The Earl and Countess of Carnarvon
welcome you to a festive evening of
Evening Reception, Champagne & Carols

Friday 12^th & Saturday 13^th December 2025

5:30pm to 8:00pm

Dress Code: Suits/Cocktail Dress

Adult:  £175

Disabled:  £175

Carer:   £125

The Earl and Countess of Carnarvon are delighted to welcome you to Highclere Castle, or “Downton Abbey” as you may well call it, to enjoy the spirit of Christmas.  

Join us on a winters’ evening, seeing the floodlit Castle as you enter the park, making your way past the twinkling trees lighting the drive, before escaping the cold weather as you are welcomed into the Saloon with the log fires burning. A beautiful Christmas garland will wind its way down the bannisters of the Oak Staircase and of course we will have our grand decorated tree taking pride of place. It really is a beautiful setting for a magical evening.

Enjoy Champagne and Canapés throughout this festive evening, as you tour the beautifully decorated Castle inspired as ever by Highclere's history. Explore the State Rooms at your leisure, climb the Oak Staircase to the Bedrooms and discover our Egyptian Exhibition in the cellars.

We will have a variety of Canapés, including Vegetarian options, served throughout the evening. (Please note, we cannot guarantee that our products are either dairy free or nut free. We are unable to accommodate additional dietary requests for this event).

At the end of the evening, enjoy a performance from carol singers on the Oak Staircase. Please gather to listen and sing with us to mark the beginning of Christmas.

There will even be a chance to shop in our Gift Shop, the perfect opportunity to stock up on Christmas gifts! Your ticket includes a signed copy of Lady Carnarvon's book  ‘Christmas at Highclere’. Please remember to collect your copy before you depart, as these cannot be posted out after the event.

Please note, this event is for over 18s only. Tours around the Castle for this event are self-guided, with our guides on hand throughout the evening to answer questions. The Grounds will open for this event no earlier than 5pm.  Please do keep this in mind when arranging travel or booking a taxi, as we do not have a sheltered waiting-area.