On November 23rd, 2013, Doctor Who fans around the world will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the world’s longest running sci-fi series. We are delighted to announce that current Doctor – Matt Smith – will attend the only official 50th Anniversary Celebration at ExCeL, London alongside special guests confirmed so far: Tom Baker*, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy who have also played the iconic role of The Doctor.

The event on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th November is a must for the whole family to celebrate their love of all things Doctor Who, with an exciting range of activities to suit all ages. Keep your eyes peeled for further announcements of high profile guests in the coming weeks.

Matt Smith says:

“The event this year will be an extra special occasion for me, I’m truly looking forward to a huge celebration with the fans in the lead up to the 50th anniversary episode.”

Ticket holders to this once-in-a-lifetime event will have access to a whole range of activities including: 

•  Guaranteed seats to two theatre panel shows featuring star guests from 50 years of Doctor Who. 

•  Guaranteed seats in a spectacular special effects show hosted by Doctor Who’s special effects guru Danny Hargreaves. 

•  Activities in the main halls including: stunt workshops with Doctor Who stunt co-ordinator Crispin Layfield and stunt double Gordon Seed, audio and visual effect workshops, on-stage panels with cast members, walk-like-a-monster master-classes with Doctor Who’s official monster choreographer Ailsa Burke, quizzes and games for fans young and old and plenty more to ensure the whole family have an amazing day out celebrating Doctor Who. 

All of the above will be available to guests who purchase a standard ticket to the event. Tickets go on general sale at 11am on Monday 8th July 2013 from celebration.doctorwho.tv. Standard tickets are priced at £45 for adults and £20 for kids, while a family ticket will cost £104** (two adults and two children***). Tickets cover entry to the Celebration for one day. 

There is also an option to purchase a limited edition TARDIS ticket. This ticket guarantees front row seats to the theatre shows, a private lounge for use all day, drinks and light refreshments and a special goodie bag with exclusive merchandise which can be collected on the day guests attend. TARDIS tickets are priced at £95.50 for adults, £44.25 for children and £218 for a family (two adults and two children****).

To ensure every visitor gets access to the best experience, when buying tickets online they will have the option to choose one of two streams – Ice Warrior or Weeping Angel – which will reserve each guest a seat for that day’s shows in the theatre. 

Visitors to the Celebration will also have the opportunity to visit signature and photo booths where they can meet their heroes from 50 years of Doctor Who (photos with Matt Smith should be booked in advance via the website). These opportunities will be available at a fee and subject to availability. 

In addition to the Celebration, further activity is being planned for the Saturday evening and will be announced soon.

For more information on the Celebration and a Plan Your Day guide, visit celebration.doctorwho.tv. To hear who else will be making the journey to this once-in-a-lifetime occasion at ExCeL in November subscribe to the doctorwho.tv newsletter and follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/dwcelebration.

*Tom Baker is only able to attend the Doctor Who Celebration on Saturday 23rd November.
**Prices shown for standard tickets exclude booking fee.
***Children under five can attend for free, but must be able to sit on a parents lap during the theatre shows as seats are pre-allocated.
****Prices shown for TARDIS tickets include booking fee.

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

The Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff Bay is preparing to welcome visitors through the TARDIS doors in Porth Teigr with a special half-term schedule. The Doctor Who Experience has proved popular with fans around the world since opening in Cardiff in July 2012, welcoming over 40,000 visitors to the Welsh capital.

Exclusive activities taking place at the DWE over the half-term period are as follows:

27th October
Learn to walk like a monster by taking part in master-classes with monster choreographer for Doctor Who Ailsa Burke.

28th October
The Doctor Who Experience’s curator Andrew Beech hosts informal chats on the mezzanine where he will share his unique insight into the monsters of Doctor Who. 

29th October
Visitors to the Experience can enjoy a monster makeover by former Doctor Who make-up artist and resident face-painter Bethan Kate Harris. Choose between a Weeping Angel, Cyberman, Silurian, Peg Doll and Silence or a mini-paint (TARDIS or Dalek).

31st October
Bethan returns to the Doctor Who Experience as the exhibition comes to life. Visitors on Halloween should prepare for a number of spooky surprises; the exhibits might not be as permanent as they appear...

2nd November
Bethan Kate Harris returns to the Experience to hand out more monster makeovers.

3rd November
Stephen Nicholas from Doctor Who production in Roath Lock hosts informal chats on the mezzanine where he shares his unique insights into producing the world’s longest running sci-fi series.

4th November
Ailsa Burke rounds off the half-term activity at Doctor Who with another walk like a monster master class.

The Doctor Who Experience is the world’s only interactive Doctor Who exhibition. Visitors to the Experience take part in their own Doctor Who adventure, confronting Daleks and Weeping Angels in a quest to reunite the Doctor and his TARDIS. The exhibition area of the Experience houses the largest collection of Doctor Who props and exhibits ever assembled.

More information can be found at www.doctorwhoexperience.com. 

[Source: BBC Worldwide]