A magical immersive Christmas experience is coming to Eltham Palace this festive season, taking families on an extraordinary theatrical adventure through the stunning former royal residence in the Borough of Greenwich.

The Spirit of Christmas will delight its visitors this festive season with an interactive one-hour journey through the grand rooms of the English Heritage property, once a royal medieval and Tudor residence and childhood home to King Henry VIII, and later a 1930s millionaire mansion owned by eccentric couple Stephen and Virginia Courtauld.

Guests will be joined by whimsical characters who will guide children of all ages through the palace’s eye-catching Art Deco halls on an immersive adventure, telling the tale of how the true meaning of Christmas has been lost – can they help to restore the magic of Lapland through kindness and generosity of spirit, before it fades away forever?

Captivating performances by the expert cast and plenty of photo opportunities will lead visitors to a heartwarming encounter with Father Christmas, who will gift them with an ethically sourced present as a reward for saving the festive season.

The Spirit of Christmas is the latest project from experiential event specialists, Sneaky Experience.

Julia Benfield, director of Sneaky Experience, said:
“Every year our Sneaky Experiences get bigger and more extraordinary and Eltham Palace is the perfect venue to wow and delight visitors with this year’s fabulous Christmas event.

“The Spirit of Christmas captures Sneaky Experience’s unique offering, we have exquisite costumes, beautiful creations from our award-winning makeup artists and a rare opportunity for our audience to be part of the story, guided by our professional cast of actors.

“Events like this are a huge team effort and we know our visitors will love it as much as we do.”

Martin Coat, Sneaky Experience’s creative director, explained:
“Being part of the Sneaky Experience creative team is like having the keys to a magical toy box, creating wonderful worlds for our audiences to get lost in.

“Watching the reactions of our visitors’ faces makes me wish I was seeing it all for the first time too, it’s a truly engaging and exciting journey to be part of for all ages.”

Eltham Palace has a long history of hosting lavish Christmas celebrations; Henry IV spent 10 of his 13 Christmases as king at Eltham in the early 15th century, while Edward IV entertained 2,000 people at Christmas in 1482.

Christina Pascoe, national venue hire manager at English Heritage added:
“Eltham Palace is a must-see venue for any occasion but there’s something extra special about hosting Christmas within such a grand setting, especially with our rich history of royal festive feasts and opulent parties.

“The Spirit of Christmas will complement the eccentricity and extravagance of Eltham Palace to a tee and will be a real treat for our visitors.”

The Spirit of Christmas at Eltham Palace will run every weekend from Saturday 23 November to Sunday 22 December 2024, with relaxed sessions available on selected dates.

For more information or to book, visit: https://sneakyexperience.co.uk/events/the-spirit-of-christmas-eltham-palace/