Happy new year!  Gallifrey One’s Miracle on 34th Street is fast approaching, and we have a ton of updates to share with you as we hit the home stretch, including everything in the article below.  And of course, there’s much more to come later this month.  Read on…

Guest Update

We have a couple new guests to announce for this year, two of them joining us at Gallifrey One for the very first time (and yes, we do expect to keep adding additional guests as the convention draws ever closer, so stay tuned!)

Brian Herring

Brian Herring is a film and TV puppeteer who was one of the performers for The Meep in Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary special “The Star Beast,” and the animatronics performer for the Goblin King in the show’s Christmas Special “The Church on Ruby Road,” as well as the escaped Ice Warrior in the episode “Cold War.”  Brian is best known as the lead performer of BB-8 in the Star Wars saga, including the sequel trilogy, as well as Rogue One and Solo.  His other work includes Hellboy 2, Prometheus, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Wizards Vs Aliens, Dolittle, 28 Weeks Later, Spitting Image, The Hoobs, Jim Henson’s Construction Site, Mopatop’s Shop, the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, Muppets Most Wanted and Muppets Treasure Island.  This is his first Gallifrey One event and he’ll be in our Dealers Room as well as on our program.

Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson

Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson is the author of The Order of Legends trilogy, and writer of the novelisation for Doctor Who’s 2023 Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road.” The inaugural winner of Future Worlds Prize Award in 2020, her debut novel, The Principle of Moments, will be published on January 18th, 2024. As an author of Nigerian, Jamaican, and British-Australian heritage, her work primarily focuses on people who live at the intersection of identities, whether that’s here on Earth, or in far away galaxies of her own creation. She holds a BA in English Literature and Classical Studies from the University of Exeter.  This is her first appearance at Gallifrey One and her first Doctor Who convention as a guest and we’re delighted to welcome her.

Alfie Shaw

Alfie Shaw is a writer, script editor and producer for Big Finish Productions. He’s written for numerous ranges including The Eleventh Doctor Chronicles, The Seventh Doctor Adventures, The War Master, Class, Torchwood, and UNIT: Brave New World as well as currently producing the various Doctor Chronicles ranges. He has also written various articles and quizzes for the official Doctor Who website in addition to scripting videos for the Doctor Who YouTube channel. This will be his second visit to Gallifrey One and we’re delighted to officially welcome him as a guest in 2024.

Eric Saward will unfortunately not be able to join us for this year’s convention.  We wish him and his partner Jane well and look forward to seeing them in the future!

Last Call: T-Shirt & Tote Bag Pre-orders

Gallifrey One’s 2024 convention T-shirt and tote bags are available for pre-orders for only a few more days!  Pre-orders for these items will close at the end of the day on MONDAY, JANUARY 15.  While we do expect to have a small stock of additional shirts & bags on hand for sale at the convention, pre-ordering guarantees your purchase.  (The design on the shirt & tote bag isn’t revealed until the convention itself.)

Pre-order Gallifrey One 2024 T-Shirts/Tote Bags

Pre-ordered shirts and tote bags can be picked up at the Gallifrey One Sales booth along the back wall of our 2024 Dealers Room (left side, facing the rear of the room) during regular business hours on Friday and Saturday, or before 1pm on Sunday.  You can also purchase our additional stock, including some items from prior convention years. 

Add-Ons & Extras Still On Sale

As a reminder, our variety of optional add-on packages and passes to enhance your visit to our convention are currently on sale, including select photo ops (with more to be added soon), the TARDIS Tag, three Diamond Passes, and a number of VIP script readings.  These are all optional items and available while supplies last.  To purchase these items, visit the Convention Photo Shoots website by clicking on the button below:

Purchase Gallifrey One 2024 Add-Ons at Convention Photo Shoots

Remember: you must have a paid convention ticket to purchase and use any add-on item; visit the Convention Registration page to purchase convention tickets.

We’ve received a variety of questions about the various add-ons including when special events are being scheduled, when receptions will go on sale, and much more.  As we did last year, we’ve prepared a special Add-Ons Q&A that you can find below at the very bottom of this news update, so please scroll down for that.

