Bamburgh Castle sets the stage for A Christmas Carousel

From snow-draped winter wonderlands to Art Deco-style sailing ships, Bamburgh Castle is preparing to bring the soundtrack of Christmas to life on a spectacular scale.

Bamburgh Castle Christmas decorations 2024. Photograph: Stuart Boulton.

Months of planning and theatrical imagination are coming together behind the scenes at Bamburgh Castle, the privately-owned coastal fortress that has been home to the Armstrong family for generations, as prepares to unveil A Christmas Carousel, one of the North East’s largest indoor Christmas experiences, on Saturday 14 November.

Renowned for her larger-than-life festive creations, theatrical designer and Christmas maximalist Charlotte Lloyd Webber is drawing inspiration from the carols and songs that have accompanied Christmas for generations.

With her event design team, she is creating a series of nostalgic but unusual festive scenes that will adorn Bamburgh Castle’s state rooms, taking visitors on a whimsical journey through the Christmas songs they know and love.

Each installation draws on the character, architecture and setting of Bamburgh Castle, with interpretations of familiar Christmas songs and carols taking on a life of their own within its historic rooms.

Among the highlights will be a snow-covered forest winding through the castle’s centrepiece room The King’s Hall, complete with twinkling lights, wintry scenes and a choir of Christmas tree figures. Elsewhere, visitors will discover a grand Victorian Christmas feast, complete with figgy pudding, the splendour of the Three Kings and dramatic angelic displays.

In the Faire Chamber, where windows overlook the Northumberland coastline, ‘I Saw Three Ships’ is the inspiration for a maritime-themed display.

Charlotte Lloyd Webber said: “There’s something joyously evocative about Christmas music. Just a few notes of a familiar carol can take you straight back to childhood, to Christmases spent with family and the excitement of Christmas Eve. These are songs that have been passed down through generations and everyone has their own memories attached to them.

“That shared connection is at the heart of A Christmas Carousel. We’ve taken the music we all know and love and used it as the starting point for richly imagined Christmas scenes, filled with snow-laden trees, lavish decorations, sparkling lights and all the jewelled colours and splendour of the season.

“Bamburgh Castle is an extraordinary setting to work with. Its magnificent rooms lend themselves so beautifully to theatre and spectacle. We’ve been dreaming up this year’s designs since January, and we can’t wait to share what we’ve created. It’s a celebration of everything we love about Christmas, both traditional and unexpected, with plenty of delightful surprises along the way.”

Bamburgh Castle owner Francis Watson-Armstrong said: “We want people to come here at Christmas and be amazed and delighted by what they see.

“Bamburgh is our family home and it’s a privilege to share it with visitors at Christmas with something that’s extraordinary and you won’t see anywhere else in the country.”

Christmas at Bamburgh Castle has become a much-loved festive tradition, with an entirely new creative concept unveiled each year. Last year’s experience featured on Channel 4’s A Very British Christmas, bringing the castle’s seasonal transformation to a national television audience.

A Christmas Carousel runs from Saturday 14 November 2026 until Sunday 3 January 2027, with entry included in standard castle admission.

Winter tickets are available at www.bamburghcastle.com with advance booking recommended and on the gate.