Christmas Events for Kids in Brighton (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

3 min read

For 2026, we confirmed 4 Christmas events for kids in Brighton. The season opens on 22 November with Santa's Grotto and runs until 2 January with Glow Wild. Every listing links straight to the host. This page is part of our guide to Christmas events for kids in the UK.

The short version

  • Kids’ Christmas events confirmed for 2026 in Brighton and Ardingly: 4
  • First: Santa's Grotto, Brighton, 22 November
  • Free events: None confirmed yet

Below is every event we could confirm, grouped by area, with the date, time, price and the small things parents ask about (booking, ages, what is included).

At a glance: Christmas events for kids in Brighton

Kids’ Christmas events
4 confirmed for 2026
Areas
Brighton and Ardingly
Season
22 November to 2 January
Free events
None confirmed yet
Last checked

Christmas events for kids in Brighton

Listed soonest first: 3 confirmed events in Brighton.

Santa’s grotto

Santa's Grotto

Expand to see the parent tip

Dobbies Brighton on Warren Road has a Santa's Grotto. Sessions run on selected days from Sunday 22 November to Thursday 24 December 2026, so check the date you want before you set off.

The busiest days are Saturdays in December, when the grotto is open from 10am to 5.30pm. Sundays are shorter, finishing around 12.50pm, and some weekdays run from 2pm. Prices start from about £15 and may change daily. The visit is aimed at children and little ones.

Parent tip: Pick your day first, as opening times differ from date to date. Book ahead through the Visit Brighton calendar, because the price can change.

Host
Dobbies Brighton (opens in a new tab)
Where
Dobbies Brighton, Warren Road, Brighton BN2 9XX (opens in maps)
Booking
Recommended
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Dobbies Brighton (opens in a new tab)

New events in Brighton every week

Rally looks for new Christmas events in Brighton every day and adds them to this page. Enter your email for one weekly update with the latest finds.

Free. Unsubscribe at any time. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 3 more Brighton events researched for you.

  • New events every week We research new events daily and send you one email a week with the new ones we find in Brighton.
  • Exclusive access to free events Be first to hear about new free events in Brighton.
  • Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
  • Rally’s Christmas Eve Express and a free advent calendar Get early access to Rally the corgi’s Christmas Eve tracker, plus a free digital advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
  • One-tap add to calendar Save any event to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar so you never miss it.

Coming up on this page

  • 2 Shows
  • 1 Santa
  • 1 Lights
  • 1 Zoos and museums

Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Brighton every week.

Free. One email a week with new events in Brighton. Unsubscribe at any time. Privacy policy

Panto or Christmas show

The Snowman

Expand to see the parent tip

Brighton Dome hosts a family Christmas show on Saturday 19 December 2026, with performances at 1.30pm (a relaxed performance) and 4.30pm. The Snowman is shown on a large screen while an orchestra plays the soundtrack live.

Tickets are £17, £20.50 or £23.50, and £15.50 for under 16s. Children under 14 must be accompanied.

Parent tip: Book online or by phone on 01273 709709. The 1.30pm show is a relaxed performance, a good choice for younger children.

Host
Brighton Dome (opens in a new tab)
Where
Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Church Street, Brighton BN1 1UE (opens in maps)
Booking
Recommended
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Brighton Dome (opens in a new tab)

New events in Brighton every week

Rally looks for new Christmas events in Brighton every day and adds them to this page. Enter your email for one weekly update with the latest finds.

Free. Unsubscribe at any time. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

Panto or Christmas show

Aladdin: Brighton's Family Pantomime

Expand to see the parent tip

Aladdin is a family pantomime on King's Road, run by Brighton Family Panto. The organiser gives the run as 22 to 30 December 2026, with family shows from 23 December and a separate adult-only Aladdin for ages 16 and over at 7pm on 28 and 29 December.

Tickets are sold through Eventbrite, where each show is marked as family or adult-only. The organiser's contact is hello@brightonfamilypanto.com or 01273 719759.

Parent tip: Book a family date, as the 7pm shows on 28 and 29 December are adult-only. Check the ticket page for prices.