Programming & Panels Update

We’re currently busy putting together our 2024 convention program, which will once again be four full program/panel tracks, along with a variety of side meet-ups and functions.  Some very important things we’d like to share with you at this time:

  • Gallifrey One’s 2024 complete Schedule of Events will once again be using the Sched online platform (you can see last year’s schedule in action here.)  We expect this year’s schedule to be online sometime during the week of January 22 with all the general programming; photo ops and other extra items will be added to the list after that.
  • We very much appreciate all of you who volunteered to be on our discussion panel track this year!  We will be notifying everyone selected for one or more panels by mid-month; we do our best to create a diverse selection of panelists, and while we cannot select everyone who requested panels, we try to use as many volunteers as possible (while still giving priority to attending guests.)  
  • Although it’s still early, there are details in the sections below on our Evening Programming, as well as our TARDIS Talks academic program, this year’s Masquerade of Mandragora, and our Children’s Programming for 2024.
  • We’re putting out a last call for meetups & gatherings to be part of the official convention program; see below.

TARDIS Talks

The Gallifrey One TARDIS Talks program offers a different type of fan discussion… not just for academics, but also for fans who want to discuss topics about Doctor Who in greater depth. Rather than a traditional discussion panel, TARDIS Talks offer speakers a longer time to speak (ten to fifteen minutes) about a topic they’re passionate about, with a discussion after all the speakers. In addition, the TARDIS Talks feature an invited Keynote Speaker each year.

We’re happy to announce that Gallifrey One’s 2024 TARDIS Talks program will include the following presentations:

  • Keynote address: Piers Britton, University of Redlands, “Design of the Times”
  • Reecy Pontiff, “On a string and a prayer: the sound design of the TARDIS”
  • Emma O’Neill-Dietel, “Time and Relative Disability in Space: Deconstructing Disability in Doctor Who”
  • Dominique Gagnon, “Understanding Anti-Fandom and Media Opposition During the Flux Broadcast”
  • Catrina Parker, “Lost Without You: Exploring Ambiguous Loss in Doctor Who”
  • Julia Henken, “When Fans Become Showrunners”
  • Dave Ringo, “Social Science Fiction in Doctor Who”
  • Mike Ferguson, “The UNIT Industrial Complex”

The Gallifrey One 2024 TARDIS Talks event will take place in a two-hour block; the exact day will be announced soon.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Children’s Programming & Science Workshops

We can confirm that Gallifrey One’s Children’s Program will once again be returning for 2024.  For a set amount of time on each of the three days of the convention, Children’s Programming will feature fun activities for young kids, both Doctor Who themed as well as other fun activities.  The full schedule of events will be available in late January.  Children’s Programming will be located on the hotel’s first floor, not the convention level; the first floor is accessible by elevator, or using the stairs down from the hotel lobby concierge area.

Regrettably, our very popular Science Workshops for children & families will not be returning this year, as the person who leads them for us is unable to be at this year’s convention.  We hope they will return in 2025.

Our 2024 Masquerade Event

The Masquerade of Mandragora, our annual costume presentation, returns once again in 2024 in our new format introduced in 2023.  Instead of the old style (with judging and elaborate performances), we focus on the most important part — the costumes — with a fashion-show style presentation.  This year’s Masquerade takes place on Friday night at 7:00pm in our main auditorium (Program A); all attendees are welcome and seating is first-come first-served.

For costumers: You are welcome to enter your cosplay into the Masquerade, including hall costumes!  Simply stop by the Masquerade Registration Table located near Member Services on Friday from 10:00am to 5:00pm and fill out an entry card (all we need is your name, and the name of your costume.)  Yes, you can enter as a solo act or in a small group.  Then, gather at the Masquerade assembly area Friday between 6:00pm and 6:30pm (you’ll find the assembly area at the back of the hallway where our panel rooms Program B, C & D are located) so our attendants can check you in and get the presentation order set.  Photos of every entrant’s cosplay will be taken so we can post photos after the event!

IMPORTANT for this year: We know many of our entrants felt a bit rushed on stage last time, so we’re giving every entry a bit more stage time this year to show off your costumes!

As we begin this year’s Masquerade, each costumer will be announced as they enter the stage; we’ll have a standing microphone on stage so you can say a few words about your costume as you showcase your work (we ask that you please be brief!)  Then, proceed down the short staircase into the audience, where attendees can see your work up close as you exit toward the back of the room.  As the Masquerade ends, our costumers will be able to congregate in the convention center foyer for a reception, where we’ll have Doctor Who backdrops available for photos — come ask your favorites questions about their stunning costume work! 

