25 Nov 08

Visitors are welcome to Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum to celebrate the festive season on Friday evening (28 November 2008) in a special late-night opening as part of Oxford Inspires Winter Light.

Visitors to the Museum can enjoy a diverse programme of live music played throughout the evening, late night Christmas shopping in the Ashmolean Shop, and mince pies and mulled wine in the Café.

This will be the last opportunity for the public to visit the Museum after-hours before the galleries temporarily close after 23 December to prepare for the opening of the new Ashmolean building in November 2009.

Music will range from Christmas carols to African rhythms and from a brass band to rock and roll music. Playing for the first time at the Museum, the Ashmolean welcomes singers from QEH School Bristol, the Lieden Brass Band, and the blues band Hipbone Slim and the Kneetremblers. Inspired by Gene Vincent, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Howlin’ Wolf, the band features Hipbone Slim aka Sir Bald on guitar and vocals, alongside Bruce ‘Bash’ Brand on drums and Gez Gerrard on double & electric basses, harmonica and vocals.

The museum will be open from 6pm until 10.30pm for Friday's event and admission is free.

Due to major building work there will be no public access to the Museum and the Café after 23 December until the launch of the new Ashmolean in the late autumn of 2009. The shop will remain open for business as usual.