Christmas Events for Kids in Colchester (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

3 min read

For 2026, we confirmed 4 Christmas events for kids in Colchester. The season opens on 14 November with Colchester Christmas Light Switch-On Parade and runs until 17 January with Jack and the Beanstalk. 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 Colchester: 4
  • First: Colchester Christmas Light Switch-On Parade, Colchester, 14 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 Colchester

Kids’ Christmas events
4 confirmed for 2026
Areas
Colchester
Season
14 November to 17 January
Free events
None confirmed yet
Last checked

Christmas events for kids in Colchester

Listed soonest first: 4 confirmed events in Colchester.

Christmas parade

Colchester Christmas Light Switch-On Parade

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The city's Christmas season starts with a parade on Saturday 14 November 2026. It leaves the Mercury Theatre at 5pm and moves along the High Street.

Expect performances by local schoolchildren, illuminated costumes, giant festive characters, stilt walkers and live music along the route.

Parent tip: Arrive early for a spot along the High Street, since the route is through the city centre.

Host
Visit Colchester (opens in a new tab)
Where
Mercury Theatre to Colchester High Street, Balkerne Gate, then High Street, Colchester CO1 1PT (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Visit Colchester (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 3 more Colchester 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 Colchester.
  • Exclusive access to free events Be first to hear about new free events in Colchester.
  • Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
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Coming up on this page

  • 2 Santa
  • 1 Lights
  • 1 Parades
  • 1 Shows

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Santa’s grotto

Santa's Grotto at Lion Walk

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Lion Walk Shopping Centre opens its grotto on 14 November 2026 and keeps it open daily until Christmas Eve. Each child receives a toy chosen to suit their age.

Tickets are booked online through Ticketebo.

Parent tip: Book a slot through the link on the Lion Walk page.

Host
Lion Walk Shopping Centre (opens in a new tab)
Where
Lion Walk Shopping Centre, Lion Walk, Colchester, Colchester CO1 1LX (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Lion Walk Shopping Centre (opens in a new tab)

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

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Panto or Christmas show

Jack and the Beanstalk

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The Mercury Theatre's pantomime this winter is Jack and the Beanstalk, running from 21 November 2026 to 17 January 2027. Jack's family loses its farm to the landowner Augusta Bigbucks and sells their cow, then a beanstalk appears overnight.

David Phipps-Davis wrote the script and artistic director Natasha Rickman directs. Kemi Clarke plays Jack, with Dale Superville and Antony Stuart-Hicks in the cast. Tickets are £10 to £43.

Parent tip: Check the Mercury box office for show times; relaxed, captioned and BSL shows are listed.

Host
Mercury Theatre Colchester (opens in a new tab)
Where
Mercury Theatre, Balkerne Gate, Colchester CO1 1PT (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Mercury Theatre Colchester (opens in a new tab)

New events in Colchester every week

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

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Meet Santa

The Santa Experience

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Inside the zoo, children pass through a Woodland Walkthrough, Mrs Claus' Kitchen and the Singing Reindeer Stables, then reach the Christmas Village and Santa's grotto. Each child gets a gift.

The experience is £17 per child and must be booked for a set date and timeslot. Adults need a zoo ticket or membership. Children under 16 must be with a guardian.

Parent tip: The grotto has music and flashing lights plus one effect with noise and flashes. Bookings cannot be made on the day.

Host
Colchester Zoological Society (opens in a new tab)
Where
Colchester Zoo, Maldon Road, Stanway, Colchester CO3 0SL (opens in maps)
Booking
Essential
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Colchester Zoological Society (opens in a new tab)

New events in Colchester every week

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

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More Christmas events for kids in the UK

A story for the trip home

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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.

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Christmas events for kids in Colchester: questions parents ask

What are the 2026 Christmas events for kids in Colchester?

For 2026, we confirmed 4 Christmas events for kids in Colchester, each on its host’s own page: Jack and the Beanstalk, The Santa Experience, Colchester Christmas Light Switch-On Parade 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 Colchester?

Where to see Santa: The Santa Experience and Santa's Grotto at Lion Walk. 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 Colchester

Colchester says Pliny wrote about it in AD 77, which makes it Britain's oldest recorded town. Its Christmas season starts with a parade down the High Street from the Mercury Theatre.

A 25-metre wheel and a parade from the Mercury

Colchester's Christmas season opens with a light switch-on parade that leaves the Mercury Theatre at 5pm and goes along the High Street, finishing with the official switch-on at Lion Walk Shopping Centre. The council also runs seasonal markets in the city centre, with Culver Street and St Nicholas Square among the sites. A wheel has stood in St Nicholas Square over the switch-on weekend, and it came back from 2 December in 2025 for most of the month.

