People tuned in from across the world to watch the moment the curtain dropped at Fenwick’s Window in Newcastle
19:31, 01 Nov 2026Updated 19:40, 01 Nov 2026
The 2026 Fenwick’s Window reveal(Image: Fenwick)
It’s always a magical moment for everyone in Newcastle and the North East. But it wasn’t just people on home turf who tuned into see the curtain drop on Fenwick’s Window this year, as a huge global audience watched to see the 2026 theme revealed as The Gruffalo’s Child.
Fenwick’s Window is a festive tradition that dates back to the early 1970s, when crowds enjoyed early displays like Camberwick Green, Aladdin, Rupert the Bear and Treasure Island. Even when the nation was in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was still a Fenwick’s Window, with The Wind in the Willows display enjoyed at a social distance in the run up to Christmas 2020.
Other great themes over the last decade have included Paddington, Beatrix Potter, Chronicles of Narnia and last year’s feast for the senses – A Christmas Carol, which was rightfully championed as one of Fenwick’s best displays for some time. Fencing and a short road closure around the famous Northumberland Street store meant that only invited guests got to see the reveal in person on Sunday evening, before the Window officially opens to the public on Monday.
The build up to the big moment fully began at 6.30pm, as those lucky enough to be there were treated to song and dance from a talented cast of performers and, the many watching at home got to follow live action on the Fenwick YouTube channel, before Santa arrived and started the countdown from 10, as the curtain then dropped to reveal a Fenwick re-telling of Julia Donaldson’s much loved book and TV film, The Gruffalo’s Child.
And it quickly became apparent from the comments on the YouTube broadcast that people were tuning in from far and wide. One excited viewer posted: ‘Well that was just lovely! We watched you from Canada!’ as another reacted: ‘Happy Christmas, absolutely love this annual tradition. Now Going Global. Magic Moments In Time.’
The Gruffalo’s Child is a bestselling 2004 children’s picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler and the sequel to The Gruffalo. It has also been a stage production and a 25 minute film for the BBC, with the voices of stars like Robbie Coltrane, Shirley Henderson and James Corden featuring in the 2011 animated special.
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