What I will say, is that although the experience is fantastic, if you don't manage to get tickets DO NOT WORRY. Christmas really won't be ruined and there are lots of other options out there. Santa at Metrocentre always receives excellent reviews and has plenty of experience.
Personally, I think Santa on the Rooftop is more special for us grown ups than kids. Kids don't usually mind where they go as long as Santa is friendly / creates a bit of magic.
All you need to know for 2023 including some top tips:
- Register your interest for tickets here: https://www.fenwick.co.uk/events/kids/santa-on-the-roof-at-fenwick-newcastle/santa-on-the-roof-at-fenwick-newcastle
Registration and Ticket Purchase Process
This year in response to customer feedback we are introducing a pre-registration system for access to Santa on the Roof tickets.
Anyone wanting to purchase tickets for Santa on the Roof in Newcastle will need to pre-register via the link below.
Registration will be open from 10am on Monday 11 September until 11.59pm on Friday 22 September 2023.
Pre-registration does not guarantee access to the sale or to tickets. A limited number of customers who pre-register will be randomly selected by a third party and will gain access to purchase tickets.
Successful applicants will receive an email on Tuesday 26 September informing them they have been selected at random to access the ticket sale. This email will include a unique purchase link, and successful applicants will be able to purchase tickets via that link from 10am on Tuesday 3 October.
From 10am on the 3 October, tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for the following 24 hours to those granted access to the sale. Please note that your unique purchase link will still be valid after this period and you will be informed via email if additional tickets become available.
Customers who haven’t been successful in the initial selection will be placed on a waiting list and may receive an invitation if any further tickets become available. Being placed on the waiting list does not guarantee access to the sale or to tickets.
To ensure you receive all communications make sure you add emails@emails.fenwick.co.uk to your contacts and safe sender lists.
How it works:
Stage 1: Registration. Simply fill in the registration form with your name, email and telephone number. Once complete, you'll automatically receive an email stating we received your information. Registrations will be limited to one entry per email address.
Stage 2: Authentication. You will need to click a link in the email you receive to authenticate your registration. Once authenticated, a limited number of customers randomly selected by a third party will get access to the sale. Registration and authentication does not guarantee access to the sale or to tickets.
Stage 3: Status Update. Successful applicants will receive an email on Tuesday 19 September letting them know they have been randomly selected to access the ticket sale via a unique ticket purchase link in that email. If not randomly selected, customers will join the waiting list and may receive an invite to join the sale if any further tickets become available.
Ticket availability is limited. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis to those pre-notified and in receipt of a unique ticket purchase link while currently available inventory lasts.Christmas is about family traditions and Santa on the Roof is one of ours. Decorated in a new theme each year, our 'snowy' rooftop is ready to we welcome you to meet the well-known bearded man and his elves from 6 November to 24 December 2023.
Tickets are priced at £20 per person but we have something new this Christmas, invite your friends and family to join you and group together to book up a whole slot (up to 6 people) for £90 to enjoy our unforgettable festive experience.
What to expect
- Santa’s elves will be waiting for you at the Third Floor entrance and take you to the Express Elevator up to the roof.
- At the top, you’ll find Santa’s singing reindeer setting the mood.
- After a much-encouraged singalong you’ll make your way to Santa’s Cabin where the main man will be ready to jot down your Christmas list.
- Check it twice before you’re whisked away to Santa’s workshop where you can get crafty with the elves.
- After all that fun, you’ll need a sweet pick-me-up at Café Claus. Parents can choose from hot chocolate, mulled wine or spiced apple juice (of course, we have mince pies too), and little ones can enjoy a hot chocolate or juice, plus a Christmas cupcake (gluten and dairy-free if wished).
- Your unforgettable experience is complete with a ride on Santa’s sleigh, ideal for that family picture moment.
- Got a question? You can check FAQs and get in touch with Fenwicks here
The rest of this post is our review from 2019, please remember, things may be slightly different for 2023 and use my review as a guide only / to give you an idea of what to expect.
It was never my intention to buy tickets to Santa on the Rooftop this year. We already have a full festive diary and lots of lovely Christmas events to attend BUT in the end, I was caught up in the frenzy of booking tickets and ended up booking tickets to take my 4-year-old nephew as I knew he would love it.
