Some of Newcastle's best loved buildings and monuments will be getting into the festive spirit this Christmas by welcoming in visitors for a free look behind the scenes.
NE1 has announced the return of its 24 Doors of Christmas event: the 'cultural advent calendar' treat which sees a pick of venues across the city take daily turns to open their doors in the run-up to December 25. And tickets, which are free, can be booked now.
This is the fourth year the business district improvement company has hosted the event and it has again enlisted a range of iconic and unusual buildings to take part. Among them is the historic Tyne Theatre & Opera House, which will be offering people a chance to see behind the scenes, and one of Newcastle's newest buildings, the 14-storey Bank House, which will be giving an exclusive sneak-peek tour.
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There is to be one special opening on offer each day between December 1 and December 24. The iconic Grey’s Monument is to take part once again, holding one of its rare openings to allow people to climb its 164 steps for a bird’s eye view from the top of the city, while Newcastle Cathedral is the fitting venue to host the Christmas Eve opening.
The openings are free to attend but booking is essential and places are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Rachel Barlow, marketing and events manager at NE1 Ltd said: "Our 24 Doors of Christmas is one of Newcastle’s festive favourites and we are delighted to be bringing it back again this year.
"We are so thankful to the companies and buildings who will be throwing open their doors and working with us to welcome the public behind the scenes. The event is always incredibly popular, with many of these opportunities unique and bespoke to 24 Doors, so we urge people to book tickets as soon as they can."
Also among the venues taking part will be the Lit and Phil and its next-door neighbour The Common Room while private companies granting exclusive access include Ryder Architecture which will be opening its Cooper’s Studio premises, a restored former 1800s purpose-built horse and carriage store.
There also will be a chance to see inside the new Bank House, part of Newcastle’s Pilgrim Street development, which is due to open in early 2023 and other openings will feature immersive experiences such as gin tastings in the private underground ‘Gin Vaults’ of The Continental bar and coffee and cake-making masterclasses in the PureKnead bakery's new craft kitchcn.
Places are limited for the events. To see the full list of the venues involved and to book a visit see the NE1 events programme here.
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