Confirmed · Kent coast · Attraction
Dreamland Margate
Poplar's Christmas funfair (2024 special) in Call the Midwife. Tickets for rides; allow 1 to 3 hours.
- On screen as
- Poplar's Christmas funfair (2024 special)
- Series and episodes
- Christmas special 2024 · Christmas special 2024, Part 1 · Christmas special 2024, Part 2
- Access
- Tickets for rides
- Time needed
- 1 to 3 hours
- Where
- Margate, Kent
On screen
How Dreamland Margate appears
In the 2024 Christmas special, flu sweeps through Poplar just as a travelling funfair arrives in the district for the festive season. The Kent Film Office confirms the funfair scenes were filmed at Dreamland in Margate. The story places the fair in the East End; the real rides stand on the Kent coast, about an hour's drive from the dockyard. The special was shown in two parts on Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2024, and the film office names the special as a whole rather than one part, so this guide links Dreamland to both. The funfair layout seen on screen was arranged for filming and may differ from the rides you find today.
The real place
What you can visit
Dreamland is one of Britain's oldest amusement parks, on Margate's seafront opposite the beach. It reopened in recent years with restored vintage rides, including the Grade II* listed Scenic Railway wooden roller coaster, alongside newer attractions, food stalls and an events programme of concerts and festivals. Opening days and ride times follow a published calendar that changes through the year, and the park is often closed or only partly open in winter, so check the calendar and current prices on the official site before you go. On event days, parts of the site may be ticketed separately.
Ride rules are set by the park: check height and health limits before queueing with children.
Kent Film Office: Call the Midwife series 1 to 15 ↗Margate station is a level walk of around ten minutes along the seafront to Dreamland's Marine Terrace entrance (CT9 1XJ). Parking is in paid seafront and town car parks. The main paths are step-free, though some rides have height, mobility or health restrictions. Margate is busy on summer weekends, so arrive early for parking.
Common questions
Planning a responsible visit
Was the 2024 Christmas funfair filmed at Dreamland?
Yes. The Kent Film Office names Dreamland Margate as the funfair location for the 2024 Christmas special, which was broadcast in two parts.
Is Dreamland open all year?
No. Opening days follow a seasonal calendar, with fewer days in winter and special events at other times. Check the official calendar before you travel.
Can I ride the rides seen on screen?
The funfair was set up for filming and the park's line-up changes, so treat it as a visit to the real Dreamland rather than a recreation of the special.
Plan your visit
Build it into the day.
Margate's Old Town and seafront, Turner Contemporary, or a coastal walk along to Broadstairs.
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