Mother Goose, a Saturday in November and a high wheel

The 2025 switch-on was on Saturday 22 November, with the parade at 5pm and the countdown to the switch-on and fireworks at 7.25pm. The council's wheel was 25 metres tall and cost £5 for adults, £4 for children and £15 for a family. The InColchester Festive Market followed on Sunday 7 December. At the Mercury, Mother Goose ran from 22 November 2025 to 18 January 2026, in Natasha Rickman's first pantomime as artistic director.

Pliny, a Roman name and a castle keep

Colchester calls itself the oldest recorded town in Britain, because Pliny the Elder mentions it in a work published in AD 77. The Romans called it Camulodunum. Colchester Castle was completed around AD 1100, and its museum now runs Father Christmas visits. In 2025 these cost £12 per child with a gift, and the Tiny Tots Grotto, for under 5s, was £8 per child. In 2026 the zoo's Santa Experience has its own Mrs Claus' Kitchen and a reindeer sing-along.

Traditions today

  • Light switch-on parade: Saturday 14 November 2026, 5pm, from the Mercury Theatre along the High Street.
  • Lion Walk Santa's Grotto: Daily from 14 November to 24 December 2026, with a toy for each child.
  • The Santa Experience at the zoo: Set dates from 21 November to 24 December 2026, £17 per child.
  • Mercury Theatre pantomime: Jack and the Beanstalk runs 21 November 2026 to 17 January 2027.

A fact for kids

Colchester's Roman name was Camulodunum, and a Roman writer named Pliny mentioned the town nearly 1,950 years ago.

Questions about Christmas in Colchester

What is the best way to spend Christmas with kids in Colchester?

Colchester families usually combine a few set pieces: the light switch-on parade in mid-November, a Santa visit at Lion Walk, the zoo or the Castle, and a pantomime at the Mercury Theatre. In 2026 the parade is on 14 November and the panto Jack and the Beanstalk opens on 21 November.

Where can toddlers meet Santa in Colchester?

In 2025 Colchester Castle ran a Tiny Tots Grotto for children aged 5 and under, with storytelling, songs and activities in a calm setting, at £8 per child. For 2026, Lion Walk's grotto runs daily from 14 November to 24 December and the zoo has Santa Experience dates.

When is the Colchester Christmas lights switch-on in 2026?

The Colchester Christmas Light Switch-On Parade is on Saturday 14 November 2026. Visit Colchester says it starts at 5pm from the Mercury Theatre and moves along the High Street, with schoolchildren performing, illuminated costumes, giant festive characters and stilt walkers. The parade is the start of the city's festive season.

What happened at the 2025 Colchester light switch-on?

On Saturday 22 November 2025 the parade left the Mercury Theatre at 5pm and walked the High Street. The official switch-on was at Lion Walk from 7pm to 7.30pm, hosted by Actual Radio, with a Town Crier announcing the Mayor of Colchester at 7.20pm. A countdown and fireworks came at 7.25pm, and a big wheel launched in St Nicholas Square.

Is there a Christmas market in Colchester city centre?

The council runs seasonal markets in the city centre, with Culver Street and St Nicholas Square among the sites. In 2025 the InColchester Festive Market was on Sunday 7 December. The 2026 market date is still to come, so check with the council before planning a trip around one.

Does Colchester have a Christmas wheel?

In 2025 there was a 25-metre wheel in St Nicholas Square. It appeared on the switch-on weekend, 22 and 23 November, then returned from 2 December and ran daily from 11am to 8pm. Tickets were £5 for adults, £4 for children and £15 for a family. No 2026 wheel dates were found.

Is Colchester really the oldest town in Britain?

It is called the oldest recorded town in Britain. The claim rests on written records: Pliny the Elder mentions the town in a work published in AD 77. Other towns claim different titles, such as Ipswich as the oldest Anglo-Saxon town. The Romans called Colchester Camulodunum.

What is the Santa Experience at Colchester Zoo?

It is a walk-through grotto inside the zoo. Children pass a Woodland Walkthrough, Mrs Claus' Kitchen and the Singing Reindeer Stables, then reach the Christmas Village and Santa. Each child gets a gift. It costs £17 per child, and tickets must be booked for a date and timeslot, as nothing is sold on the day.

What dates is the Colchester Zoo Santa Experience in 2026?

