Paddington promises a truly magical Christmas at Trafford Centre this year

Tinseltown at Trafford Centre is set to be extra-special this year as Santa will be joined in its iconic Christmas Grotto by a special friend, Paddington. 

The Christmas with Paddington Grotto experience at Trafford Centre Manchester will be open 16 November until 24 December for families of all ages to enjoy a memorable festive experience – expected to be bigger and better than ever before with Paddington’s arrival.

Visitors will be invited to enjoy the special Christmas with Paddington experience, curated by award-winning experiential events company Bakehouse Factory.

It will include fun photo opportunities for all ages, travelling through snowy festive trees and scenic street scenes, also including a mesmerising interactive doll’s house featuring Paddington’s famous attic window.

Children will then be invited to tiptoe across the Christmas night-time rooftops of the beautiful Windsor Gardens, before being transported to the hallway of the Browns’ house to finally meet Paddington himself. After pausing for a photo, families will be guided in individual family groups to meet Santa, a delightful festive adventure.

Every child will receive a Paddington book as a special gift from Santa and families can enjoy browsing a pop-up Paddington shop for quality memorabilia and gifts to end the magical experience.

On weekdays in November, the Christmas with Paddington experience will also be open for story-telling sessions specifically designed for pre-school children, schools, and nurseries. 

The Night Before Christmas at The Browns’ House is an interactive story-telling session aimed at groups of young children and will include the chance to also meet Paddington.

Bruce Gardner, Brand Experience Director at Trafford Centre said: “Christmas with Paddington is a central feature for Trafford Centre’s Tinseltown campaign this year and is set to be a wonderfully festive and unique, hand-crafted experience for the whole family.

We are expecting over 40,000 people to enjoy this immersive experience with the national treasure that is Paddington, and we are confident it will be a huge success for the centre as we provide a Christmas experience to remember.”

Kate Statham, Managing Director, Bakehouse said: “It is an absolute pleasure to create something extra-special for Trafford Centre, this year. We have nearly 40 people currently working on the event, designing, and building the set, creating interactive elements, writing scripts, and amazing costumes, and by the end of December we will have employed around 100 people to bring the magic of Christmas to the people of Manchester and the surrounding area.”

With lively and charming elf characters to meet, enchanting interactive scenes, and plenty of special photo opportunities along the way, Christmas with Paddington is a must-see attraction for families looking for sumptuous, traditional, festive magic this year.

Tickets are available for both Santa’s Grotto and The Night Before Christmas at The Browns’ House Story Sessions via the Trafford Centre website [www.traffordcentre.co.uk] with priority booking available for Pulse members when in the Trafford Centre 25 October.

General ticket sales will go live from 26 October here and visitors are advised to book their tickets early to avoid disappointment.

Christmas with Paddington has been designed and created on license for Trafford Centre by award-winning experiential events company, Bakehouse Factory.

Each element is being lovingly crafted by a team of artisan makers, scenic designers, scriptwriters, and costumiers especially for this magical Christmas experience.

The Christmas with Paddington Grotto experience is open every weekend from 16 November and every day in December until the 24 December 2022. For further information and updates, visit www.traffordcentre.co.uk