Christmas Events for Kids in Stoke-on-Trent (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

3 min read

For 2026, we confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids in Stoke-on-Trent. The season opens on 20 November with Trentham Winter Light Trail and runs until 3 January with Snow White (Pantomime). 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 Stoke-on-Trent, Biddulph and Hanley: 3
  • First: Trentham Winter Light Trail, Stoke-on-Trent, 20 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 Stoke-on-Trent

Kids’ Christmas events
3 confirmed for 2026
Areas
Stoke-on-Trent, Biddulph and Hanley
Season
20 November to 3 January
Free events
None confirmed yet
Last checked

Christmas events for kids in Stoke-on-Trent

Listed soonest first: 1 confirmed event in Stoke-on-Trent.

Christmas lights

Trentham Winter Light Trail

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The Trentham Estate runs its Winter Light Trail from 20 November 2026 to 2 January 2027. Tickets are sold by date and time slot, and the price changes with how busy the night is, from Super Off Peak to Peak.

A child ticket covers ages 3 to 15 and starts at £12.50, adult tickets start at £17 and a family ticket for two adults and two children starts at £50. Babies and toddlers aged 0 to 2 need a free infant ticket added when you book. Children must be with an adult. The estate is on Stone Road in Trentham, on the southern edge of Stoke-on-Trent.

Parent tip: Book ahead and add an infant ticket for under 3s. There is a small booking fee.

Host
The Trentham Estate (opens in a new tab)
Where
The Trentham Estate, Stone Road, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 8JG (opens in maps)
Booking
Essential
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with The Trentham Estate (opens in a new tab)

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Christmas events for kids in Biddulph

Listed soonest first: 1 confirmed event in Biddulph.

Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 2 more Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent.
  • Exclusive access to free events Be first to hear about new free events in Stoke-on-Trent.
  • 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 Lights
  • 2 Zoos and museums
  • 1 Santa
  • 1 Shows

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Meet Santa

Festive Lights at Biddulph Grange Garden

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Festive Lights at Biddulph Grange Garden runs on selected evenings from 5 to 29 December 2026. Entry is by bookable 30-minute timeslots between 4.30pm and 7.30pm, and you can stay on site after your entry time.

The route includes a reindeer forest, a Christmas sleigh for photos and Christmas games. Father Christmas appears on Friday and Sunday evenings up to 20 December. Adult tickets are £15 and child tickets £10, and every adult and child ticket (children over 3) includes a free hot drink. Family tickets are offered too.

Parent tip: Booking is essential. Check the Trust's page for the exact nights before you plan around Father Christmas.

Host
National Trust Biddulph Grange Garden (opens in a new tab)
Where
Biddulph Grange Garden, 16 Grange Park Drive, Biddulph, Biddulph ST8 7XU (opens in maps)
Booking
Essential
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
Check dates and details with National Trust Biddulph Grange Garden (opens in a new tab)

New events in Stoke-on-Trent every week

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

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Christmas events for kids in Hanley

Listed soonest first: 1 confirmed event in Hanley.

Panto or Christmas show

Snow White (Pantomime) (Hanley)

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The Regent Theatre in Hanley stages its Christmas pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, from Friday 11 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. Tickets are sold through ATG Tickets.

A separate relaxed performance is on Wednesday 30 December 2026. Relaxed shows are meant for audiences who prefer a more easygoing atmosphere, so check the booking page for what that means on the day. Check age guidance and show times with the box office before booking.

Parent tip: Ask the box office about age guidance and show times before booking.

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

New events in Stoke-on-Trent every week

Rally looks for new Christmas events in Stoke-on-Trent 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

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 Stoke-on-Trent: questions parents ask

What are the 2026 Christmas events for kids in Stoke-on-Trent?

For 2026, we confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids in Stoke-on-Trent, each on its host’s own page: Trentham Winter Light Trail, Festive Lights at Biddulph Grange Garden (Biddulph) and Snow White (Pantomime) (Hanley). Each one is listed above with times, cost and a link to the host.

Where can kids see Santa this year in Stoke-on-Trent?

Where to see Santa: Festive Lights at Biddulph Grange Garden (Biddulph). 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 Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent switches its Christmas lights on one town at a time, from Stoke Minster to Tunstall. In 2025 a fiery dragon from the New Vic Theatre joined Santa's parade in Hanley.

Stoke Minster to Tunstall: one town switches on at a time

Stoke-on-Trent is a city of towns, and Christmas follows that. In 2025 the switch-ons were spread over three weeks, from Stoke Minster on Friday 21 November to Tunstall on Saturday 6 December, with Hanley, Burslem, Longton, Meir and Biddulph in between.

