Christmas on the Square 2026

Salisbury station, on South Western Road, is managed by South Western Railway. Experience Salisbury, the city's visitor site, says the city is on the main London and Bristol lines, with direct trains from Southampton, Bath, Basingstoke and Exeter, and puts the station about a 10-minute walk from the centre. The Guildhall Square is roughly half a mile from the station in a straight line (from the coordinates), and the walk is flat. National Rail says there is some step-free access to all platforms and that there are no lifts. Taxis wait at the station.

Salisbury has five park and ride sites, with buses run by Salisbury Reds: Wilton, London Road, Britford, Beehive and Petersfinger. Parking is free and an adult return is £3.50, or £4.50 for a group of up to four travelling together (October 2026). Drivers take contactless and cash. Experience Salisbury says buses run up to every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and on bank holidays. It does not mention Sundays, so check the timetable if you are coming for a Sunday Festive Market. City centre stops differ by route, as the table shows. No Christmas arrangements for 2026 had been published when we checked.

Wiltshire Council runs most of the city centre car parks, long and short stay, and on-street bays in the centre have a one-hour limit. Salisbury City Council manages two more: Lush House, off Crane Bridge Road, and Churchill Gardens on Southampton Road. The city council says Blue Badge holders may park in any bay in Wiltshire Council and city council car parks. We have not listed prices, because we could not read Wiltshire Council's parking pages when we checked: look them up before you travel, or use the park and ride.

Salisbury City Council, which runs the event, publishes general access information rather than a guide to the Square itself. There is an accessible toilet in the Market Place, next to the Guildhall Square, open 24 hours with a RADAR key. Changing Places toilets are at Lush House by Queen Elizabeth Gardens and at Fisherton Recreation Ground: ring the Information Centre on 01722 342860 for the access code. Salisbury Shopmobility, at 3b Priory Square (SP2 7TL), hires scooters, powerchairs and wheelchairs from £5.50 a day after a £10 annual membership (October 2026). It opens Monday to Saturday, 9am to 4.30pm, and is closed on Sundays. Experience Salisbury describes the city centre as flat.

Christmas on the Square opens alongside Christmas Begins on Friday 20 November 2026 in the Market Place next door, with live music, stalls and food. The council's trader page gives its hours as 1pm to 8.30pm, though the public listing still said the time was to be confirmed. Sunday Festive Markets fill the Market Place on 29 November and 6, 13 and 20 December, 10am to 4pm, free to enter. The regular Charter Market is there on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The council lists the pop-up itself, with Santa's Grotto, as running to 31 December, a week longer than the retail chalets.

The Guildhall Square is in the middle of the city, and Salisbury is flat and small enough that anywhere in the centre, around the Cathedral Close or along Fisherton Street towards the station is within about ten minutes on foot. Staying near a park and ride site and taking the bus in also works from Monday to Saturday.