Host
Brighton Family Panto (opens in a new tab)
Where
DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole, King's Road, Brighton BN1 2FU (opens in maps)
Booking
Essential
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Brighton Family Panto (opens in a new tab)

New events in Brighton every week

Rally looks for new Christmas events in Brighton every day and adds them to this page. Enter your email for one weekly update with the latest finds.

Free. Unsubscribe at any time. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

Christmas events for kids in Ardingly

Listed soonest first: 1 confirmed event in Ardingly.

Christmas lights

Glow Wild (Ardingly)

Expand to see the parent tip

Glow Wild at Kew Wakehurst is a woodland trail of lights and handcrafted lantern installations, built around the theme Nature's Gift. It runs on selected evenings from 26 November 2026 to 2 January 2027. Check which evenings are available when you book.

The route has music and performances, a projection on Wakehurst Mansion and a Christmas corner under a giant Redwood tree. Tickets start from £12.70 and children under 4 go free. Family and group discounts are available. Pre-booking is essential and parking on site is free. Wakehurst says it is about 30 minutes from Brighton.

Parent tip: Pre-booking is essential. Wrap up warmly for an evening walk outdoors.

Host
Kew Wakehurst (opens in a new tab)
Where
Wakehurst, Selsfield Road, Ardingly RH17 6TN (opens in maps)
Booking
Essential
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Kew Wakehurst (opens in a new tab)

New events in Brighton every week

Rally looks for new Christmas events in Brighton every day and adds them to this page. Enter your email for one weekly update with the latest finds.

Free. Unsubscribe at any time. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

More Christmas events for kids in the UK

A story for the trip home

Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents. It is a cosy story to share on the way home after a big day out.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolour corgi peeking from a red train

A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in real watercolour. Ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon.co.uk (opens in a new tab)

Christmas events for kids in Brighton: questions parents ask

What are the 2026 Christmas events for kids in Brighton?

For 2026, we confirmed 4 Christmas events for kids in Brighton, each on its host’s own page: Glow Wild (Ardingly), Santa's Grotto, Aladdin: Brighton's Family Pantomime and 1 more. Each one is listed above with times, cost and a link to the host.

Where can kids see Santa this year in Brighton?

Where to see Santa: Santa's Grotto. Check the listings above for times and booking.

How do you confirm these events?

We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city, library or tourism calendar. We last checked every listing on 5 November 2026. Hosts change details, so always confirm on the host’s page before you go.

Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.

Christmas events for 2026 are coming in late November

More Christmas events arrive in late November. We add them here as soon as we confirm them.

The story of Christmas in Brighton

Brighton's Christmas postcard is a palace built for a prince, with an ice rink on its lawn since 2010. The story runs from the Royal Pavilion to a seafront switch-on in 2025.

A palace for a prince and a rink on its lawn since 2010

Brighton's Christmas postcard is the Royal Pavilion. It was built in stages between 1787 and 1822 for the Prince of Wales, who first came to Brighton in 1783 to ease his gout and later became George IV. The town council bought it in 1850 for £53,000.

Its gardens now hold the Royal Pavilion ice rink, open since 2010 and run on renewable energy. In 2021 the city also staged its first Brighton Christmas Festival, run by E3 Events under a three-year council contract.

A Mayor, a panto cast and a rink that may have skated its last

Shelter Hall on the seafront switched on its lights on Thursday 13 November 2025. The Mayor pressed the button at 6.45pm, Jack and the Beanstalk panto cast members joined in, and children did crafts. The Royal Pavilion ice rink ran from 11 November to 4 January, though the press said a £4.4 million garden restoration in 2026 and 2027 could end its time on the lawn. In 2026 the Aladdin family panto has shows from 23 to 30 December, and The Snowman is at Brighton Dome on 19 December.

Cast-iron palm trees, a 50-metre wheel and penguin skate aids

The Royal Pavilion's Great Kitchen has cast-iron palm trees. In 2021 Aladdin became the first Christmas panto at the Brighton Centre, with Anita Dobson in the cast, and the festival offered a 50-metre wheel billed as Britain's tallest. That year's town lights were paid for by city centre businesses through Brilliant Brighton, which speaks for 517 businesses and put in £75,000, and they carried artwork by street artists Bintley, Mowgli and Sinna One. At the rink, beginners use penguin skate aids.

