Alexandra Palace is held in trust for the public and is not privately owned; it is owned and managed through the Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust, whose sole trustee is the London Borough of Haringey.

Who “owns” Alexandra Palace?

Legally, Alexandra Palace and the surrounding park are vested in the Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust , created by an Act of Parliament in 1900 to keep the building and park “for the free use and recreation of the public forever.” The London Borough of Haringey is the current (and sole) trustee of this charity, which means the council effectively controls and manages the site on behalf of the public, rather than as a private commercial asset.

How the ownership structure works

  • The charitable trust is the legal owner of the Palace and park assets.
  • Haringey Council, acting as trustee, has a duty to maintain and operate the site in line with the charity’s public-benefit objectives, not purely for profit.
  • Commercial activities on site (concerts, events, ice rink, etc.) are run via the trust’s trading arm to generate income that supports upkeep and restoration.

Public vs private control

Because of the trust structure, Alexandra Palace is sometimes described as a “people’s palace” rather than a conventional council facility or private venue. Attempts in the 2000s to grant a long commercial lease over most of the building to a private developer were challenged and ultimately blocked in the High Court, reinforcing that it must remain operated in the public interest under the charitable trust.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.