The Hanley day pairs a market with a Santa parade from 11am. Many of these local events, such as Kidsgrove's lantern parade, are small and run by the town itself. The older guide from Visit Stoke lists a Christmas Winter Wonderland in the city centre, free to enter, with an ice rink and Santa's Grotto.

A dragon, a £3 grotto and a mile of lights in 2025

On Saturday 22 November 2025 Santa's parade left Hanley Market at 11am and ended at Santa's Ice Palace Grotto in The Potteries Centre. The grotto cost £3 a child, with £1 of each visit going to Dougie Mac Hospice. New Vic Theatre performed Stoke the Fiery Dragon at 12pm and 2pm, and there was face painting, stilt walkers and a family funfair.

At Trentham the Winter Light Trail ran from 21 November to 4 January, over a mile long, with kids' funfair rides new that year. On 6 December Tunstall's switch-on had Punch and Judy, and Middleport Pottery ran a Penguin Trail for £3.

A pottery grotto and a Snow White panto for 2026

Christmas in the Potteries has a pottery flavour. In December 2025 Middleport Pottery offered 15-minute photo slots in a Christmas grotto for £10, and a penguin hunt around the site for children.

The Visit Stoke guide also mentions Victorian Christmas fun days at Gladstone Pottery Museum and a living nativity at Emma Bridgewater, though that guide dates from 2019, so check current dates. For 2026 the Regent Theatre's panto is Snow White, running from 11 December to 3 January. Biddulph Grange Garden also lists Festive Lights evenings with Father Christmas on some nights.

Traditions today

  • Town-by-town light switch-ons: Stoke, Hanley, Burslem, Longton, Tunstall and Biddulph each held their own in 2025, between 21 November and 6 December.
  • Santa's parade in Hanley: In 2025 it left Hanley Market at 11am and ended at the grotto in The Potteries Centre.
  • Trentham Winter Light Trail: An evening trail of more than a mile at Trentham Estate, running 20 November 2026 to 2 January 2027.
  • Festive Lights at Biddulph Grange: Timed evening entry in December, with a reindeer forest, a sleigh for photos and Father Christmas on some nights.
  • The Regent Theatre panto: Snow White runs from 11 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
  • Kidsgrove lantern parade: In 2025 it started at 4.30pm from St Thomas' Church on 29 November.

A fact for kids

In 2025 New Vic Theatre performed a show called Stoke the Fiery Dragon twice in one day at The Potteries Centre, on the day Santa's grotto opened.

Questions about Christmas in Stoke-on-Trent

When does the Trentham Winter Light Trail run in 2026?

The Trentham Winter Light Trail runs from 20 November 2026 to 2 January 2027. Tickets are for timed slots, and the price depends on how busy the night is. A child ticket starts at £12.50 and a family ticket at £50.

How much is a ticket for the Trentham Winter Light Trail?

Child and senior tickets start at £12.50, adults at £17 and a family ticket for two adults and two children at £50. Prices rise on peak nights, up to £19 for a child and £25.45 for an adult, and a small booking fee applies. Children aged 3 to 15 need a child ticket.

Do babies and toddlers need a ticket at Trentham's Winter Light Trail?

Yes, but it is free. Children aged 0 to 2 need an infant ticket added when you book. Child tickets cover ages 3 to 15, and children must be accompanied by an adult. Entry is by timed slot, so book ahead for the night you want.

What happened at Santa's parade in Hanley in 2025?

On Saturday 22 November 2025 the parade left Hanley Market at 11am and finished at Santa's Ice Palace Grotto in The Potteries Centre. There was live music, face painting, balloon modelling, stilt walkers and a family funfair. New Vic Theatre also performed Stoke the Fiery Dragon at 12pm and 2pm.

How much was Santa's grotto at The Potteries Centre in 2025?

In 2025 Santa's Ice Palace Grotto in The Potteries Centre cost £3 per child, and £1 from each visit went to Dougie Mac Hospice. The grotto opened with the Santa parade on Saturday 22 November. Prices for 2026 have not been confirmed, so check with the centre.

Which towns in Stoke-on-Trent hold their own Christmas light switch-on?

In 2025 Stoke, Hanley, Burslem, Longton, Meir, Tunstall and Biddulph all held one, as did Kidsgrove with a lantern parade and Newcastle-under-Lyme. They ran from 21 November to 6 December. Dates for 2026 may differ, so check each town's announcement.

When was the Stoke-on-Trent Christmas lights switch-on in Hanley in 2025?

Hanley's 2025 switch-on day was Saturday 22 November. The market opened from 10am and the Santa parade began at 11am from the Fountain and Market Square area. Stoke Minster had its own switch-on the evening before, on Friday 21 November from 6pm.

