We are proud to kick off the ‘Loved not Lost’ Venue Series, designed by Steve Mitchell of 57 Design in partnership with 45 Original which is raising essential funds for the Music Venue Trust to support the grassroots music ecosystem.
The series introduces a limited edition collection of prints celebrating the UK’s most iconic entertainment venues, documenting their musical heritage and highlighting these monumental landmarks of communities.
The inaugural design showcases 1,000 artists, bands, and DJs who have performed here at the Park and Palace over the past 150 years. It is a testament to how Ally Pally, as a charity and London’s largest independent venue, together with our partners and colleagues across the sector, have developed our music programme in recent years. Here’s to the fans, artists and industry professionals who have, and continue, to make this happen.
Pre-order now at 45 Original
General sale and shipping from Monday 2 December.
Alexandra Palace is joining forces with local libraries, schools and bookshops to inspire a new generation of young bookworms, by this week launching Biblio-Buzz 2025 – the Alexandra Palace Children’s Book Award.
Biblio-Buzz is aimed at young people, aged nine to 12 years old and challenges them to read the novels of six shortlisted authors, whilst taking on a series of literary challenges, including activities and roadshows in local schools and libraries.
Participants will then vote for their favourite book before attending an awards ceremony at the Alexandra Palace Theatre in March 2025, plus a ceremony for the Haringey Library Service Award in Wood Green Library, where they will meet the authors, get their books signed and take part in workshops.
Biblio-Buzz 2025, runs from January until March next year, but with the shortlist announced today, those taking part are encouraged to get reading!
The 2025 shortlist is selected by a team of local school librarians, who are the founders of the Book Award:
- Bird Boy by Catherine Bruton
- Ice Cream Boy by Lindsay Littleson
- Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo
- SCRAP by Guy Bass
- The Clockwork Conspiracy by Sam Sedgman
- The Island at the Edge of Night by Lucy Strange
Emma Dagnes, Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust CEO: “We are delighted to announce such a fantastic shortlist for Biblio-Buzz, and look forward to working with the authors, libraries, schools and book shops to take thousands of local young readers on a literary journey. The Book Award is at the heart of our Creative Learning programme, which encourages people to explore their creativity, gain new skills and improve their well-being. We can’t wait to get started with our reading challenges and workshops, before building to our finale of the awards ceremony in our beautiful Theatre in March next year.”
Haringey Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Cllr Emily Arkell: “Biblio-Buzz plays such a vital role in helping Haringey children develop a lifelong love of reading and shows just what can be achieved when our libraries, schools and voluntary and community sector (VCS) work together to help them learn and thrive.
“This literary challenge and the subsequent Alexandra Palace Children’s Book Award have become essential parts of the annual calendar in our borough, so I’m delighted to see this unique initiative return for 2025.”
This year the official suppliers of Biblio-Buzz 2025 are Muswell Hill Children’s Bookshop and Pickled Pepper Books who are offering discounted packs of the shortlisted books to schools or individuals who take part in Biblio-Buzz.
More information about Biblio-Buzz 2025
Take a look back at the finale of Biblio-Buzz 2024
We are creating a wet woodland and new reed bed in the south-east corner of the Park, to reduce flooding and provide a better habitat for birds, plants and wetland wildlife!
The project is part of our charity’s ongoing work to improve the Park and Palace and become a sustainable home for all that we do. It is made possible thanks to £50,000 of funding from the Mayor of London’s Rewild London Fund
Less than 20 years ago the woodland in this area of the Park was quite sparse and there were very few trees along the reservoir boundary.
The woods are now dense and cast in deep shade, and the water is stagnant. We plan to create a healthy, wet woodland in this area by:
- Removing selected trees to let in the light and allow the creation of a new curvy water channel. Trees will be selected for removal if they are diseased or have a likelihood of becoming dangerous in the near future
- Digging out new pools to hold water, creating new aquatic habitat and reducing flows into the sewer system during peak flows
In the main woodland we will reduce winter flooding by:
- Digging out and guiding the channels in the woods to divert the water away from paths
- Repairing the drain under the path to the pond area
Ground and environmental surveys have been carried out, and work onsite will take place in winter 2024, with completion by March 2025. We aim to minimise disruption, though there may be some short-term diversions onto temporary trackway. We do not intend to close the path entirely.
