Father Christmas is at Lilidorei in Alnwick from 21 November to 24 December, with day and evening visits from £26.50 a child. Checked 11 November 2026.

Father Christmas is in his grotto at Lilidorei, the play village at The Alnwick Garden, from Saturday 21 November to Christmas Eve 2026, with daytime and evening visits priced at £26.50, £34.50 or £38 a child depending on the date. The Garden told us on 11 November that slots are selling fast and many dates are already sold out; there is still availability up to 24 December, but it says demand is high and what is left is limited.

Overview

  • Dates: 21 November to 24 December 2026, on the days listed below, not every day.
  • Daytime slots: 10.15am to 3pm. Evening slots: 4.30pm to 7pm.
  • Child’s ticket: Saver £26.50, Standard £34.50, Premium £38. The price depends only on the date.
  • What it includes: a private visit to Father Christmas, a gift, and the child’s entry to Lilidorei and The Alnwick Garden.
  • Adults: need their own admission, a Garden & Lilidorei Winter Day Visit ticket for daytime slots or a Winter Lights ticket for evening slots.
  • Cheapest dates: daytime on 21 and 22 November and 4 December; evenings on 23 to 25 November and 30 November to 2 December.
  • Book: daytime visits, evening visits, both from the Garden’s Christmas page.

What the visit is

The Garden describes it as a chance to “share your Christmas wishes with Father Christmas in a cozy, festive setting perfect for photos and memories”. Each ticket buys a private visit, so a family has Father Christmas to itself rather than queueing past him, and every child leaves with what the Garden calls an “exclusive gift”.

The three price bands are about the calendar, not the experience. In the Garden’s words: “The difference between these tickets are simply the dates. You can still enjoy all the festivities and have the full experience of meeting Father Christmas with a ticket to suit your budget.”

Father Christmas in a red and grey fur-trimmed robe writing in a notebook with a feather quill, beside a decorated tree and wrapped presents
Father Christmas writing with a quill in his grotto at Lilidorei. Photo: James Huntley, supplied by The Alnwick Garden

Daytime dates and prices (10.15am to 3pm)

Ticket Price per child Dates
Saver £26.50 Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November; Friday 4 December
Standard £34.50 Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November; Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December; Thursday 10 and Friday 11 December; Thursday 17 and Friday 18 December
Premium £38 Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December; Saturday 19 to Thursday 24 December

Evening dates and prices (4.30pm to 7pm)

Ticket Price per child Dates
Saver £26.50 Monday 23 to Wednesday 25 November; Monday 30 November to Wednesday 2 December
Standard £34.50 Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November; Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November; Friday 4 to Thursday 10 December; Monday 14 to Thursday 17 December
Premium £38 Friday 11 to Sunday 13 December; Friday 18 to Wednesday 23 December

Christmas Eve is a daytime-only date: the last evening visits are on Wednesday 23 December.

What it means for you

  • Grown-ups need a ticket too. The child’s Father Christmas ticket covers entry to The Alnwick Garden and Lilidorei for the child only. Anyone going with them needs one of: a Garden & Lilidorei Winter Day Visit ticket for that day (for daytime slots, before 4.30pm), a Winter Lights ticket for that date (for evening slots, from 4.30pm), a Lilidorei Membership, or a Combo Membership for The Garden and Lilidorei. Lilidorei day prices are on our Lilidorei Christmas page and Winter Lights prices on our Winter Lights page.
  • Arrive for the time on the ticket. The Garden asks families to get to Lilidorei for the entry time printed on their ticket.
  • The opening weekend splits the price. On Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November a daytime visit is a Saver £26.50, but the same weekend’s evening visits are Standard £34.50.
  • Weekday evenings in late November are the cheapest evenings, and a visit from 4.30pm pairs with a Winter Lights trail ticket that the adults need anyway.
  • Do not leave it late. The Garden says many dates have already sold out. If a date shows as gone, the booking calendar will show what remains.

Corrected 12 November: daytime visitors need a Garden & Lilidorei Winter Day Visit ticket, the Garden has told us.

Getting there

The Alnwick Garden is on Greenwell Road, Alnwick, NE66 1HB, and the Garden gives NE66 1FJ for sat navs. Its phone number is 01665 511350. Alnwick’s car parks and parking rules are on our parking page, and current closures are on our roadworks and travel page.

For other grottos and Santa trains across the county, from Bamburgh Castle to Kielder and the Aln Valley Railway, see our Santa grottos and Santa trains page. More Christmas days out: Christmas at Bamburgh Castle, Christmas at Cragside and Kielder Winter Wonderland.

Frequently asked questions

When is Father Christmas at Lilidorei in 2026?

From Saturday 21 November to Thursday 24 December, on set dates only. Daytime visits run 10.15am to 3pm and evening visits 4.30pm to 7pm; the tables above list every date.

How much does it cost to see Father Christmas at Lilidorei?

£26.50 on Saver dates, £34.50 on Standard dates and £38 on Premium dates, per child. The ticket includes a private visit, a gift and the child’s entry to Lilidorei and The Alnwick Garden.

Do adults need a ticket?

Yes. An adult going with a child needs a Garden & Lilidorei Winter Day Visit ticket for a daytime slot, a Winter Lights ticket for an evening slot, or a Lilidorei or Combo membership.

Is Father Christmas at Lilidorei sold out?

Not entirely, as of 11 November. The Garden says many dates are sold out and the rest are limited, but there is still availability up to Christmas Eve.

Thanks to The Alnwick Garden for the dates, prices and photographs.

Sources