle in County Durham, to Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire and Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, are lining up full-voltage seasonal experiences, alongside an expanding illuminated network of horticultural gardens lighting up soon: from Suffolk’s Helmingham Hall, to East Yorkshire’s Sewerby Hall and Gardens and Edinburgh’s Christmas at the Botanics. All are setting their stages for what is promised to be the twinkliest ever tour, or the most atmospheric, glittery landscape yet encountered on Earth.
“Last Christmas we saw significant visitor numbers and spending at Christmas attractions – light trails, Christmas lights, houses dressed for the season and so on,” said Bernard Donoghue, director of the Association for Leading Visitor Attractions. “Visitors told our members that, although they were experiencing tightened budgets, particularly with energy costs, they wanted to prioritise a memorable Christmas for their families. For many it was the first ‘proper’ Christmas post-lockdown. We are seeing exactly the same this year.”
Despite the high cost of living, creators behind a growing range of attractions have recognised that a sizeable group of consumers are still prepared to spend on much more than a simple visit to Santa’s Grotto at a nearby department store. As a result, a new, sparkly brand of immersive escapism, often involving day or evening entry into a specially curated world, has never been easier to find. Castle Howard in Yorkshire, for instance, is staging Christmas in Neverland – a ‘Peter Pan experience’.
In London’s Hyde Park, Winter Wonderland, which began in 2005, has a well-established range of fun-fair style rides. But this year there are going to be fresh contenders in the capital. On Tuesday the team behind Secret Cinema, which offers an immersive film experience, are launching Wishmas, A Fantastical Christmas Adventure, hidden below London’s Waterloo Station. For £29 children are invited to enter an Old Bauble Factory, “witness the journey of their wishes” and board a “specially chartered conveyance” that will whisk them to Wishmas.
Another arrival is Clementine’s, an even more bespoke festive treat set up for a one-month run at New Bond Street’s Shapero Rare Books by the company behind Spring Garden at RHS Chelsea, where punters can discover “a captivating Dickensian Christmas”.
But perhaps the most lavish family jaunt is to Lapland UK. Founded near Ascot by husband and wife Alison and Mike Battle, it is a semi-theatrical production which has already entertained a million guests over 15 years. It also claims to be Britain’s fastest-selling public event, with more than 200,000 of its £50-£149 tickets disappearing in under three minutes this spring. Among those said to be heading for its frosty elven glades are Bradley Cooper and a contingent of Kardashians. Past fans include the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Elton John and the Beckhams.
Alison Battle, a former primary school teacher had the idea for setting up a “complete Santa Claus experience” while her four sons were young. “It remains important to us to deliver what children hope for during that fleeting moment while they still innocently believe.”
Complete with freezable tickets (to create an authentic cold snap upon opening), a published origin fairy story and Hollywoodesque sets, it is now a major employer of West End performers and crew, with a staff that includes two of their sons. Not cheap, it now has a charitable arm, and Battie argues it is still set in opposition to “the trivialisation they had experienced as a family”. Its horde of elves all use a special nose to thumb greeting gesture when welcoming guests and are joined by huskies and reindeer.
