Christmas Events for Kids in Reading (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

3 min read

For 2026, we confirmed 5 Christmas events for kids in Reading, running from 7 November to 3 January. One of these is free. 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 Reading: 5
  • First: Reading Winter Wonderland, Reading, 7 November
  • Free events: Reading Christmas Market

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 Reading

Kids’ Christmas events
5 confirmed for 2026
Areas
Reading
Season
7 November to 3 January
Free events
1
Last checked

Christmas events for kids in Reading

Listed soonest first: 5 confirmed events in Reading.

Christmas lights

Reading Winter Wonderland

Details, tips and host

Reading Winter Wonderland runs at Hills Meadow from 7 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. There is a covered real ice rink for skaters of all abilities, alongside the festival's food, drink and entertainment.

Host
Reading Winter Wonderland (opens in a new tab)
Where
Hills Meadow, George Street, Reading RG4 8DH (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Reading Winter Wonderland (opens in a new tab)

New events in Reading every week

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 4 more Reading 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 Reading.
  • Exclusive access to free events Be first to hear about new free events in Reading.
  • 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

  • 3 Markets
  • 2 Shows
  • 1 Lights
  • 1 Free

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Christmas marketFree

Reading Christmas Market

Details, tips and host

The Reading Christmas Market fills Broad Street from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, open Monday to Saturday 10am to 8pm and Sunday 10am to 6pm. It is free to visit. Stalls sell festive food and drink and handcrafted gifts from independent traders, with festive entertainment.

Host
Reading Christmas Market (opens in a new tab)
Where
Broad Street, Reading RG1 2BA (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Reading Christmas Market (opens in a new tab)

New events in Reading every week

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

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Carol concert

A Christmas Carol at Reading Rep

Details, tips and host

Reading Rep Theatre stages A Christmas Carol from 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, in co-production with Ramps on the Moon. The theatre advises ages 6 and up and warns of ghosts, brief frightening moments, haze and loud noises. There is a relaxed performance on Sunday 6 December at 5pm. Tickets are £20 to £39 including a £1 booking fee.

Host
Reading Rep Theatre (opens in a new tab)
Where
Reading Rep Theatre (opens in maps)
Booking
Essential
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Reading Rep Theatre (opens in a new tab)

New events in Reading every week

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

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Christmas market

Christmas Market at Reading Museum

Details, tips and host

Reading Museum holds its Christmas Market 2026 on Saturday 21 November, 10.30am to 4.30pm, at the museum and Town Hall.

Host
Reading Museum (opens in a new tab)
Where
Reading Museum and Town Hall, Blagrave Street, Reading RG1 1QH (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with Reading Museum (opens in a new tab)

New events in Reading every week

Rally looks for new Christmas events in Reading 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

Aladdin Panto

Details, tips and host

Aladdin plays The Hexagon in Reading from 5 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. It suits the whole family and ages 3 and up. It runs about 125 minutes including a 20-minute interval, and the audience is encouraged to shout out.

Some family discounts are available at certain performances, usually not those nearest Christmas, and the opening and closing weekends tend to offer better value. BSL interpreted, audio described, captioned and relaxed performances are scheduled separately.

Host
The Hexagon (opens in a new tab)
Where
The Hexagon, Reading (opens in maps)
Booking
Essential
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with The Hexagon (opens in a new tab)

New events in Reading every week

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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 Reading: questions parents ask

What are the 2026 Christmas events for kids in Reading?

For 2026, we confirmed 5 Christmas events for kids in Reading, each on its host’s own page: Aladdin Panto, A Christmas Carol at Reading Rep, Reading Christmas Market and 2 more. Each one is listed above with times, cost and a link to the host.

Are there free Christmas events for kids in Reading?

Yes. One of the 5 events here is free: Reading Christmas Market. Check the listing in case you need to book or register.

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 Reading

Reading was once the Biscuit Town, and its Christmas story starts with decorated tins and a mouse riding a lobster on a Victorian scrap. In 2025 the season opened with a switch-on on Broad Street and a light trail in the Abbey ruins.

Biscuit tins at Christmas and a switch-on on Broad Street

Reading's Christmas story starts with a biscuit shop. In 1822 Joseph Huntley began baking at 72 London Street, and in 1846 Huntley & Palmers opened a big factory on Kings Road. Within about forty years it employed more than 5,000 workers. The firm sold decorative tins in their thousands, and even in the 1960s and 70s, when paper packaging took over, many tins were still sold at Christmas.

Today the season opens on Broad Street, where Reading Business Improvement District, funded by town centre businesses, runs the lights switch-on outside Marks & Spencer.