Once this work is completed, we’ll be sourcing more funding to deliver the main element of the scheme which is to restore the existing conservation pond and extend it to create a reedbed. The reedbeds are scarce in London and it will form a valuable new habitat for the Park. We’ll keep you updated with progress!
Our major project to repair the Palace’s North East Office Building (NEOB) – our last truly inaccessible area in the seven acre building – is nearing completion.
Work began in February this year to stabilise the structure of our former administrative building, thanks to a £550,000 grant from Historic England. Decayed brickwork and timber have been removed, as have historic roof lanterns (which will be carefully restored in the next phase of works). New timber floors, walls and roof coverings have been installed. The scale and complexity of work, combined with discoveries that were not known at the start of the project – some internal walls were no longer in sound condition, for example – extended both the programme and the funds required; Historic England provided us with an additional grant of £195,000, and the project has taken a total of nine months.
With the block vacated since 1981, this work has allowed us to explore a disused and hidden area of the Palace. As we did, there were a number of interesting finds:
A Lipton’s drinks bottle from circa 1878. Our archive captures a picture of a Lipton’s advert on a tram outside our North East Office Building in the 1920s.
A BBC coffee cup with 1960s logo, no doubt used here when the NEOB was the home of the Open University production unit. The OU broadcast educational programmes from the Palace’s TV studios between 1971 and 1981.
A Codd* bottle from HD Rawlings, in Nassau Street, Fitzrovia, London – an early example of a carbonated drinks bottle, dating back 150 years. Rawlings was taken over by R Whites in the 1890s.
* In 1872, soft-drink maker Hiram Codd of Camberwell, London, designed and patented a bottle designed specifically for carbonated drinks.[3] The bottle was designed and manufactured with thick glass to withstand internal pressure, and a chamber to enclose a marble and a rubber washer in the neck. The bottles are filled upside down, and pressure of the gas in the bottle forces the marble against the washer, sealing in the carbonation. The bottle is pinched into a special shape to provide a chamber into which the marble is pushed to open the bottle. This prevents the marble from blocking the neck as the drink is poured. Some older examples had the bullet shape of soda bottles.
Finally…well, we are not quite sure what this tiny wooden shoe is?? If anyone out there knows, then please contact us with your suggestions!
What next for the North East Office Building? Firstly, the repair work needs to be completed, something we plan to happen before the end of the year. This will give us the chance to regularly access the building, from which point our ambition is to explore how we can bring it back into public use. This is something that, as a charity, will require us to source additional funding to realise.
The Office Building was used as far back as 1875, to house the ‘offices of the administrators’, a ticket office, porters facilities, costume room, and the Palace’s first Superintendent; and from 1970 serving as office space for the Open University. Its restoration is the next phase of our major restoration programme that saw the Palace’s Victorian Theatre successfully reopen in 2018 following 80 years of closure; alongside the transformation of the East Court, thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Haringey Council.
In recent years the proportion of the Palace that remains out of use has been reduced from 40% to 29%. Restoration – and its associated benefits for visitors, local community, local economy and the Palace’s environmental footprint – is at the heart of the charity’s vision for the future.
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Our Fireworks Festival 2024 lit up London with an unforgettable two-night celebration on November 1 and 2, setting a new standard for bonfire night festivities. This year, we introduced an exciting new feature—a mesmerizing 360-degree drone show by Celestial, which created an awe-inspiring display against the stunning backdrop of the London skyline. Plus our signature Fireworks Display was more spectacular than ever, an audio-visual experience with an unforgettable finale. Check out the official fireworks display soundtrack below.
Festival-goers embraced the festive vibes at the UK’s largest German Bier Fest in our Great Hall, which this year welcomed tribute acts ABBA Revival on Friday and Oasis tribute Definitely Mightbe on Saturday. Over in the StrEATlife village, DJ sets from The Cuban Brothers and UK garage legends Artful Dodger kept the crowd moving, while Big Smoke Brass, added their bold brass sounds to the mix, bringing even more energy to the night.