Traditions today

  • Royal Pavilion ice rink: A main rink and a beginners' rink in the Pavilion Gardens, open since 2010 and powered by renewable energy. Its 2026 plans were undecided during the garden works.
  • Seafront lights switch-on: In 2025 Shelter Hall held a free switch-on on 13 November, with the Mayor, panto cast members and children's crafts.
  • A family panto: Brighton Family Panto stages Aladdin at the DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole, with family shows from 23 to 30 December 2026.
  • A Santa's grotto at a garden centre: Dobbies Brighton opens its grotto on selected days from 22 November to 24 December 2026.
  • Christmas at Brighton Dome: The Dome puts on family shows each winter. In 2026 The Snowman is screened with a live orchestra on 19 December, at 1.30pm (a relaxed performance) and 4.30pm.
  • Glow Wild at Wakehurst: A woodland lantern trail on selected evenings from 26 November 2026 to 2 January 2027, about 30 minutes from Brighton.

A fact for kids

The Royal Pavilion's kitchen has cast-iron palm trees, and the beginners' ice rink beside it has penguin skate aids.

Questions about Christmas in Brighton

Who built the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, and when?

The Royal Pavilion was built in three stages between 1787 and 1822. Henry Holland designed the first villa for the Prince of Wales in 1787. John Nash transformed it between 1815 and 1822. The prince later became Prince Regent and then King George IV, and first visited Brighton in 1783.

When did the Royal Pavilion become Brighton's own?

Brighton's town council bought the Royal Pavilion in 1850 for £53,000. Queen Victoria disliked it, and most of its furniture was moved to London. Today it is a museum and tourist attraction in the middle of the city.

Is the Royal Pavilion ice rink always on the lawn?

The rink has run at the Royal Pavilion Gardens since 2010. In November 2025 local press said it could be the last year there, because a £4.4 million garden restoration runs through 2026 and 2027. Plans for the rink during the works were still undecided, so check before planning a skate.

What makes the Brighton ice rink different for small children?

Skaters of any age can use a main rink and a separate beginners' rink with penguin skate aids. In 2023 sessions were 45 minutes, junior tickets for under 12s were cheaper, and watching from the rink side was free. Prices change each season, so check the current ones.

Is the Royal Pavilion ice rink powered by green energy?

Yes. A 2023 report called it the UK's only Christmas ice rink powered exclusively by renewable energy, and a 2025 Visit Brighton guide describes it as running on solar, wind and wave power. It has been open at the Royal Pavilion Gardens since 2010, in the North Laine part of the city.

When did Shelter Hall switch on its Christmas lights in 2025?

Shelter Hall, on the Kings Road Arches, held its free switch-on on Thursday 13 November 2025, from 6pm to 9pm. The Mayor switched on the lights at 6.45pm, cast members from the Jack and the Beanstalk panto took part, and there was food, winter drinks and children's arts and crafts.

Who paid for Brighton's city centre Christmas lights in 2021?

City centre businesses did. Brilliant Brighton, which speaks for 517 businesses in the Business Improvement District, put in £75,000 for a new scheme in 2021. Lights ran along North Street, Western Road, the North Laine, The Lanes and East Street, with artwork by street artists Bintley, Mowgli and Sinna One.

What was the first Brighton Christmas Festival?

It opened on Friday 26 November 2021 and ran to Friday 31 December. E3 Events organised it under a three-year contract from Brighton and Hove City Council. It had a Christmas market, Santa's grotto, a big-top theatre and a 50-metre observation wheel billed as Britain's tallest, plus a panto at the Brighton Centre.

When is the Aladdin family panto in Brighton in 2026?

Brighton Family Panto runs Aladdin at the DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole from 22 to 30 December 2026. Family shows are on 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 December, mostly at 2pm, including Saturday 26 December. A separate adult-only Aladdin, for ages 16 and over, is at 7pm on 28 and 29 December.

Is the Brighton panto suitable for young children?

The organiser calls Aladdin a family panto, and the 2pm shows on 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 December suit a daytime outing. The adult-only version for ages 16 and over is a separate 7pm show on 28 and 29 December, so book a family date. If you are unsure about a very young child, ask the team on 01273 719759.

When is The Snowman at Brighton Dome in 2026?

