Santa Returns to Pilgrim Street: Last Year's Sell-Out Christmas Experience Is Back for 2026

Tickets now on sale for Newcastle's most acclaimed Christmas experience, inside one of the city's oldest surviving merchant houses

Newcastle upon Tyne, After selling out in its first year, Santa's House on Pilgrim Street is back. From Saturday 28 November, Santa takes up residence once again inside Alderman Fenwick's House, the late 17th-century merchant's house on Pilgrim Street, every Saturday and Sunday morning in the run-up to Christmas.

Last year's season won dozens of five-star reviews from families and drew rave write-ups from bloggers and travel writers. Parents called it "absolutely magical" and "the best Santa we've ever experienced", with one simply declaring it "the REAL Santa". With 24 sessions across four festive weekends and every session selling out last year, families are urged to book early.

Not a grotto. A story.

Santa's House on Pilgrim Street is deliberately different from the queue-shuffle-photo grotto. There's no conveyor belt and no rushing. It is a seated, story-led piece of Christmas theatre in which every child becomes part of the tale.

The magic begins at the front door. As children climb the historic staircase to the first floor, each one becomes an honorary Santa's elf. At the top, they enter the Great Room, where Santa's elves see every family to their seats. Then, with a little Christmas magic, Santa himself arrives.

Over the next 45 minutes, children share in Christmas storytelling, join in festive songs, write their own personal letter to Santa and post it in his very own postbox, then meet the man himself.

A gift you can't buy anywhere else

Every child leaves with a beautifully crafted gift, including two brand-new illustrated books from the Tip Top: Santa's Favourite Elf series, written and published exclusively for Santa's House on Pilgrim Street. The new titles are written once again by acclaimed playwright and author Craig Wilde and Filipe Neves Ribeiro, and illustrated by award-winning illustrator Monique Scott. They can't be found in any bookshop, so they will be keepsakes to be read and treasured for Christmases to come.

Grown-ups aren't spectators either: accompanying adults are part of the performance, helping to build the atmosphere that makes the room feel so special.

A house full of stories

Alderman Fenwick's House has stood on Pilgrim Street for more than three centuries, witnessing Newcastle's merchants, markets and Christmases come and go. Few settings could be more fitting for Santa's visit to the city.

Filipe Neves Ribeiro, Director of Niltoni Entertainment and co-author of the Tip Top books, said:

"Christmas is about wonder, and wonder needs time and a proper setting. We didn't want to build another grotto; we wanted to create a piece of theatre where a child genuinely believes, for three-quarters of an hour, that they've been invited into Santa's own house. From the moment they climb those stairs and become one of Santa's elves, they're part of the story, and the books mean that story goes home with them. Alderman Fenwick's House has seen more than 300 Christmases, so when children walk through that door, the magic is already halfway there. Last year's response from families was overwhelming, and we can't wait to welcome them back."

Booking information

• Venue: Alderman Fenwick's House, 98–100 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6SQ
• Dates: Every Saturday and Sunday morning from Saturday 28 November to Sunday 20 December 2026
• Duration: 45 minutes
• Ages: Recommended for children aged 2–10
• Tickets: Child £15.50 (includes full experience, letter activity and a gift of two exclusive Tip Top illustrated books); Adult £19.50. Every child must be accompanied by at least one adult; adult-only bookings are not available.
• Book: www.niltoni.com/box-office

Last year's season sold out. Sessions are intimate and capacity is limited.