What was on at Tunstall's Christmas switch-on in 2025?

Tunstall's switch-on was on Saturday 6 December 2025 at 3pm at Tunstall Market. There were glitter tattoos, crazy golf and Punch and Judy, and children could see Santa and receive a small gift. Check the organiser's page for the latest details before you travel.

Is Snow White on at the Regent Theatre in Hanley this Christmas?

Yes. The Regent Theatre in Hanley stages Snow White from Friday 11 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, and a relaxed performance is on Wednesday 30 December 2026. Check ticket prices, age advice and show times with the box office before you book.

Is there a relaxed performance of Snow White at the Regent Theatre?

Yes, on Wednesday 30 December 2026. Relaxed shows are meant for audiences who prefer a more easygoing atmosphere. Contact the box office about what to expect, especially for children who prefer a calmer show. Check the organiser's page for the latest details before you travel.

Where can kids see the Trentham and Biddulph Grange Christmas lights in 2026?

Trentham Estate's Winter Light Trail runs from 20 November 2026 to 2 January 2027, and Biddulph Grange Garden has Festive Lights evenings from 5 to 29 December. Both need booking ahead.

When are the Festive Lights at Biddulph Grange Garden in 2026?

They run on selected evenings from 5 December to 29 December 2026, in bookable 30-minute slots between 4.30pm and 7.30pm. Adult tickets are £15 and child tickets £10. Booking is essential, and each adult and child ticket includes a free hot drink.

Can children meet Father Christmas at Biddulph Grange Garden?

Yes. The National Trust says Father Christmas appears on Friday and Sunday evenings up to 20 December. The route also has a reindeer forest, a Christmas sleigh for photos and Christmas games. Tickets are £10 for a child and need booking.

How old do children need to be for a ticket at Biddulph Grange's Festive Lights?

The National Trust says each adult and child ticket, for children over 3, includes a free hot drink. So children over 3 need a ticket. Prices are £15 for an adult and £10 for a child, and family tickets are also offered.

Is Middleport Pottery a good Christmas outing for young children besides the Hanley grotto?

Yes. In December 2025 Middleport Pottery ran a Penguin Trail for children at £3, where they found penguins around the site, and a 15-minute Christmas grotto photo slot at £10. Trentham and Biddulph Grange both run light trails in 2026, so check current dates before travelling.

What was the Penguin Trail at Middleport Pottery?

In December 2025 Middleport Pottery ran a Penguin Trail where children found penguins around the site, for £3. It started on Saturday 6 December. Families could also book a 15-minute photo slot in the Christmas grotto for £10, with props and a keepsake.

Is there a free Christmas event in Stoke-on-Trent?

Yes, some local ones. In 2025 the Winter Fayre at Discovery Academy in Bentilee was free, with Santa and the Grinch visiting, and town switch-ons are usually open to everyone. Paid options such as Middleport Pottery's £3 Penguin Trail are not free, so check each organiser before you go.

What does Stoke-on-Trent's Winter Wonderland offer?

The Visit Stoke guide, which dates from 2019, describes a city-centre Winter Wonderland that was free to enter, with an ice rink and Santa's Grotto. Nub News said in 2025 that it returned on Friday 21 November. Check current details, as no 2026 dates were confirmed.

Where did Kidsgrove celebrate its Christmas lights in 2025?

Kidsgrove held a lantern parade on Saturday 29 November 2025, starting from 4.30pm at St Thomas' Church. Longton, Meir and Biddulph held their switch-ons the same day, so a family could have spent the afternoon in one town. Check this year's town announcements for 2026 dates.

Where to spend Christmas Day in Stoke-on-Trent with kids?

No family events have been announced for Christmas Day itself. The Regent Theatre panto runs to 3 January and the Trentham trail to 2 January, but check their calendars for 25 December before planning. Biddulph Grange Garden's Festive Lights evenings do not include 25 December and end on 29 December.

Sources

  1. Christmas light switch-on events in Stoke and North Staffordshire, Stoke Nub News (17 Nov 2025)
  2. Santa's Arrival Parade 2025, The Potteries Centre
  3. Winter wonderland returns to Staffordshire's Trentham Estate with mile-long light trail, Express & Star (19 Nov 2025)
  4. What's on in Stoke this weekend: Christmas lights, vegan food festival and festive photobooth, Stoke Nub News (Dec 2025)
  5. Top ways to celebrate Christmas in Stoke-on-Trent, Visit Stoke
  6. Snow White (Pantomime), Regent Theatre, ATG Tickets
  7. Winter Light Trail at Trentham Gardens, The Trentham Estate
  8. Christmas at Biddulph Grange Garden, National Trust
Kelsey Cecil
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