And for those who wish to remain in the ballroom, we’ll immediately segue to our evening entertainment: Dominic Glynn’s Survival Remixes, and then a screening of the newly colorized Doctor Who story “The Daleks”.  (We estimate the Glynn event to start around 8:15pm, but is time approximate after the end of the costume presentation; “The Daleks” should follow around 9:30pm.)

Costumers, please note: we will have background music playing but we are not taking individual cues; also, please be sure to keep your stage time brief so everyone has a chance to be seen. We cannot provide custom music or sound effects for you, sorry.

Meet-Ups and Gatherings in 2023

We are still booking meet-ups and gatherings for this year’s convention!  The Program E room will have a number of social gatherings and events throughout the weekend, and we’ll be featuring those – and many others – on our electronic schedule coming out later in January.  If you have a social event you’d like to suggest (and are willing to facilitate it), please drop us a line via email to contactus@gallifreyone.com and let us know.  But be quick about it… space is filling up fast!

Evening Events Preview

Gallifrey One doesn’t stop at the end of the afternoon… our evening events on Friday and Saturday, as well as our Thursday night pre-convention events, are some of the best parts of the convention!  We’re happy to announce the following events will be taking place in the evenings at this year’s convention (with a couple big changes from previous events!)

Thursday Evening

Night in the City of (Weeping) Angels: The Gallifrey One 2024 Launch Party: Thursday night at 8pm, before the festivities commence the following morning, you are cordially invited to join hundreds of your fellow attendees, and some early guest arrivals, in our main auditorium for ice cream and fun conversation.  (Convention badges can be picked up beginning in the late afternoon and throughout the party event!)  Just… don’t… blink… 

Three Nights of Karaoke: Yep, we’re doing three nights of karaoke again, Thursday, Friday and Saturday!  All three karaoke sessions will begin at or after 9:30pm; Thursday night’s event will take place in the main auditorium, while Friday & Saturday night’s karaoke sessions will be in one of our side programming rooms.

Friday Evening

The Masquerade of Mandragora: Our convention’s costume presentation once again takes place on Friday evening, this year beginning at 7:00pm. As in 2023, we’ve removed the judging portion of the event in lieu of a fashion show-style presentation, which will allow both exclusive costumes as well as hall costumes… but this year, we’re giving presenters a little more time on stage.  (See the Masquerade section above for full details.)

Dominic Glynn’s Survival Remixes: Doctor Who musician Dominic Glynn joins us immediately after this year’s Masquerade to spin some of his great music, mixed live with accompanying video.  You won’t want to miss it.

The Daleks in Colour: And then, immediately following the Dominic Glynn event, we’ll bring you the all-new colorized version of The Daleks, the second ever Doctor Who serial, on our big screen in the main hall.

Fan Video Happy Hour: The popular Doctor Who fan video cavalcade hosted by Kim Rogers and Sage Young of Head Over Feels will be back on Friday in the early evening.  If you have a fan video you’d like them to consider including, please contact us and we’ll relay it to them!

Shabbat Shalom Gallifrey One: A short non-denominational service to welcome in the sabbath, hosted by Yonatan Shamgar, Friday evening. All are very welcome (you don’t have to be Jewish!)

Evening Panels: We’ll have a small selection of discussion panels throughout Friday evening for your enjoyment.

The Cornell Collective: Paul Cornell’s late night chat show returns again for fun and surprises, later in the evening on Friday.

Friday Evening Guest Receptions: Our very popular cocktail receptions with our headline guests and other participants will once again take place on both Friday and Saturday night. Tickets to these evening receptions (which are not included in the price of admission) will go on sale closer to the convention.

Friday Night Karaoke: Second of three karaoke sessions, all night long!

Saturday Evening

The Idiot’s Lantern: One of Gallifrey One’s most popular showcase events… and again on Saturday night!  The annual Idiot’s Lantern sketch comedy show, a fully scripted live performance on our main stage with a large cast of talent, explores the comical side of Doctor Who and science fiction fandom through a number of different sketches and styles.  

