It's not to be mistaken for the so-bad they're-funny winter wonderlands, with expensive tickets to view plastic polar bears in a muddy field triggering complaints. The Battles' £60-plus-per-head event has been running for 15 years, with attendees including Elton John, Paul McCartney, Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, the Beckhams, Andy Murray, and "most of the British royalty".
Lapland UK hit a £17.2 million turnover this year, selling all 160,000 tickets for its six-week run in one day in March.
Mike says: "When our four boys [now aged between 25 and 30] were little, they'd write to Father Christmas, and Alison would write back, telling them of his magical world." At the time, Alison was a primary school teacher, Mike a hedge fund manager.
This story is from the November 30, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the November 30, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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