The Café de Pally tent was another big hit, featuring interactive and soulful performances by Gospeloke, the smooth sounds of Double Bass Dan, and lively sets from both Miss Jones Band and the Iron Boot Scrappers.
We also enjoyed a range of classic festival fun, including a huge bonfire, thrilling funfair rides, and street circus acts, while the ice rink offered disco skating for those looking to glide through the festivities.
Thank you to everyone who joined us to make the 2024 Ally Pally Fireworks Festival a truly memorable celebration! Explore our photo gallery, watch highlights of the epic drone and firework displays, and read what people had to say about this extraordinary event.
@yourallypally … but that you are this universe Some inspirational words from Alan Watts at our first ever Fireworks Festival drone show ️ @TagMix #bonfirenight #allypally #london #fireworks #drone ♬ original sound – Alexandra Palace
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@sophie.kyprianou Alexandra Palace StrEATLife Fireworks Night/ Bonfire Night 1/11/2024 @The Jerk Hub @Baked Bird #fireworks #fireworks2024 #alexandrapalace #alleypalley #bonfirenight #fireworksnight #foodie #food #jerkchicken #macncheese #hotdog #chocomel ♬ original sound – sped up 2000’s audios
@_poppyscarlet Best night of the year. #allypally #fireworks #bonfirenight ♬ RIBS – kavali
We are pleased to announce that we have joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower network, as part of our commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.
The Sunflower is a symbol for people living with non-visible disabilities to indicate they might need additional support, understanding or time.
We are looking forward to integrating Sunflower’s training and support into our work, building on a range of improvements we’ve made to our facilities, training and staffing to ensure everyone can feel supported and enjoy events and activities at the Park and Palace.
Jack Brooks, Alexandra Palace Head of Visitor Services: “At Ally Pally we are passionate about providing unforgettable experiences for all our visitors. We want people who have hidden disabilities, or sensitivities to sensory overload, to feel welcome, safe and have a positive experience. Joining Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is part of our commitment to this goal. We will be looking to use the expertise, training and materials from Sunflower to develop our own knowledge and offer, so that everyone has the best possible visitor experience here.”
Paul White, CEO, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower: “Alexandra Palace has a rich history of welcoming people to its grounds, and we are thrilled to welcome it to the global Hidden Disabilities Sunflower network. As awareness of invisible disabilities increases, Ally Pally is utilising the Sunflower training to remove barriers and support its accessibility and disability inclusion. Visitors with invisible disabilities will met with an offer of support and understanding. With beautiful grounds and wide-ranging events, there is something for everyone to enjoy.”
Joining the Sunflower network is part of a range of improvements Alexandra Palace has made in recent years to become more accessible. Discover more here
It’s not a bad quiz question: ‘how many bricks were used to build Ally Pally?’
SPOILER ALERT! Answer: 15 million (!!).
“It’s a fantastic building” says our recently appointed Brick Mason, Michael Blake.
“It’s seven and half acres of brick” explains Iain McDonald, our Head of Property and Facilities.
Michael’s appointment brings the role of Brick Mason back to the Palace for the first time in 30 years. Brick Masons built the Palace back in 1873, and again following major fires in 1875 and 1980.
Having used contractors in recent times to care for our bricks, appointing Michael gives us a permanence and continuity in the task of working around the building – inside and out – to repair and improve our 15 million bricks.
Welsh arches, queen closures…so many small details in the masonry date back to when the Palace was first built 150 years ago. It’s heritage brick work and requires Michael to use traditional methods in his daily work. In particular, he uses lime mortar rather than sand and cement. “We say that the Palace breathes” he explains, noting that lime mortar offers more flexibility compared to cement, which is more rigid. Lime mortar can accommodate slight movements, making it more adaptable to environmental conditions.
“We don’t know where the bricks come from, but we do know they’re man-made, rather than being mass produced as they would be today. It means each one is unique.”