The Santa Experience runs on 21, 22, 28 and 29 November, 5, 6, 12 and 13 December, and every day from 19 to 24 December 2026. There are also member-only evenings on 10, 15 and 17 December. Tickets are £17 per child, and adults need a zoo ticket or membership.

Do under-ones need a ticket for the zoo Santa Experience?

Children under 1 can go in free if they come with an older sibling who is taking part. They need a ticket only if they want to receive a gift. Every other child, including those under 3, needs their own Santa Experience ticket to enter the grotto and get a gift.

Is the zoo Santa grotto suitable for sensitive children?

The zoo says the grotto has background Christmas music, flashing lights and one effect with noise and flashes. Children walk through themed rooms first, including Mrs Claus' Kitchen and the reindeer stables. Under-16s must stay with a guardian aged 16 or over throughout.

Can kids meet Father Christmas at Colchester Castle?

In 2025 the Castle Museum offered Meet Father Christmas at £12 per child including a gift, with adults at £1. It also offered a Starlight Grotto at £15 per child and an evening with Father Christmas. The Castle has not announced its 2026 dates yet.

What is on at Lion Walk for Christmas 2026?

Lion Walk Shopping Centre opens Santa's Grotto daily from 14 November to 24 December 2026. Children receive a toy chosen to suit their age, and tickets are booked online through Ticketebo. Booking ahead is recommended. Check the ticket page for prices and ages before you go.

What pantomime is on in Colchester in 2026?

The Mercury Theatre stages Jack and the Beanstalk from 21 November 2026 to 17 January 2027. David Phipps-Davis wrote the script and Natasha Rickman directs. Kemi Clarke plays Jack, with Dale Superville as Trevor and Antony Stuart-Hicks as Tilly. The theatre lists tickets from £10 to £43, for ages 5 and over.

What was the 2025 Mercury Theatre pantomime?

The 2025 pantomime was Mother Goose, which ran from 22 November 2025 to 18 January 2026. It was the first Mercury panto directed by Natasha Rickman, the theatre's new artistic director. Antony Stuart-Hicks played Gertie Goose and Dale Superville played Billy the Goose, marking ten years of performing together.

Who writes the Mercury Theatre pantomimes?

David Phipps-Davis wrote the script for Mother Goose in 2025 and for Jack and the Beanstalk in 2026. Antony Stuart-Hicks and Dale Superville are the leads in both years. Some of the 2025 cast, including Daisy Greenwood, were once in the theatre's junior chorus as children in Colchester.

Where do families go for Christmas Day in Colchester?

No 2026 event on this page runs on Christmas Day itself. The zoo's Santa Experience ends on 24 December, Lion Walk's grotto runs until Christmas Eve and the Castle's 2025 visits ended on 23 December. Families usually plan activities for the days before.

Which Colchester Christmas outings suit kids on a wet day?

Three 2026 options are under cover. Lion Walk Shopping Centre has Santa's Grotto daily from 14 November to 24 December, and each child gets a toy. The zoo's Santa Experience is a walk-through grotto booked for set dates. The Mercury's Jack and the Beanstalk runs from 21 November 2026 and suits ages 5 and over.

When did Colchester Castle's keep get finished?

Worldatlas gives around AD 1100 as the date Colchester Castle was completed. The Castle Museum sits in Castle Park, Colchester, CO1 1TJ, and in 2025 it ran Christmas visits with Father Christmas and his castle elves. Prices ran from £8 for the Tiny Tots Grotto to £22.50 for an evening session.

Does Colchester Zoo have a Christmas light trail?

The zoo ran Magic of Christmas days in 2025, on 13 and 14 December and 19 to 24 December, with child tickets at about £18.81 as a guide. It has also run an evening Enchanted Trail of Light, though full 2026 details were not found.

Sources

  1. Colchester Christmas Light Switch-On Parade, Visit Colchester
  2. The Santa Experience, Colchester Zoological Society
  3. Santa's Grotto at Lion Walk, Lion Walk Shopping Centre
  4. Jack and the Beanstalk, Mercury Theatre Colchester
  5. Full Cast and Creative Team Set For Mother Goose Pantomime, BroadwayWorld
  6. Everything you need to know for the Colchester Christmas Light Switch On 2025, Actual Radio
  7. Colchester skyline sparkles with St Nicholas Square 25m Christmas Wheel, Colchester City Council
  8. Colchester Castle Christmas experiences now on sale, Colchester City Council
  9. What Is The Oldest Recorded Town In Britain?, WorldAtlas
  10. Christmas in Colchester markets, Colchester City Council
  11. Magic of Christmas, Visit Essex
  12. Christmas in Colchester, Visit Colchester
Kelsey Cecil
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