90 years since television broadcasting began
Discover the pioneers, programmes and innovations that helped shape television as we know it today, with a special autumn season of talks, screenings, performances, rare archive films and events.
On 2 November 1936, presenter Leslie Mitchell welcomed audiences in their homes with the now-famous words, “This is direct television from the studios at Alexandra Palace.”
It marked the launch of the world’s first regular public high-definition television service and the beginning of a new era that would transform the way people experienced news, education and entertainment.
Ninety years later, BBC TV 90 at Ally Pally invites you to explore the people, programmes and pioneering ideas that helped shape television as we know it today.
Where television history was made
Alexandra Palace became home to the BBC’s television studios in 1935, bringing together engineers, producers, presenters and performers to experiment with an entirely new medium.
The Palace became much more than somewhere to broadcast from. Alongside the studios were BBC offices, dressing rooms, scenery stores, props and technical facilities, while the East Court housed a fleet of BBC broadcast vehicles.
This was also where many of the programme formats we still recognise today began to take shape. Cookery, gardening, variety and entertainment, children’s programmes, news and even election-night broadcasting all form part of Ally Pally’s remarkable television story.
BBC TV 90 at Ally Pally
Running from September to November 2026, BBC TV 90 at Ally Pally brings that history to life through talks, screenings, performances, archive material and special events.
Across the season, broadcasters, historians, academics and industry experts will explore everything from the pioneering women of early television and the popularity of Picture Page, to Black and LGBTQIA+ representation, children’s television, Eurovision and the fascinating relationship between early television technology and the Second World War.
The programme also draws on the remarkable archive of the Alexandra Palace Television Society, including rare films documenting the early BBC Television Service and footage being presented in public for the first time.
Discover the story for free
From Saturday 19 September to Monday 30 November, visit the East Court for BBC TV 90 at Ally Pally, a new free display exploring the people, programmes and technological innovations behind the pioneering years of television at Alexandra Palace.
Using archive imagery and fascinating stories from the BBC’s television history, the display is free to visit and open daily from 9am–5pm.
You’ll also be able to explore new digital exhibitions through Google Arts & Culture, while our iconic BBC television transmitter mast will be illuminated as part of the anniversary celebrations.
See the BBC mast like never before
On Friday 2 October, experience the BBC mast like never before with SUMMIT Ally Pally, and get a completely different perspective on this extraordinary piece of broadcasting history from high.
Walk across the iconic roof of the Palace for spectacular close-up views of the historic BBC television transmitter mast, with special anniversary tickets priced at £19.36 for adults, a nod to 1936, the year television broadcasting began from Alexandra Palace and £15.40 for children.
90 years to the day
The celebrations reach a special moment on Monday 2 November 2026, exactly 90 years since the BBC launched the world’s first regular public high-definition television service from Alexandra Palace.
A World Origin Site plaque will be unveiled in the East Court, recognising Alexandra Palace’s international significance in broadcasting history and its enduring legacy as the birthplace of public television.
World Origin Site plaques recognise places where something of international significance was first invented, discovered or first used.
Bringing our broadcasting story to life
Alexandra Palace’s Creative Learning team will also celebrate the anniversary through performance, with two new productions from the Alexandra Palace Young Actors Company (ages 16–28) and the Ally Pally Ensemble (ages 50+).
Taking place in November, the performances explore the journey from early television to today’s digital landscape and how the way we consume information continues to shape public debate, bringing together two generations of Ally Pally performers to explore media, memory and the changing nature of public discourse.
Explore the story of television where it all began
From the people who stood in front of television’s earliest cameras to those experimenting behind them, BBC TV 90 at Ally Pally is a chance to discover the extraordinary people, ideas and innovations behind a medium that changed the world.
BBC TV 90 at Ally Pally
September – November 2026
Explore the full programme and book tickets: alexandrapalace.com/BBCTV90