Getting the building watertight is a key task, and caring for the brickwork is crucial to this process. Iain explains: “By conserving the brickwork using traditional materials, we are making long-lasting improvements rather than short-term fixes. We are making the Palace more resilient and ensuring greater consistency in our work. By using lime mortar, we ensure the building can dry out when it gets wet, avoiding the moisture trapping issues associated with modern day cements. Michael is doing extensive work to reverse the damage caused by modern materials in the past.”
Caring for the Palace and Park is our underlying charitable purpose. Fixing, repairing and restoring enables us to ensure the Palace is ship-shape and we are able to open up more spaces for communities to enjoy.
Despite the scale of the task Michael says he enjoys the variety of the work. “Getting high up, looking out over London is a nice way to spend a working day.”
“I’ve lived most of my adult life in the area – we used to spend a lot of weekends up here in the Park as a family. Through all that time the building looks the same, though it is opened up a lot more now than when I was younger. It’s the view that has changed a lot!”
Discover more about our Restoration work.
In recent years we have made a range of improvements to ensure the Park and Palace are more accessible than ever before.
Improvements include: increased access platform availability at events, relaxed and BSL interpreted performances, updated signage, new support materials such as accessible venue guides, growing our Visitor Services Team, and new facilities such as a Changing Places restroom, among many others.
Most recently, we have joined Sunflower, which aims to support people with hidden disabilities. Head of Visitor Services, Jack Brooks, explains more:
What is your approach to improving accessibility at Alexandra Palace?
The approach to accessibility development has always been to listen to our visitors. We get in-person feedback from visitors to the hundreds of events we host each year, as well as written feedback via online reviews, emails and social media. We also have regular secret shopping from the deaf and disabled community – we get reports and take part in meetings to better understand what provisions are working and what further work needs to be done. We have worked directly with Disability charities to better understand the requirements of our audiences, such as Attitude Is Everything, Disability Action Haringey the Alzheimer’s Society and more.
What do these developments mean for Alexandra Palace and its audiences?
This latest round of developments has opened our doors for audiences that may not otherwise have been able to visit. The Changing Places facility that was opened in July this year is a game changer, and we hope it gives visitors confidence that they can attend our full events programme. We have a long list of infrastructure developments that have improved the Palace for all, such as new way-finding signage and upgraded entry and exit points. However, we have also worked hard on the non-physical provisions such as online information, website upgrades, staff training and much more. We hope all visitors to the Palace will have an improved and dignified experience from the moment they click onto our website, until they leave site after an event.
Why have you signed up to Hidden Disabilities Sunflower?
We want to make the Park and Palace accessible to all, and we are passionate about facilitating unforgettable experiences for all visitors. We want visitors that have hidden disabilities or sensitivities to sensory overload to feel welcome, safe and have a positive experience here. Joining Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is part of our commitment to this goal. We will be looking to use the expertise, training and materials from Sunflower to develop our own knowledge and offer, so that everyone has the best possible visitor experience.
How will the sensory bags offer support at Alexandra Palace?
We recognise that some environments at Alexandra Palace may be challenging for those that have sensitivities to sensory overload due to noise levels, crowds, lighting/special effects and being in a new environment. We introduced Sensory bags as a valuable support mechanism to help support visitors to feel relaxed and calm when at an event or working. The bags includes things such as spinners, ear plugs and sensory glasses. The use of the bags is completely free and can be used at any event or during day time opening hours, by requesting one from our Visitor Services team.
What are the continued challenges that a venue like Alexandra Palace face?
Making the Park and Palace accessible has always been an ongoing challenge due to the historic nature of the building. Being built over 150 yeas ago means that we are dealing with largely un-accessible Victorian architecture. The Palace is Grade II listed, which can create challenges when modernising infrastructure. Although we are successful in working through these challenges it does require additional resources to navigate. And, of course, there are financial implications too, which as charity means that we have to plan effectively. We have to be creative and bold to make progress, but the work we have done in recent years is a testament to how important the whole team here view accessibility.
Where can people find out more about Accessibility at Alexandra Palace?
The Visitor Services team are available seven days a week between 9am-5pm in our East Court and will be on hand to offer any assistance that anyone may need. They can be called directly on 020 8365 4343 and emailed via Visitor.services@alexandrapalace.com or via our dedicated accessibility email address – access@alexandrapalace.com. We have easy read materials, maps, visual journey documents and much more useful information available on our accessibility page.