We visited Santa on the Rooftop in 2018 and had a wonderful experience so I hoped this year would be just as good.
I don't have to time or inclination to do this so it's just an assumption that the event has sold out - you might get lucky and find tickets you never know!
Although this event may be sold out, there are still lots of fantastic events taking place across the North East this year which still have tickets available. Check out these posts for ideas:
- The Ultimate Guide to North East Christmas Events for Kids 2019
- Sunderland Festival of Light - All You Need To Know
- 10 Festive Films to Book at Tyneside Cinema
- 10 Christmas Date Ideas in Newcastle
I honestly think Santa on the Rooftop is one of the best value Christmas experiences out there. Quite a lot is included in your ticket price and there is no option to buy optional extras so you don't have to worry about putting your hand in your pocket once you are there.
I hope you like our video!
You don't need to print your tickets - simply turn up at your allocated time and let the chief elf know your name.
Once on the roof, we were greeted by another magical elf who shared with us a few elf secrets and helped us all to make a special wish.
This is lots of fun and there are plenty of photo ops too. Don't forget to pose for an elfie!
You hand the wigs back once your photos have been taken so don't worry about having to wear them all the way around.
One of the reindeer sang a song right in my ear and gave me quite the surprise as I was posing for photos which everyone found to be hilarious.
Evan was obsessed with the toy cars up there and was over the moon when he was allowed to take a seat in one - of course he asked Santa for one too.
It is worth noting that Santa at Fenwick does not provide children with a gift.
There's a little bit of magic involved with Santa at Fenwick but I won't ruin the surprise for you.
Our Santa didn't have a real beard but if you've read my post about us all being obsessed with the perfect Santa, you'll know we don't mind about this.
You are provided with a Fenwick branded gift bag to take your biscuit home with you.
The quality was fantastic and really got us into the festive spirit. There are plenty of tables in cafe claus so you can take your time - the refreshments are included in your ticket price.
The rooftop experience has one last treat in store - meet your final elf who will take you through the toy making process and if you're lucky, you might even be able to help add a few wrapped gifts to the sleigh ready for delivery.
- If you fancy heading up on the rooftop, there are still tickets available for Fenwick's rooftop cinema. You won't see Santa or experience anything featured on this post but the cinema still looks magical. You can buy tickets to the rooftop cinema here.
- The elves offer to take lots of festive photos and the backdrop is lovely - I wish we had all worn Christmas jumpers or elf ears/antlers/Santa hats.
- There are toilets at the start/end of the experience
- You don't need to print your tickets but take your email just in case
- You're allowed to take as many photos/videos as you like so don't forget your phone or camera
- Don't rush the experience - ours lasted around an hour which was perfect
- The experience ends near Fenwick Christmas Cafe - you could team a trip to the rooftop with festive afternoon tea here (£12.95)
- I would recommend bringing your gingerbread biscuit home as along with the cake and hot chocolate, it can be sugar overload
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Always check updated opening hours / protocols with venues direct before setting off as things may have changed since this post was published.
Eeeee I'm so excited to go after reading this!!!! xxx
ReplyDeleteHave a fantastic time xx
DeleteI'm still quite annoyed at Fenwicks over the whole Christmas thing and REALLY wish they'd plough all of this money that they've spent on the roof back into the Christmas Department and Cafe that everyone can enjoy. Cafe Claus looks so much better than the cafe downstairs which is such a shame!
ReplyDeleteThe experience looks lovely though :)
The cafe has had really bad reviews this year -think I will give it a miss x
DeleteThis sounds amazing! Would you say a two and a half year old would be able to enjoy this? If tickets are still available of course!
ReplyDeleteYes - perfect for toddlers xx
DeleteIt looks fantastic. Does anyone know if there is anywhere to leave a pushchair or am i able to take pushchair up with me?
ReplyDeleteThe event is fully accessible, I think you would be able to take a pushchair up there and there is definitely space to leave one at the start if you cant take it all the way around x
DeleteIt looks fab, we have never tried getting tickets but I might try next year if they do it again before the little two are too old for this kind of thing x
ReplyDelete