• New Christmas experience ‘The Christmas Cavity Calamity’ combines an atmospheric journey through the North Pole, a live 25-minute Mini Panto and a meeting with Father Christmas
• Families step from candlelit Christmas trees and the Northern Lights into a colourful Candyland of giant sweets and an enormous gingerbread house
• Two reduced-capacity ‘quiet’ performances available for families who prefer a lower-sensory experience
• Performances on key dates from 5–23 December – tickets on sale from 10 September
Penshurst, Kent: 10 September 2026 – A twinkling North Pole beneath the glow of the Northern Lights, candlelit Christmas trees, a colourful land of giant sweets and a rather serious shortage of toothpaste await families at Penshurst Place this December, as the historic Kent attraction brings back its popular Christmas Mini Panto and Father Christmas experience with a completely new adventure for 2026.
‘The Christmas Cavity Calamity’ will combine an entrance journey through two contrasting enchanted worlds with a live festive panto-style performance, followed by a photo opportunity with Father Christmas himself, creating a wonderful seasonal outing designed for generations to enjoy together.
Entering first into a dark and atmospheric starlit North Pole, families will wind their way past candlelit Christmas trees, elves and presents beneath the glow of the Northern Lights.
The adventure continues as visitors leave the wintry North Pole behind and step into the bright and colourful world of this year’s Mini Panto. Enormous sweets, candy canes and a giant gingerbread house will set the scene for a 25-minute live Mini Panto show, packed with mischief, colourful characters and plenty of audience participation.
This year’s story finds Mother Christmas facing a dastardly dilemma after her evil twin sister steals every toothbrush and tube of toothpaste in the land. Her plan is simple: encourage the children to eat as many sweets as possible and create a Christmas Cavity Calamity!
With the help of Father Christmas, a cheeky Christmas elf and his trusty reindeer companion Gerald, Mother Christmas must foil the plot and save Christmas before it is too late. At the end of the show, Father Christmas will meet families, with an opportunity to take a festive photograph.
The Mini Panto has become part of Penshurst Place’s annual Christmas tradition, offering families an intimate live performance and Father Christmas encounter. Set within the Garden Room at Penshurst Place,
the experience is deliberately warm, playful and nostalgic, with the emphasis on storytelling, colourful characters and traditional family entertainment.
The wider visit will add to the sense of occasion. The Porcupine Pantry Café will be serving tempting Yuletide treats and the Christmas Gift Shop will once again be transformed. Known for its extensive festive displays, the shop is given a new decorative theme each year and will be filled with baubles, decorations, gifts and Christmas finds for all ages.
Timed performances of ‘The Christmas Cavity Calamity’ take place on the weekends of 5–6 and 12–13 December, followed by daily shows from 18–23 December.
Two ‘quiet’ performances will be available on 6 and 12 December for families requiring a lower-sensory experience.
Tickets cost £9.50 per person and go on sale on 10 September at www.penshurstplace.com. Early booking is recommended, as popular performance times have sold out in previous years.
For Mini Panto performance times, quiet-performance details and bookings, click here. For more information about Christmas on the Penshurst Place estate, visit Penshurst Place.
Please note Mini Panto tickets do not include access to the House and Gardens, which will be closed for the winter. The Porcupine Pantry and Christmas Gift Shop remain open and free to access.
