Cameron Mackintosh once said, “If you’re good enough for Thursford, you’re good enough for me.” So, if that’s not a sign of how high a standard the Christmas Spectacular is, we don’t know what is!
Christmas at Thursford is a one-of-a-kind experience. From the three-hour extravaganza that is the Thursford Christmas Spectacular (one that audiences from all over travel to see) to the magical worlds of Santa’s Magical Journey and the Enchanted Journey of Light (one you really have to see to fully experience).
And while Thursford is open all year round thanks to their fascinating Steam Museum and brand-new Adventure Play Fair, there’s nowhere quite like Thursford at Christmas, no matter what age you are, whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth.
Here, we speak to Ben Allen, Thursford’s Marketing & PR Manager, about Norfolk’s, and probably the UK’s, most festive attraction.
One of the Spectacular’s most popular and enduring routines is the toy soldiers
The minute you step inside Thursford, you find yourself immersed in Christmas!
It’s a festive feast for the senses, from the millions of lights that decorate the grounds, to the music, to the smell of mulled wine drifting through the air – every inch of the site has been carefully thought through and invites customers into the world of a Thursford Christmas.
We always say leave your troubles at the door, and we offer that form of escapism right from the very get go. Thursford gives off that traditional feeling of Christmas, emotionally and physically. It’s about family, and love. It’s about reminiscing and spending time with loved ones. That’s the magic of Thursford.
Thursford’s Christmas Spectacular isn’t complete without incredible dance routines and their showgirls!
It’s truly unique. Thousands of people travel from all over, passing many other theatres and destinations – so we’re very lucky they choose us, in the middle of North Norfolk.
And it really is a production like no other. From one of the largest stages at 130ft long, to one of the biggest casts with 120 performers (not forgetting being one of the only theatres to still have a 32-piece orchestra directly on stage).
We’ve been going for 48 years now and never take that for granted, which shows the level of love our audiences have for the show, driving us to make it bigger and better every year. The essence of Thursford is family, and the Christmas Spectacular has something for everyone to enjoy; from West End to classical to jazz, and everything in between. Showgirls, world-class speciality acts, state-of-the-art sound – we really do have it all.
It’s also timeless, with generations of families visiting year-on-year. You always hear customers say they remember being brought to the show as a child, and now they’re bringing their children! It’s multi-generational. We never rest on our laurels and continue to develop the show and our product offering, and that has been key to our success after all these years. One that audiences will travel for again and again.
We’ve got another set of world-class speciality acts for 2025 with Cyr wheel act, Duo LéOlé, jump rope troupe, Centripetal Forces, and and hand-balancing artist, Vladislav Khvostik, who returns to the Thursford stage after a few years away. Our compere and comedian for 2025 is Lloyd Hollett – The Comedy Wordsmith, who returns for his third consecutive year with his popular act. Expect all new routines from him!
And, of course, we have another fantastic cast of 120 singers, dancers and musicians, performing a wide mix, including two outstanding showgirl routines this year – a first for the show, a beautiful opening sequence, a reflection of the 80th anniversary of VE day celebrations, and much more! There’s 80 pieces of music used in the show alone!
You’ll just have to book tickets to see what else is in store – but I will say it is our most magical production yet!
For children, parents and grandparents, a walk through Fantasy Land is equal parts nostalgic and magical
Tradition. It’s all about tradition, having a classic Father Christmas welcoming families in, situated inside a festive workshop with classic toys, sounds, and decorations. It’s not only nostalgic for adults, but also so magical for children.
Thursford’s Santa’s Magical Journey is just that – a journey into an immersive world filled with elves, polar bears, penguins, snowmen and more – which leads you to the man himself. There really is no other grotto experience like it.
Introduced in 2020, when the show was cancelled due to Covid, the Enchanted Journey of Light has enabled us to bring another premium product to audiences and is an attraction we continue to invest in and develop.
Every year, new lanterns are added, expanding the themes. We have over 1000 lanterns lighting up the fields of Thursford, and it’s an attraction for ages 1 to 101 – catering to showgoers, visitors to Father Christmas and anyone who wants to have a festive evening out under the beautiful Norfolk skies.
This year we’ve got brand new Nutcracker decorations and more festive displays than we’ve ever had. The Enchanted Journey of Light is also combined with a walk through Fantasy Land, which transports customers into a winter wonderland like no other. It’s a spectacle that really needs to be experienced.
The Enchanted Journey of Light is completely unique- immerse yourself in a trail of larger-than-life lanterns
All I can say is conversations and plans are already underway for how we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary of the Christmas Spectacular in 2027. In true Thursford style, we have some big ideas. With the launch of our new adventure play fair this summer, it’s an exciting time for Thursford, so watch this space!
We sell 35,000 mince pies and 19,000 mulled wines every season. Which is impressive when our winter season is only open for 6 weeks of the year!
You can book tickets for Thursford’s Christmas Spectacular (8 November – 23 December), Santa’s Magical Journey (select dates from 22 November – 23 December) and the Enchanted Journey of Light (select dates 3 December – 24 December) via Thursford’s website!