The Game of Rassilon: Back again on Saturday evening, it’s Dungeons & Dragons, but a little more timey-wimey… we’ve once again gathered a team of very funny people to play the game for your amusement! What misadventure will the Doctor and their companions find themselves in this time, and how will they get out? It all depends on the dice!

Talkin’ ‘Bout My Bi-Generation Dance Party: Join us on Saturday night as we dance ’til dawn (or at least for a few hours!)  DJ Dancin’ Dan Murphy will spin classic tunes and convention staples in our main hall, after the end of The Idiot’s Lantern.

Saturday Evening Guest Receptions: Same as on Friday night… tickets will go on sale closer to the event.

Saturday Night Karaoke: The third of three karaoke sessions, all night long!

And More…

Evening Gaming: Don’t forget, Gallifrey One’s Gaming Hub runs until midnight on Friday & Saturday nights, expanding into two rooms for more RPGs, board and card games, including late-night (18+) Cards Against Humanity.

Video Room: Our video program begins Friday morning, and runs until late on Friday & Saturday nights, with lots of fun video programming, so be sure to stop by!

On the Convention Level: We will once again have a cash bar located outside Program A all three nights, for your beverage convenience (including our 2024 signature cocktail, to be announced soon.)  

And… Lobbycon (of course!) Some say the most fun to be had at Gallifrey One is on the main hotel level in the lobby and at the Hangar 18 bar.  Our social scene there is legendary; you can find many attendees, guests and staff there every evening, from Wednesday through Sunday.

Charity Auction Donations Wanted

The annual Gallifrey One Bob May Memorial Charity Auction, our charity benefit event taking place on the Sunday of the convention, relies entirely upon donations of merchandise to auction for a good cause!  Our 2024 charity auction will benefit a great organization, The Trevor Project, and you can find complete details about them at the Charity Auction page.

Bring your donations to our Charity Auction Donation Room, at the back of the panel room hallway, at any time on Friday or Saturday at this year’s Gallifrey One convention; we will gladly take it off your hands.

What are we looking for? In short: donations of science fiction, fantasy, comics, horror or genre related material, most especially Doctor Who and its spinoffs. This includes items from many different genres: a few examples include Torchwood, Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel Cinematic Universe/Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Harry Potter, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Supernatural, Game of Thrones, The Expanse, Stranger Things, Westworld, The Orville, The 100, The Prisoner, Blake’s 7, Outlander Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, Red Dwarf and the myriad comics-related TV shows and films; as well as anything related to science fiction film and television, SF/fantasy literature, comic books, or collectibles. Anything that has a tangential relationship to the SF/fantasy/horror genre which is in at least very good condition. Autographed photos, commemorative items, one-time prints, illustrations, etc. are also welcome. If you find it to be a valuable collectible, chances are good that others will, too. Just be sure: this is not a disposal service for items you wish to throw away! 

Our 2024 Dealers Room 

The Dealers Room at Gallifrey One is at the heart of our convention and is completely sold out for 2024.  The Dealers Room contains all the latest Doctor Who and media & merchandise collectibles, such as DVDs & CDs, books and magazines, plus costuming gear, science fiction books, videos and audios, movie posters, jewelry, buttons, collectible cards, media memorabilia, Girl Scout Cookies from a local troop, and so much more.  Our exhibitor tables (fan tables) are also located in the Dealers Room.

Our convention registration grants you full access to the Gallifrey One Dealers Room for the entire weekend (we do not sell a separate “dealers room only” admission.)  The Dealers Room opens on Friday at 10:00am for your shopping convenience (an hour earlier than main stage programming starts!)  Our hours of operation are 10:00am to 6:00pm Friday and Saturday, and 10:00am to 4:00pm on Sunday.  The following dealers are confirmed to be joining us this year:

Our 2024 guests and exhibitors with tables in the Dealers Room currently include:

  • AZTARDIS (TARDIS & console display/photos)
  • B.A.D.A.S.S. (Browncoat, Auxiliary, Depression, and Anxiety Support System)
  • Bill Blair
  • Gallifrey One Sales (t-shirts & tote bags)
  • Dominic Glynn
  • Brian Herring
  • Los Angeles in 2026 Worldcon Bid
  • Loscon 2024
  • M&M Famous Faces
  • Pop Culture Hero Coalition
  • Sci-Fi Sea Cruise
  • SD Who Con
  • Blair Shedd

Please note that we are moving our Autograph Alley out of the Dealers Room this year; it will be located in the main convention center foyer instead.

