London's Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust has unveiled a new autumn season of events celebrating 90 years since BBC television broadcasting began from Alexandra Palace.
Running from September to November, BBC TV 90 at Ally Pally will feature talks, screenings, performances and special events, drawing from the Alexandra Palace Television Society archive.
Visitors will be able to discover free new public displays in the East Court, explore new digital exhibitions through Google Arts & Culture and see the Palace’s television transmitter mast illuminated throughout the anniversary celebrations.
The talks will also explore themes including children’s television, women pioneers, education, LGBTQIA+ broadcasting and Black representation, bringing together broadcasters, historians, academics and industry professionals.
Alexandra Palace has always been a place where innovation meets entertainment
Emma Dagnes, Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust
Emma Dagnes OBE, chief executive of Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust, said: “Alexandra Palace has always been a place where innovation meets entertainment. 90 years ago, television changed forever, shaping the modern world as we know it today. BBC TV 90 at Ally Pally celebrates that pioneering spirit and we’re looking forward to sharing the remarkable people, ideas and creativity that put Alexandra Palace at the heart of one of the greatest innovations of the 20th century.”
Alexandra Palace became home to the BBC’s television studios in 1935. It also housed BBC offices, dressing rooms, scenery stores, and props and technical facilities, while the East Court housed a fleet of BBC broadcast vehicles.
As part of the programme, Alexandra Palace’s creative learning team will present original productions inspired by the Palace’s broadcasting heritage, created by the Alexandra Palace Young Actors Company (ages 16–28) and the Ally Pally Ensemble (ages 50+) and the Palace’s newest attraction, SUMMIT Ally Pally Roof Top Adventure will dedicate a day to views of the television mast from high above the city.
The celebrations will culminate on Monday, November 2, with the unveiling of a World Origin Site plaque in the Palace’s East Court, exactly 90 years to the day that the BBC launched the world’s first regular public high-definition television service from Alexandra Palace.
Alexandra Palace has upcoming headline shows with names such as Annie Mac, I Prevail, Public Service Broadcasting, Fat Freddy's Drop, Beth Orton, Skindred, The Reytons, Overmono, Courteeners and Blossoms.
