Christmas 2024: Festive Fun for Families in Newcastle

Pantomimes & Festive Theatre

Pantos are as much a part of Christmas as mince pies and bad jumpers, and Tyne Theatre & Opera House has a firm favourite this year – Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs. This much-loved story is jam-packed with song and dance, boasting an incredibly talented cast with the likes of local panto legend Charlie Richmond, Lewis Denny (a.k.a. Karen the Mam!) and Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions winners Twist & Pulse! There’ll be two relaxed and signed performances as well, on Friday 6^th December and Thursday 2^nd January. 

Next up, we’re heading Under The Sea with a trip to the Theatre Royal, where you’ll be able to catch The Little Mermaid right up until January! Seasoned panto pros Clive Webb, Chris Hayward and Joe McElderry will be taking to the stage this year for a glitzy production with plenty of excitement and old-school panto innuendo! Again, there’s relaxed performances on Sunday 8^th December and Wednesday 8^th January, an audio-described and captioned performance on Tuesday 10^th December, and a captioned and BSL performance on Thursday 12^th December.

That’s not all! If pantomimes aren’t your thing, there’s still plenty to enjoy. Down at the Utilita Arena, catch Disney On Ice Presents Road Trip Adventures – a spectacular blend of theatre, ice skating and music with Mickey Mouse and all his pals. Alternatively, join Buddy as he travels to New York in search of his birth father with Elf the Musical. There’ll be stunning aerial cirque stars, and even a mobile stage travelling around the auditorium!

Live Theatre also has a hilariously fun show Blitzen on Tyne this year, and it's all about self-love and friendship. Written in collaboration with primary school children across the North East, it's one ideal day out for families.

For shorter performances, there’s four different shows to catch at the Rockin’ Reindeer stage in the brand-new the Christmas Village, whilst Snow White and the Seven Stories Mini Panto Performance at Seven Stories runs from 45 minutes to an hour, making it perfect for busy families. After a more traditional Christmas tale? Get those tickets booked for A Christmas Carol at Northern Stage from November through to January too!

And finally, over at Alphabetti Theatre, families can catch Who Stole the Christmas Pud? - a festive mystery from New Leaf Productions running from Thursday 19th December to Saturday 21st December that little ones will love.

Meet Santa

As usual, Santa is defying space, time and logic by appearing in several places at once… but we’ll let you explain that one to your kids!

New for 2024, NE1, Newcastle City Council and the team behind Moosenwirt are transforming Old Eldon Square into a winter wonderland, so of course there’ll be the opportunity to meet Father Christmas! Santa Stories is an immersive storytelling experience that’ll entertain the young, and the young at heart! There’ll be regular sessions across weekends in November and December, but we’d suggest getting a space booked ASAP.

Santa on the Roof at Fenwick is always hugely popular, sells out super quickly, and isn’t to be missed. He’ll be there from Monday 4^th November to Tuesday 24^th December, along with a workshop for Christmas crafting, a sleigh for photos, and Café Claus for some superb seasonal snacks too.

Of course, Santa will be paying plenty of other places a visit too – there’ll be breakfasts at the Royal Station Hotel and The Vermont Hotel, as well as tea parties at John Lewis and Fenwick. For something a little different, families can even join Father Christmas in the skies with The Santa Experience at Life Science Centre! They’ll take to the sleigh inside the planetarium, before visiting the big guy’s home for a meet-and-greet too.

NE1’s very own Search for Santa will also be making a welcome return this November. This festive trail through the city is an adventure, a puzzle, and a chance to explore Newcastle before gathering in Newcastle Cathedral for fun, frolics, and a meet-and-greet with Santa. It’s a family event not to be missed, and tickets will be going fast, so make sure you get yours on Monday 4th November from 12pm. 

Wondering where else you can meet Saint Nick? Catch up on our article Where to Meet Santa in Newcastle this Christmas.

Festive Films

Tyneside Cinema always does something special for Christmas, and this year they’re screening a whole host of family-friendly Christmas classics – from Elf and The Nightmare Before Christmas, to double bills of The Snowman and The Gruffalo. There’s also a special Polar Express screening on Saturday 7^th, Saturday 14^th and Tuesday 24^th December, with a Golden Ticket, delicious hot chocolate, and a chance to meet Santa and receive a gift.

