A Christmas Carousel fills Bamburgh Castle's State Rooms from 14 November to 3 January, included in £21 adult entry. Father Christmas is £19.95 a child.
Bamburgh Castle’s Christmas installation for 2026 is called A Christmas Carousel, and it opens on Saturday 14 November. It runs every day until Sunday 3 January 2027, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and it is included in the normal admission ticket.
The quick answer
- Dates: 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, daily, 10am to 4pm. Closed 25 and 26 December.
- Closed before it opens: the castle shuts from Monday 9 to Friday 13 November while the decorations go up.
- Price: no extra ticket. Admission from 14 November is £21 adults, £10.50 children aged 5 to 16, £61.50 for a family of two adults and up to three children; under-fives free.
- Father Christmas: 28 November to 22 December, £19.95 per child on top of admission, booked in advance.
- Parking: £6 a day in the castle’s own car park, not included in the ticket.
Everything here is from Bamburgh Castle’s own event page, Christmas 2026 page and visitor information, read on 16 October 2026.
What A Christmas Carousel is
The castle has decorated its 14 State Rooms, with each room taking a different Christmas song or carol as its theme. The castle describes “snow-dusted woodland, magnificent Victorian feasts, regal kings and sailing ships” as you move through. It was designed by Charlotte Lloyd Webber Event Design.
It is an indoor, walk-through installation inside the normal State Rooms route, not a separate evening light trail. Opening is 10am to 4pm, so a winter visit is a daytime one.
Ticket prices from 14 November
Admission goes up on the day the installation opens. Both sets of prices are on the castle’s visitor page:
| Ticket | Until 8 November | From 14 November |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £19.95 | £21 |
| Child (5 to 16) | £10 | £10.50 |
| Under 5 | Free | Free |
| Accessibility adult (with proof) | £14.65 | £15.50 |
| Accessibility child (with proof) | £4 | £4 |
| Carer (over 18, with an accessibility ticket) | Free | Free |
| Family (2 adults, up to 3 children) | £58.50 | £61.50 |
There is no extra charge for A Christmas Carousel. The castle takes card and contactless only, with no cash, and does not offer Blue Light, military or concession discounts. Historic Houses members get in on their card. Bamburgh is not a National Trust or English Heritage property, so those cards do not count.
Father Christmas at Bamburgh Castle
The Father Christmas Experience runs from 28 November to 22 December, 10.30am to 4pm. It costs £19.95 per child and includes a personal meeting with Father Christmas in the castle grotto and a gift exclusive to Bamburgh.
The catches, all from the castle’s page:
- Everyone also needs castle admission: the child, and every adult or teenager with them.
- Grotto tickets are pre-booked only, non-transferable and non-refundable.
- Up to four children per slot. Book everyone in your party into the same slot, and book a second slot if you have more than four children.
- Annual pass holders get admission free but still pay for the grotto.
- In severe weather or high winds the castle may close and cancel or move grotto visits.
How it compares with Kielder, Lilidorei and the Santa trains is on our Santa grottos page.
Workshops
- Festive Wreath Making with Rachel of The Blossom Bee, a Northumberland florist: two-hour workshops on Sunday 29 November, Monday 30 November, Tuesday 1 December and Sunday 6 December. The ticket includes all materials, a glass of fizz, castle admission and entry to the installation, and you take the wreath home. The castle says spaces are limited; it does not print the price on the event page (Bamburgh Castle).
- Spices, Salves and Seasonal Scents, a two-hour Christmas herbal workshop with The Historical Herbalists on Saturday 28 November at 11am or 2pm (Bamburgh Castle).
The castle’s Christmas Shop and Bauble Emporium sells the baubles and decorations used in the installation.
Parking and getting there
Parking is not included in the ticket. The castle’s own car park, up the hill, is £6 a day, and there is a free shuttle buggy from it to the castle for visitors who need it. The road-level car park opposite the castle is run by the council and is not connected to the castle. The castle’s village car park by St Aidan’s Church was open only until the end of September. There is no overnight parking or camping.
Council tariffs are on our Northumberland parking page, and the A1 and coast road works are on the roadworks and travel page.
Practical points
- Last entry: the castle publishes last-entry times for its summer hours (4pm to the castle, 4.15pm to the State Rooms) but not yet for the 10am to 4pm winter day, so arrive early.
- Accessibility: visitors with limited mobility can see the first five State Rooms, including the King’s Hall. After the King’s Hall, wheelchairs, walking aids and crutches cannot go further because of steps and narrow passages.
- Dogs: welcome in the grounds on a short lead, and in the Victorian Stables and the Tack Room Takeaway.
- After Christmas: from 4 January to 12 February the castle opens at weekends only.
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