The Snowman plays Brighton Dome Concert Hall on Saturday 19 December 2026 at 1.30pm, a relaxed performance, and again at 4.30pm. The film is shown on a big screen while an orchestra plays the soundtrack live, and The Snowman himself visits. Adult tickets are £17, £20.50 or £23.50, and under 16s pay £15.50. Children under 14 must be accompanied.

What happens at the end of The Snowman show at Brighton Dome?

The 19 December 2026 show ends with a sing-along to Walking in the Air. Before that there is a festive medley, a short introduction to the orchestra by composer Daniel Whibley, and a visit from The Snowman himself. Booking is online or by phone on 01273 709709.

What family theatre did Brighton Dome stage at Christmas 2025?

A Town Called Christmas, a show for adventurers aged 3 and up, played the Dome Studio from 27 to 31 December 2025. It lasted about 55 minutes with no interval, and tickets were £15 for adults, £8 for under 16s and £40 for a family. The Dome also staged a circus show and The Snowman.

When does Santa's Grotto open at Dobbies Brighton in 2026?

Dobbies Brighton, on Warren Road, runs its Santa's Grotto on selected days from Sunday 22 November to Thursday 24 December 2026. December Saturdays are open 10am to 5.30pm, and Sundays finish around 12.50pm. Tickets start at £15, and the price may change daily.

Where can kids see Christmas lights in the Sussex countryside near Brighton?

Glow Wild at Kew Wakehurst is a woodland trail of lanterns and lights on selected evenings from 26 November 2026 to 2 January 2027. Tickets start at £12.70 and children under 4 go free. Wakehurst says it is about 30 minutes from Brighton, with free parking and pre-booking essential.

What is the Glow Wild theme in 2026?

The 2026 theme is Nature's Gift. The trail has handcrafted lanterns, music and performances, a projection on Wakehurst Mansion and a Christmas corner under a giant Redwood tree. Family and group discounts are available, and Haywards Heath station is 10 minutes away from Wakehurst.

Where can we spend a rainy Christmas afternoon with kids in Brighton?

Indoors, good choices are a family show at Brighton Dome, such as The Snowman on 19 December 2026, the Aladdin family panto at the DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole, or the Dobbies grotto.

Besides the ice rink, what can kids do in Brighton at Christmas?

Kids can see a panto, a family concert or a grotto. Aladdin family shows run from 23 to 30 December 2026, The Snowman plays the Dome on 19 December, and Dobbies Brighton opens its grotto from 22 November. A Wakehurst lantern walk adds an evening outing.

Does the Royal Pavilion do anything for children at Christmas?

In 2024 Brighton and Hove Museums offered Father Christmas visits at the Royal Pavilion, a mice trail across its museums and a family Mince Spy Mystery at Preston Manor. That was the 2024 plan, and 2026 dates were not found, so check the museums' own calendar before you go.

Where did Brighton's Christmas tradition of a big festival begin?

The city's first Brighton Christmas Festival opened on 26 November 2021, centred on the Old Steine and Victoria Gardens beside the Royal Pavilion rink. The market was in Lower Victoria Gardens and the panto at the Brighton Centre. Brighton and Hove City Council gave E3 Events a three-year contract to run it.

Sources

  1. Royal Pavilion, Encyclopaedia Britannica
  2. Launch event held to promote first Brighton Christmas Festival, Brighton and Hove News
  3. Brighton's Christmas lights to be switched on tomorrow, Brighton and Hove News
  4. Royal Pavilion ice rink article, 3 November 2025, Brighton and Hove News
  5. Royal Pavilion ice rink opens today, Brighton and Hove News
  6. Christmas Light Switch-On at Shelter Hall, Visit Brighton
  7. Brighton Dome unveils winter programme, Brighton Dome
  8. A Town Called Christmas preview, Brighton and Hove News
  9. Christmas events 2025, Visit Brighton
  10. Santa's Grotto 2026, Visit Brighton
  11. Aladdin 2026, Brighton Family Panto
  12. The Snowman, Visit Brighton
  13. Glow Wild 2026, Kew Wakehurst
  14. Christmas events, Visit Brighton
  15. Brighton and Hove Museums festive season 2024, Brighton and Hove Museums
Kelsey Cecil
Previous

Christmas Events for Kids in Burnley (2026)
Next

Christmas Events for Kids in Bournemouth (2026)