Newcastle Castle is making an ever-bigger name for itself as a unique and atmospheric venue to see films and this Christmas you can catch Elf and The Muppet Christmas Carol inside its historic Great Hall!

Christmas Crafts

There’s plenty of opportunities to get crafty as a family this festive season, and Seven Stories has quite a few sessions coming up! There’s stocking decorating workshops on weekends throughout December right up until Christmas eve, as well as sleigh craft workshops for little ones to build and decorate their own miniature wooden sleighs. They’re both £9.50 for the kids, while adults go free.

Fenwick, meanwhile, are hosting a series of gingerbread decorating workshops from Thursday 28^th November to Monday 23^rd December, where children can enjoy the fun festivities – and the grown-ups can indulge in a delicious sparkling cream tea.

John Lewis also has a series of masterclasses with Cricut™ to add a personalised touch to your festivities! There’s the chance to create a cushion cover, Christmas decoration, gift bag, and Christmas mug throughout November and December for My John Lewis members.

If the family’s part of the Toon Army, then The Assembly Rooms have you covered with a Geordie wreath making workshop. With help from The Floral Décor company, kids and their grown-up can create a Geordie-inspired wreath to bring home and hang proudly from the front door.

After even more crafty classes? We’ve got you covered! Read up on our round up of fantastic craft and cookery classes happening in the city this festive season.

Outdoor Festive Fun

Skating at the ice rink at Life Science Centre is a Christmas institution, whether you’re a pirouetting wonder or a total klutz! The rink opens on Saturday 9^th November until Sunday 5^th January, and is open from 9:30am ‘til late. Booking is essential, and there’s relaxed skating sessions and opportunities to book as a group too. Putting a spin on skating, there’s also the chance to enjoy silent disco and karaoke on ice, and even sessions set to just Taylor Swift tunes and Sam Fender favourites!

The Northern Lights trail in Leazes Park is set to be another festive treat - a state-of-the-art combination of lights, projections, music and more wending its way through one of Newcastle’s most popular green spaces. There will be refreshments and rides and a Christmas village so families can make a real evening of it. Running from Friday 22^nd November to Tuesday 31^st December, there’ll also be time slots to accommodate neurodivergent customers between 4:15pm-5pm on Wednesday 4^th and Wednesday 11^th  December, with reduced audience numbers and audio volumes.

Of course, the festive season wouldn’t be complete without the Christmas Lights switch on, which takes place this year on Tuesday 12^th November.  Hosts Steve and Karen from Hits Radio’s Breakfast Show will be doing the honours, and leading the fun around Grey’s Monument, with the festivities kicking off around 6pm, and the main event at 7pm!

The lights go hand-in-hand with Newcastle’s Christmas Market which will run from Saturday 16^th November to Sunday 22^nd December on Grey Street, Grainger Street, and Old Eldon Square. Alpine pop-up village Moosenwirt will also be back to keep your cockles warmed with cosy fire pits and hot chocolates!

Need a break away from the crowds? This year, Grey’s Monument will be transformed into The North Pole! Book one of their luxurious heated igloos to enjoy food and drink from the Vixen Festive Drink Hutte, while watching the festivities around you.

Finally there’s the Fenwick Window, an absolute centrepiece of a Tyneside Christmas – every year the theme is a secret and every year thousands of people gather to find out what it is! The big reveal is on Sunday 3rd November at 6.30pm which will be streamed live on social media platforms too. Previous themes – reaching back more than fifty years – include A Christmas Carol, Santa’s Christmas Pantomime, The Snowman and Wind in the Willows and we can't wait to find out what this year's theme is!

Geordies love Christmas and from the middle of November right through to the big day, there’s a non-stop stream of special events and activities for the whole family to enjoy – from Christmas craft workshops and festive films to skating and market shopping! So grab the kids and a mulled wine and make the most of what a Newcastle Christmas has to offer.