A new immersive Christmas experience is coming to Eltham Palace this November – with character performances and an appearance from Father Christmas.

The new event, named The Spirit of Christmas, will take place within the grand setting of Eltham Palace.

Now owned by English Heritage, this was the former Tudor residence for King Henry VIII and later the lavish home of the millionaire Courtauld family, and features a 15th century Great Hall and was also used as a filming location for the 2003 Wonka film.

Eltham Palace has a long history of hosting lavish Christmas celebrations, including when one of its residents Edward IV entertained 2,000 people at Christmas in 1482.

This immersive event, which is the latest work of Sneaky Experience, will run every weekend starting from November 23 up until December 22.

Eltham Palace has a long history of hosting lavish Christmas celebrations.Eltham Palace has a long history of hosting lavish Christmas celebrations. (Image: Moore Media)

Julia Benfield, director of Sneaky Experience, said: “Every year our Sneaky Experiences get bigger and more extraordinary and Eltham Palace is the perfect venue to wow and delight visitors with this year’s fabulous Christmas event.

“The Spirit of Christmas captures Sneaky Experience’s unique offering, we have exquisite costumes, beautiful creations from our award-winning makeup artists and a rare opportunity for our audience to be part of the story, guided by our professional cast of actors.”

During the event visitors will explore the rooms of this opulent 14th century palace and Tudor Great Hall, joined by whimsical characters who will guide them through the different rooms, with guests given a task to help restore the magic of Lapland.

The characters will also be joined by an appearance from Father Christmas himself, who will give a gift to the children, and there will also be opportunities at the event to snap a festive photo.

There will also be an appearance from Father Christmas himself, who will give a gift to the children.There will also be an appearance from Father Christmas himself, who will give a gift to the children. (Image: Moore Media)

Christina Pascoe, national venue hire manager at English Heritage said: “Eltham Palace is a must-see venue for any occasion but there’s something extra special about hosting Christmas within such a grand setting, especially with our rich history of royal festive feasts and opulent parties.

“The Spirit of Christmas will complement the eccentricity and extravagance of Eltham Palace to a tee and will be a real treat for our visitors.”

Tickets are available to book online priced at £25 for an adult and £30 for children, with relaxed sessions also available.