Always good to wonder how the other half lives, isn’t it? Even more intriguing to think about how those at 10 Downing Street does, too: how clean are the Prime Minister’s quarters and what’s the kitchen like?
Now, you can actually find out, as a public ballot has opened up to give you a chance to look around 10 Downing Street, as well as BBC Broadcasting House. It comes as part of the London Open House festival for 2024, which also offers up the chance to check out spots including the BT Tower and the Trellick Tower.
It follows the opportunity to see the Downing Street Gardens earlier this year (when the UK had a different Prime Minister, no less!), which unlocked its doors to the public as part of the London Open Gardens festival. This time, the interiors will open up, so anyone who attended in April can complete the full set.
Speaking on the news, Celia Mead, Festival Director, said: “We’re delighted that the first four public ballots have already attracted over 30,000 entries, showing that people are really keen to get into interesting spaces that are not normally open to the public and learn about the significance of the building.
“We’re all about providing free access to special places to as many people as possible, in the fairest way we know. But don’t worry, if you’re not able to secure a place in a ballot, then there are 800 other festival opening events to choose from when general booking goes live later this month. We invite as many Londoners as possible to come and see what it’s all about, especially those who are new to the festival.”
The ballot to view 10 Downing Street and the BBC Broadcasting House is open here until August 28. Successful entrants will view the spots on the first day of London Open House festival on September 14. The festival then runs until September 22.