6 months ago
30
’Tis the season for splashing out on a high-end immersive Christmas experience with live actors that will set you back £149
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.
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