“Did I buy a ticket?”

We’re receiving a LOT of emails recently from people wondering if they did in fact purchase tickets, some of which is happening because they can’t find their tickets in their email.  Many people search their email for EventBrite and can’t find them… please remember that we no longer sell tickets via EventBrite, but rather through Member Solutions (the vendor we also use for convention T-shirts and tote bags).  You will be able to find your purchase in your email by searching for “Member Solutions”.

As an additional reminder, our partner vendor Convention Photo Shoots, which takes care of all our photo op sales as well as the add-on packages (such as the Diamond Pass, TARDIS Tag and VIP script reading), does use EventBrite to sell their items.

Q&A: Autographs, Photos, Add-On Packages

Like we did last year, we wanted to answer some questions we’ve been getting regarding some of the add-on packages, including the Diamond Pass, the TARDIS Tag, and the VIP script readings.  If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email.

Do I have to buy an add-on package to get an autograph from, or photo with, any of the sponsored actor guests?
No.  The Diamond Pass and TARDIS Tag are for attendees’ convenience only (and cost savings, in many cases) and are never required for access to our guests.

Will you sell out the photo ops if I don’t purchase in advance?
We do recommend pre-purchasing photo ops (or one of the packages mentioned above) to save yourself time, not to mention our photo studio staff.  However, we expect all photo ops will be available for purchase on site as well.

What about autographs?
We do not pre-sell autograph sessions with any guests, except the autographs guaranteed in the add-on packages.  Autographs with all guests will be fully available for purchase on site.  (Important fact: we have never sold out of photo ops or autographs.)

When will the VIP script reading sessions and TARDIS Tag meet & greet events take place?  Will they sell out?
The exact dates and times are still to be announced, but we can confirm the following: Billie Piper’s script reading will take place on Saturday morning on the main convention level; Derek Jacobi & Alex Kingston’s script readings will take place on Sunday on the main convention level (likely both in the morning); and the script reading events for Lalla Ward, Matthew Waterhouse and Camille Coduri will take place at other times (all in the afternoons) in the receptions lounge on the 16th floor.  Additionally, none of these script reading sessions will conflict with each other.  Also, the Lalla Ward and Matthew Waterhouse meet & greets that are included in the TARDIS Tag will be scheduled in the afternoons as well.

Will you be adding photo ops with additional guests?
Absolutely.  The current photo ops for sale are with guests we have already established contracts with.  We will add additional photo ops for pre-sale with other guests closer to the convention, and you will be able to purchase them on site as well.

Are photo op prices per photo, or per participant?
Per participant.  If you have two attendees wanting to be in the same photo, you must each purchase a photo op. All participants will receive a copy of the photo, as well as a digital print available after the convention.

If I have a package that includes a photo op, can my friend(s) participate in the photo?
Yes… as long as each person has purchased a photo op – either a package or an individual photo – they can participate in the photo.

Whose autographs/photo ops are included with the TARDIS Tag?
Guests specifically sponsored by Showmasters Events, which currently include Derek Jacobi, Billie Piper, Alex Kingston, Lalla Ward, Matthew Waterhouse, Camille Coduri, Shaun Dingwall and Jacqueline King.  It will include others to be confirmed closer to the event.

When will Evening Guest Reception tickets go on sale?
Reception tickets will go on sale later in January, after confirming the remainder of our attending actor guests and other participants.

I saw that digital photos would require an extra charge this year…
This was a mistake that we immediately had fixed after it was reported to us; sorry for the confusion!  Every photo op purchase includes both the physical print on-demand at our Photo Studio, and the digital download a couple weeks after the convention is over.

What if I don’t purchase any add-ons?  Do I get to see the guests?
Yes, absolutely!  All of Gallifrey One’s guests appear on stage throughout the weekend, and all of our convention programming is included in the price of general admission.  You do not ever have to purchase an optional add-on to see our guests; the add-ons enhance your experience.

And Finally… Check Out Our Attendee Guide

We keep our Gallifrey One Attendee Guide as updated as possible at all times… it has a lot more information about what to expect this February, so visit it often!

More news soon…