Fenwick Christmas Window 2026 Brings The Gruffalo's Child to Northumberland Street

For many Newcastle families, Christmas starts with the walk along Northumberland Street to see the Fenwick window, and this year's theme has now been revealed. The 2026 display is The Gruffalo's Child, based on the picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, and it is open to view now.

What you will see

The window follows the story of the Gruffalo's daughter, who slips out into the deep, dark wood while her father is asleep, looking for the Big Bad Mouse he has warned her about. Fenwick has added a festive finale that is not in the book, with Santa's sleigh and the two characters asleep beside a Christmas tree.

The soundtrack is a recording of Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King by the Royal Northern Sinfonia, the orchestra based at The Glasshouse in Gateshead.

The reveal

The window was unveiled on Sunday 1 November to invited guests, including families from the store's partner school, hospital and charity, plus winners of a public ballot. Both Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler were there for the launch, which was also streamed on Fenwick's YouTube and Instagram channels.

"It's wonderful to see The Gruffalo's Child brought to life in such a magical way at Fenwick," said Dame Julia Donaldson.

Fenwick is also selling an exclusive Gruffalo's Child bauble in store and online, with a donation from each sale going to the National Literacy Trust.

Planning your visit

The window opened to the public on Monday 2 November and Fenwick says it will stay up until early January 2027. See our event page for the Fenwick Christmas window for details.

You can make a day of it by pairing the window with lunch at Colman's at Fenwick or, for young Gruffalo fans, a trip to Seven Stories, the national centre for children's books in the Ouseburn. Our Christmas in Newcastle guide covers the rest of the season, including the Christmas lights switch-on and the Christmas markets.

The announcement was made in a Fenwick press release.