800,000 LEDs, a gospel choir and a trail through the Abbey ruins

Reading switched on its lights on Saturday 15 November 2025, from 2pm outside Marks & Spencer on Broad Street. The display used over 800,000 LED lights and drew on local stories, from the biscuit makers to Reading Abbey and the number 17 bus. The Reading Community Gospel Choir sang, and the Broad Street Christmas Market opened the same day, running to 2 January. Illuminate Reading, a 30 to 50 minute light trail through Forbury Gardens and the Abbey Ruins, ran from 15 November 2025 to 4 January 2026, with tickets from £7.95.

A mouse riding a lobster, and a panto dame with a light switch

Huntley & Palmers gave away Christmas scraps as promotions in 1892 and 1893, and the pictures include a mouse riding a lobster. The firm's Ben George tin of 1868 is possibly the earliest printed biscuit tin. Between 1900 and 1924 it issued over 650,000 book-shaped tins. In 2023 the switch-on was done by Paul Morse and Carl Tracey, who played Dame Nanny Bubbles and Prince Cloud Ryder in the Hexagon panto Sleeping Beauty, and 400,000 bulbs lit the town centre. Reading Museum's gallery holds almost 300 decorative tins.

Traditions today

  • Broad Street lights switch-on: Reading Business Improvement District switches on the town centre lights outside Marks & Spencer. In 2025 it was on 15 November with over 800,000 LED lights.
  • Broad Street Christmas Market: Stalls with food, drink and gifts from independent traders. In 2026 it runs from 14 November to 3 January 2027 and is free to visit.
  • Winter Wonderland at Hills Meadow: A festival with a covered real ice rink, rides and food. In 2026 it runs from 7 November to 3 January 2027.
  • Illuminate Reading light trail: A 30 to 50 minute walk through Forbury Gardens and the Abbey Ruins, with marshmallow toasting at the start. The 2025 trail ran from 15 November to 4 January 2026.
  • Hexagon pantomime: The Hexagon stages a family pantomime each winter. In 2026 it is Aladdin, from 5 December to 3 January 2027, for ages 3 and up.
  • A Christmas Carol at Reading Rep: A Dickens adaptation by Paul Stacey with live music and dancing, from 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, advised for ages 6 and up.

A fact for kids

In 1892 a Reading biscuit firm printed a Christmas picture of a mouse riding a lobster to give away as a promotion.

Questions about Christmas in Reading

When is the Aladdin panto at The Hexagon in Reading in 2026?

Aladdin plays The Hexagon in Reading from 5 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. The opening show is at 1pm on Saturday 5 December. The cast includes Justin Fletcher, with Paul Morse as the dame.

Is the Hexagon panto suitable for a 3-year-old?

The producers say Aladdin suits ages 3 and up and the whole family. It runs about 125 minutes including a 20-minute interval, so pack snacks and a plan for restless moments. The show is interactive and the audience is encouraged to shout out. Drinks, snacks and ice creams are sold at the venue.

When does Reading Winter Wonderland open in 2026?

Reading Winter Wonderland runs at Hills Meadow from 7 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The host calendar describes a covered real ice rink for all abilities, plus food, drink and entertainment close to the town centre. Check prices with the host before you go.

Where is Reading Winter Wonderland held, and has it always been there?

It is held at Hills Meadow, off George Street. It used to be in Forbury Gardens and moved to the Hills Meadow car park after a year off. In September 2022 councillors approved a licence for it to run 54 days a year until 2028.

When does the Reading Christmas Market start in 2026, and is it free?

The Reading Christmas Market runs on Broad Street from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 and is free to visit. It is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 8pm and Sunday 10am to 6pm. Stalls sell festive food and drink and handcrafted gifts from independent traders.

When is A Christmas Carol at Reading Rep in 2026, and what age is it for?

Reading Rep Theatre stages A Christmas Carol from 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The theatre advises ages 6 and up and warns of ghosts, haze, loud noises and some frightening moments. Tickets are £20 to £39. A relaxed performance is on Sunday 6 December at 5pm.

When is the Christmas Market at Reading Museum in 2026?

Reading Museum holds its Christmas Market 2026 on Saturday 21 November, from 10.30am to 4.30pm, at the museum and Town Hall. The museum is on Blagrave Street. For prices and ages, call the museum on 0118 937 3400.

When did Reading switch on its Christmas lights in 2025?

Reading switched on its lights on Saturday 15 November 2025, from 2pm outside Marks & Spencer on Broad Street. The organiser was Reading Business Improvement District. Live music came from the Reading Community Gospel Choir and the local band Juliette The Band, and the Christmas Market opened the same day.

