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Festive celebrations at Turner Contemporary
Friday 30 November 6 – 9pm 

Join us on Friday 30 November for our festive late night event, which starts Margate's Christmas celebrations. 
 
Artist Maria Nepomuceno, whose Sunley Gallery commission is currently on show in the gallery, will switch on our Christmas tree lights at 6.30pm. We’ll also be joined by cast members from the Theatre Royal’s pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk (showing at the theatre from 13 December), the Big Sing choir will lead a Christmas carol sing-a-long and Turner Contemporary Café will be serving mulled wine and mince pies. Father Christmas may even make a return appearance!

The festive celebrations continue with a night of free Christmas craft workshops at the gallery led by local artist makers including Dawn Cole, Zoe Murphy, Heidi and Emrys Plant, Maxine Sutton, and Clare Youngs – you can particpate in a range of activities and get useful tips for creating your own Christmas crafts/making gifts such as paper reindeers, paper cut architecture, origami decorations, beading and screen print decorations.

It’s also an excellent chance to enjoy the current exhibitions Alex Katz: Give Me Tomorrow, Alex Katz on Painting: Masterpieces from Tate and Maria Nepomuceno Tempo para Respirar (Breathing Time). Its free admission to the gallery and exhibitions, plus all of the activities on the evening are free.

Christmas shopping

Turner Contemporary's shop will be open until 9pm and is offering a 10% discount on everything. Artist Maria Nepomuceno’s new publication launched on the same evening will also be discounted by 10% - for one night only.

Many Old Town shops will be open late to coincide with the late night opening at the gallery including Breuer & Dawson vintage clothes shop, Madam Popoff vintage shop, Beaux Interieurs gift shop, Punkaboo, Showtime Retro, Paraphernalia, Qing Art, Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe plus more.

Margate Visitor Information Centre will also be holding their own Christmas Shopping Evening from 5pm to 8pm.

Christmas Opening Dates

The gallery will be closed on
Monday 17 December
Christmas Eve (24 Dec)
Christmas Day (25 Dec)
Boxing Day (26 Dec)
New Year’s Eve (31 Dec)

We are open all other days over this period 10am – 6pm.

Family Christmas holiday activities

Easy Sunday family activities every Sunday 1-4pm. In addition, over the festive period we have family workshops on Friday 28 December and Tuesday 1 January to Friday 4 January 1- 4pm where you can create your own wish to add to our artist-made ‘Wishing Tree’.