Game of Thrones studio opens door to Westeros, in Northern Ireland

Game of Thrones fans are being invited to step into the world of Westeros at a £40m attraction housing sets, costumes and props from the epic TV drama.

The Game of Thrones Studio Tour has opened at Linen Mill, one of the show's filming locations in Northern Ireland.

The Great Hall of Winterfell and Castle Black sets have remained in place there since filming ended in 2018.

Other sets have been reconstructed and iconic props like the Iron Throne added for the 110,000-sq-ft attraction.

Game of Thrones tourism was booming in Northern Ireland before the pandemic, with one in six leisure visitors saying the show influenced their decision to travel there in 2018.

That translated to around 350,000 people, who spent £50m in the local economy, according to Tourism NI.

"We expect to increase that," the tour's general manager Brad Kelly told BBC News. "This is a global TV phenomenon and we want to bring a global audience to Northern Ireland to get close to Game of Thrones."

By BBC News correspondent John Maguire

After viewing a thunderous trailer on a huge video screen, the wall splits open and you walk into winter and into Westeros.

You can also follow in the footsteps of the actors who brought the Game of Thrones characters to life.

The Banbridge studios are home to the Winterfell Great Hall - on the set, surrounded by the actual costumes with their intricate detailing, you stand where Kit Harrington, Peter Dinklage and Sean Bean have stood before you.

Wherever you look, there are half-built dragons and monsters, weapons, costumes and props that you'll have seen on screen and wondered how they were created.

Winter is here.

The venue on the outskirts of Banbridge in Co Down has been described by Stormont Economy Minister Gordon Lyons as "game-changing" for the region.

Fans can also see sets like Dragonstone and the destroyed throne room; original props including Jon Snow's famous Longclaw sword and the wedding dress worn by Sansa; as well as seeing how prosthetics and visual effects were created.

"These are the actual sets that we walked on. These are the actual costumes we wore, the swords we swung," actor Ian Beattie, who played Meryn Trant, told Reuters.

"And unlike the show, where you don't always see it, you will get to see the incredible detail that went into every aspect of the making of this show."

Mr Kelly said about a third of the programme's Northern Ireland-based filming took place at Linen Mill.

"There are a few sets, like Winterfell Hall, that were specifically here and haven't moved," he said.

"But in this huge collaboration between Linen Mill Studios, HBO and Warner Media, the challenge has been, what do we put in out of the vast array of props, sets and costumes that they have in store? That's been a huge creative challenge."

The fantasy show ran for eight series on HBO in the US and Sky in the UK, and was one of the most successful series in television history. The final episode in 2019 received a mixed reaction from fans and critics.

Production is now under way on a prequel series, called House of the Dragon.