What was special about Reading's Christmas lights in 2025?

The 2025 display used over 800,000 LED lights, and the designs were unique to Reading. They drew on Reading Abbey, the number 17 bus, the Pharaoh mural at the Central Club and the A World in One Place mural by Arron Lowe. Reading Museum's Bayeux Tapestry replica was also part of the story.

Who switched on Reading's Christmas lights in 2023?

Paul Morse and Carl Tracey did it. They played Dame Nanny Bubbles and Prince Cloud Ryder in the Hexagon's panto Sleeping Beauty. About 400,000 bulbs were installed across the town centre, and Broad Street had live music, a Christmas market and huts selling refreshments, personalised gifts and sweets.

What was Illuminate Reading and how long does the trail take?

Illuminate Reading was a winter light trail through Forbury Gardens and the Abbey Ruins, open from 15 November 2025 to 4 January 2026. Walking the light installations takes 30 to 50 minutes. A food and drink court sits in the middle, and the trail starts with marshmallow toasting. Tickets started at £7.95.

Where does the Reading GLOW lantern parade go, and how many people come?

The GLOW lantern parade walked from Broad Street Mall to Forbury Gardens on Saturday 2 December 2023, and the 2022 parade drew more than 1,500 people. The 2023 theme was glow. No 2026 date has been announced yet, so check Reading's town centre channels nearer the time.

What did Huntley & Palmers have to do with Christmas in Reading?

The Reading biscuit maker sold decorative tins, and Reading Museum says many tins were still sold at Christmas even after paper packaging cut production in the 1960s and 70s. The firm also printed Christmas scraps in 1892 and 1893, and a display of its Christmas packaging, with tins from the 1880s, ran at the University of Reading.

When did Huntley & Palmers start in Reading?

Joseph Huntley began baking biscuits in a shop at 72 London Street, Reading, in 1822. George Palmer joined in 1841, and the firm took the name Huntley & Palmers. In 1846 production moved to a bigger site on Kings Road. At its peak the firm sold to 137 countries.

What is the Ben George biscuit tin?

The Ben George tin of 1868 is possibly the earliest printed biscuit tin made by Huntley & Palmers. It used transfer printing, and Owen Jones designed it. Reading Museum's tin history also says the firm issued over 650,000 book-shaped tins between 1900 and 1924.

Where can kids see the old Huntley & Palmers biscuit tins in Reading?

Reading Museum's Huntley & Palmers Gallery holds almost 300 decorative biscuit tins. The museum is on Blagrave Street, and its Christmas Market 2026 is on Saturday 21 November, so the two can share a visit. The tins tell young children how a local factory once filled Christmas tables around the world.

How do I explain Reading's biscuit history to young kids?

Tell them that in 1822 a baker called Joseph Huntley opened a shop in Reading, and that his firm grew until over 5,000 people worked at its Kings Road factory. Then show them a picture of the mouse riding a lobster from a Christmas scrap in 1892.

Which Reading Christmas events are free?

The Broad Street Christmas Market is free to visit, running 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The Aladdin panto and A Christmas Carol are ticketed shows. Check prices for Winter Wonderland and Reading Museum's Christmas Market with each host before planning a budget.

Besides the Hexagon panto, where can kids go for Christmas in Reading in 2026?

Start with the Broad Street Christmas Market, Reading Winter Wonderland at Hills Meadow, and the Aladdin panto at The Hexagon, which is suitable for ages 3 and up. A Christmas Carol at Reading Rep suits ages 6 and up.

Where can we spend Christmas Day itself in Reading?

No Christmas Day events have been announced in Reading. The Broad Street Christmas Market, Winter Wonderland and the Hexagon's Aladdin all run into early January 2027, so families often plan visits on other days. Check each host for opening times on 25 December.

Sources

  1. Reading town centre welcomes the return of heritage inspired Christmas lights at annual switch-on, Wokingham Today
  2. Illuminate Reading, Reading Buses
  3. The big switch-on: 400,000 lights sparkle in Reading, Reading Today
  4. Reading's Top Ten Biscuit Tins, Reading Museum
  5. 200 years of the Biscuit Town, Reading Museum
  6. New display: Huntley & Palmers, a Christmas selection, University of Reading Special Collections
  7. Reading will be walking in a Winter Wonderland until 2028, Reading Today
  8. Aladdin, Reading 2026, Imagine Theatre
  9. A Christmas Carol 2026, Reading Rep Theatre
  10. Reading Christmas Market, Visit South East England
  11. Reading Winter Wonderland, Visit South East England
  12. What's on at Reading Museum, Reading Museum
Kelsey Cecil
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