The team are also available at all events that we host to assist with any needs or concerns you may have. You can recognise us in our light blue shirts!
There are over 7,000 trees in Alexandra Park and Stephen Middleton from the Friends of Alexandra Park is introducing us to some of his favourites…
Golden by name, golden by nature, the Golden Larch (Pseudolarix amabilis) is our October Tree of the Month. The tree can be found in the Grove area of the park in a wire cage by the concrete plinth opposite the Grove Cafe.
Planted in January 2020, this young tree bursts into life in spring with attractive light green foliage which darkens over the summer. You have the opportunity, however, to see this tree at its best in autumn when the gold comes. A spectacular yellowy brown colours the tree and brings an attractive talking point to the area.
Although the needle-like leaves look similar to larch, it is not all closely related. However, like the larch, it loses its leaves in winter and joins two other deciduous conifers in the Grove, the dawn redwood (by the Little Dinosaurs) and the swamp cypress (by the 3-4-5 playgroup).
The scientific name Pseudolarix amabilis translates as an attractive tree like a larch. Amabilis is derived from the latin word, amare, to love.
The first golden larch seeds were brought to this country in the 1850s by the Scottish plant hunter, Robert Fortune, from its native SE China. He also brought back many other plants now common in cultivation including forsythia and wisteria.
This tree can grow to over 40m high in China, but much less in the UK – the tallest tree in this country is in Cornwall and is just over 20 metres high.
Looking at the leaves of the tree they resemble cedars and larches being formed of rosettes of needles. Unfortunately this tree is not yet old enough to produce any cones.
In its native land the golden larch has been used for boats, furniture and bridges, but in this country its primary use is as an ornamental tree, it is also to be found as a bonsai.
Crowned the UK’s best bonfire display by Time Out and The Daily Telegraph, join us on Friday 1 November and Saturday 2 November for a two-night extravaganza of food, fun and of course – fireworks! Hosted across our 196 acres both in the Park and Palace, we’ve been dazzling the night sky with fireworks since 1873 – that’s over 150 years of entertaining!
While our jaw-dropping fireworks and unbeatable panoramic views have made us famous, there are plenty more reasons why this is the UK’s favourite Guy Fawkes celebration.
Here’s why Ally Pally is the place to be this bonfire weekend…
1. Drone show with a view of London (brand-new!)
For the first time ever, watch our 360-degree drone show, brought to you by the same minds behind the Glastonbury and London New Year’s Eve drone displays. With a backdrop of the London skyline, become a part of our rich 150-year history as we introduce this new and exciting technology.
2. German Bier Fest
Get an authentic taste of Bavaria at the UK’s largest bier festival, hosted in our Great Hall. Don your lederhosen and enjoy beer delivered right to your table, leaving you to enjoy the Bavarian-style Oompah band playing traditional German folk! On top of all that, prep your windpipes to sing-along with tribute acts ABBA Revival on Friday and Oasis tribute Definitely Mightbe, on Saturday!
3. Legendary DJ sets & street food delights
Enter our StrEATlife Village for top-notch DJ sets this year from The Cuban Brothers, bringing soul-funk fusions with riotous comedy and UK garage duo Artful Dodger. Alongside our headliners, soak up the sound of New Orleans as we welcome six-piece brass band Big Smoke Brass, who are performing on both nights!
4. The Café De Pally Tent
Step into the quirky world of Café de Pally, where surprises await around every corner. On Friday, sing your heart out at Gospeloke, with an eight-piece gospel choir backing you up on hits from Beyoncé to Guns N’ Roses. Saturday’s lineup features East End legend Double Bass Dan, the retro Miss Jones Band and the unique Iron Boot Scrappers, an Edwardian rock band with a modern twist.
5. Family fun for all ages
There’s something for all the family at Ally Pally. Gather around the bonfire, hop on classic funfair rides like the dodgems and teacups, catch street circus acts straight from Covent Garden or hit the Ice Rink for disco skating. Don’t forget, many of our street food vendors offer kid-sized portions, so the little ones can join in the foodie fun too!
