New details have been shared about the immersive festive event coming to Capesthorne Hall this Christmas.

Marketing Cheshire hosted a webinar with LaplandUK this morning (March 20), offering the public a chance to find out more about the experience, which was greenlit by Cheshire East Council earlier this year.

LaplandUK's guest experience manager Ollie Evans started the session by explaining a bit about the event's history.

Dissatisfied with the 'overcommercialised' festive experiences on offer, founders Mike and Alison Battle set about creating an 'authentic, theatrical and truly believable representation of Father Christmas' secret world'.

The first LaplandUK opened in Ascot in 2007.

"After an extensive search across the north of England, we are thrilled to announce Capesthorne Hall as the second home for LaplandUK, starting in 2025," Mr Evans said.

"This historic venue offers the perfect setting for our immersive experience.

"It's heritage, stunning landscape, accessibility and operational benefits make it an ideal location to welcome thousands of families each year."

He added: "Lapland is more than just a live experience.

"It is an opportunity to celebrate the magic of childhood at Christmas time whilst our presence will boost the local economy and creative a positive and lasting impact in Cheshire East.

"We look forward to working closely with the council, local businesses and the wider community to ensure that this partnership is one of shared success."

Capesthorne Hall (Credit: Nub News)

The Experience

Visitors will be taken on a guided tour lasting around four or five hours, with tours departing every half an hour from 8am to 6pm every day the season.

The experience begins weeks before guests arrive at Capesthorne Hall, with each child receiving a personal invitation to Lapland to help the elves prepare for Christmas.

Upon arrival, families will first happen upon the enchanted forest where the woodland elves give each child their own elf passport.

Visitors will then pass through a magical doorway into Lapland.

First stop on the tour is the toy factory where children will get to help the elves make toys.

The tour continues to Mother Christmas' kitchen where children can decorate a festive treat while listening to a story.

Guests then have around an hour and a half to explore the elven village.

Here they can send a letter from the post office, skate on Santa's frozen pond, refuel at Pumpernickels restaurant, visit Pixie Mixes sweet shop and browse toys and gifts at the Elf Emporium.

Afterwards, the tour continues deeper into the forest where guests meet Santa's reindeer and the sleigh, before culminating with a 'private, personalised audience' with the big man himself, who will know each child by name and present them with a golden bell and a husky teddy.

The experience doesn't end there, on Christmas Day each child will wake to find a toy they helped make waiting for them under the Christmas tree, along with a personalised note from Father Christmas.

Guests will enter Lapland through a magical doorway (Credit: LaplandUK)

Tickets, construction and jobs

Tickets will be available in the coming weeks, with an announcement on pricing and release date expected in the next seven to 10 days.

Construction of the experience will begin in late September and take around 50 days.

The live show will then run from November to Christmas Eve, bringing approximately 40,000 families to the region.

The site will then be restored by early February.

For this event, LaplandUK will be hiring 1,200 members of staff, with advertising beginning later this month.

Roles include principal performers, event management, guest experience, retail, food and beverage, back of house and logistics.

At Ascot, around 60 per cent of staff live locally (within a 20 minute drive).

Supplier tendering will also begin by the end of March, with opportunities in catering, security, structures, and transport. 

Economic impact

Nearly 200,000 visitors visited Lapland Ascot in 2024, with demand 'far exceeding' supply.

"Our experience in Ascot has demonstrated the significant positive impact LaplandUK has on the local economy and community," said Mr Evans

He added that an independent assessment was carried out in 2024 to estimate the contribution Lapland could have to Cheshire East.

It was estimated that the attraction will generate £24.5 million annually in direct and indirect economic benefits, including visitor and supplier spend, tourism and job creation.

Based on current statistics at Ascot, 13,500 families stay overnight each season, generating 16,834 bed nights and £1.5 million in accommodation spend.

The additional 29,000 families visit only for the day, contributing £2.5 million in additional visitor spend.

Beyond economic benefits, in October 2024 the Lapland Foundation was formally registered as a charity.

It is their goal to put a stocking at the end of the bed of every child spending Christmas in a UK hospital or hospice.

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