Winter is coming which means snow and ice, plus colder, darker and shorter days – but it’s no Lapland. However, instead of booking a flight further north to meet Father Christmas, what if we told you could experience the magical world of Lapland right here in Manchester? Well, come next year, you can do exactly that…
The UK’s much-loved, festive and immersive theatre experience, LaplandUK, has announced plans to launch a second location in the UK. Following the success of their original site in Ascot, LaplandUK is set to expand to Manchester, allowing even more families across the country to experience the magic of the festive season just in time for when Christmas 2025 comes around.
Mike & Alison Battle, Founders of LaplandUK, commented: “We’ve been so overwhelmed by the incredible response to LaplandUK and the strong connection so many people have with our event. It has always been our dream to bring the magic of LaplandUK to as many families as possible, so we are thrilled to announce our plans to launch a new site in Manchester. We look forward to welcoming more families to share in the magic of LaplandUK next year and to create more treasured Christmas memories.”
What is LaplandUK?
The immersive four-and-a-half hour event, inspired by six best-selling books, runs for a limited six-week period each year in the build-up to Christmas. Brought to life by world class production teams and costume designers within a Hollywood-grade film set, LaplandUK depicts a magical world in which 31 characters come together, to tell in intricate detail, the untold story of Father Christmas and the elves as they prepare for the biggest night of the year.
LaplandUK combines the scale and detail of film production with the believability of live theatre, reimagining the untold story of Father Christmas. The experience begins at home with an invitation from Father Christmas asking little ones to journey to Lapland to help the Elves with their toymaking this Christmas. Plus, they’ll receive a copy of The Lapland Grapevine, Whisperleaf for Travel and The Elven Foreword as part of the pre-departure package.
As part of the experience, families will explore multiple areas as part of the story including The Magical Portal, Woodland Check In, The Glade, Toy Factory, Mother Christmas’ Kitchen, The Elven Village, The Reindeer Pen, Ambolt’s Forge, Compass’ Lobby and lastly visiting Father Christmas.
So popular, last year alone, over 300,000 people flocked to the website in hopes of securing tickets to the highly-sought after Christmas experience, and in March 2024, tickets sold out in under 3 hours. Since its inception in 2007, LaplandUK has welcomed millions of families, as well as some of the biggest celebrity names, such as the Prince and Princess of Wales, Tom Hardy, the Beckhams, Elton John and more.
Where will Lapland Manchester be located?
The new LaplandManchester site, due to be set at Capesthorne Hall, in the village of Siddington, Cheshire, just over an hour from Manchester city centre by car or public transport. The site will span an impressive 173,131.66 square metres, with an expected capacity to welcome over 178,000 guests – similar to the visitor numbers at the original site in 2023.
How to get tickets for Lapland Manchester
Ticket prices for LaplandUK have previously ranged from £60pp to £190pp, with more premium prices towards Christmas Eve and on weekends.
In previous years, getting a ticket to LaplandUK has often felt like the festive edition of the Eras Tour or Glastonbury, in other words, pretty damn hard. Tickets for Lapland Manchester are yet to go on sale, however you can sign up to the mailing list here to be notified of when they do.