Christmas Markets With a Santa's Grotto 2026
37 Christmas markets and events in this guide have a Santa's grotto or a visit from Father Christmas in 2026, with the dates, the price per child and whether you need to book, each taken from the organiser's own page.
This page covers grottos that are part of a Christmas market or event we list. Garden centres, shopping centres and heritage railways run their own, and those are not here.
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Santa's Grottos at Christmas Markets in the South East
| Market | Grotto Dates | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Christmas Market Canterbury | Selected dates from 28 November | From £13 a child | Booking advised |
| Southampton Christmas Market Southampton | Daily, to Christmas Eve | £7.99 a child | Turn up |
| Leeds Castle Christmas Market Maidstone | 21 Nov to 24 Dec 2026 | £22 a child | Book ahead |
Santa's Grottos at Christmas Markets in the South West
| Market | Grotto Dates | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth Christmas Market Plymouth | 9 Dec 2026 | Not published | |
| Cornwall Gold Christmas Market Redruth | 12 to 23 Dec 2026 | £20 a child | Book ahead |
| Truro Christmas Market Truro | 12 to 24 Dec 2026 | £8.50 a child | Book ahead |
Santa's Grottos at Christmas Markets in the East of England
| Market | Grotto Dates | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich Town Hall Christmas Fayre Ipswich | 21 to 22 Nov 2026 | £15 a child | Book ahead |
| Light Up Maldon Maldon | 26 Nov 2026 | Not published | |
| Southwold Christmas Lights Switch On and Market Southwold | 28 Nov 2026 | Free | Turn up |
| Billericay Christmas Market Billericay | 6 Dec 2026 | Free | |
| 'Keep' Christmastide Market Castle Hedingham, near Halstead | 18 to 20 Dec 2026 | £15 a child | Book ahead |
Santa's Grottos at Christmas Markets in the East Midlands
| Market | Grotto Dates | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belvoir Castle Festive Markets Grantham | 14 Nov to 30 Dec 2026 | From £12 a child | Booking advised |
| Chatsworth Christmas Market Bakewell | 28 Nov to 13 Dec 2026 | £40 a child | Book ahead |
| Derby Festive Markets Derby | 28 Nov to 24 Dec 2026 | Charged: see the page | Book ahead |
| Matlock Victorian Christmas Market Matlock | 5 to 6 Dec 2026 | Not published |
Santa's Grottos at Christmas Markets in the West Midlands
| Market | Grotto Dates | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Glow Christmas Market Malvern | See the page | Charged: see the page | Book ahead |
| Bewdley Christmas Lights Switch-On and Festive Market Bewdley | 21 Nov 2026 | Not published | |
| Great Malvern Christmas Lights Switch On and Market Great Malvern | 21 Nov 2026 | Not published |
Santa's Grottos at Christmas Markets in Yorkshire
| Market | Grotto Dates | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beverley Festival of Christmas Beverley | 13 Dec 2026 | Not published |
Santa's Grottos at Christmas Markets in the North West
| Market | Grotto Dates | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coniston Festive Fayre Coniston | 14 Nov 2026 | Not published | Book ahead |
| Smithills Farm Christmas Markets Bolton | 21 to 29 Nov 2026 | Charged: see the page | Turn up |
| Christmas in Colne Colne | 28 Nov 2026 | Free | |
| Stockport Town Hall Christmas Fayre Stockport | 3 Dec 2026 | Charged: see the page | |
| Kirkby Lonsdale Christmas Fair Kirkby Lonsdale | 5 to 6 Dec 2026 | Not published | |
| Liverpool Christmas Market at Skate St George's Liverpool | 5 to 24 Dec 2026 | From £22.50 a child | Booking advised |
| Chester Christmas Market Chester | 12 to 20 Dec 2026 | Not published | Booking advised |
Santa's Grottos at Christmas Markets in the North East
| Market | Grotto Dates | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas at Beamish Beamish | See the page | £10 a child | Book ahead |
| Newcastle's Christmas Market Newcastle upon Tyne | 21 Nov to 24 Dec 2026 | From £10.50 a child | Booking advised |
| Bishop Auckland's Christmas Town Bishop Auckland | 3 to 6 Dec 2026 | £5 a child | Booking advised |
Santa's Grottos at Christmas Markets in Scotland
| Market | Grotto Dates | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh Christmas Market Edinburgh | 20 Nov to 24 Dec 2026 | Charged: see the page | Booking advised |
| Perth Christmas Lights Switch-On Weekend Festive Market Perth | 20 to 22 Nov 2026 | Free | |
| Winter Wonderland at Glasgow Green Glasgow | 20 Nov to 24 Dec 2026 | Charged: see the page | Booking advised |
| Traquair Christmas Opening Weekend Innerleithen | 28 to 29 Nov 2026 | £15 a child | Book ahead |
| Haddo's Christmas Craft Fair Methlick | 13 to 20 Dec 2026 | £15 a child | Book ahead |
Santa's Grottos at Christmas Markets in Wales
| Market | Grotto Dates | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queens Hall Narberth Christmas Market Narberth | See the page | Free | Turn up |
| Aberglasney Winter Fair Llangathen | 5 to 6 Dec 2026 | £5 a child |
Santa's Grottos at Christmas Markets in Northern Ireland
| Market | Grotto Dates | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newry Christmas Markets Newry | See the page | Charged: see the page |
Santa Is Coming, Details Not Yet Out
The organisers of these say Father Christmas will be there in 2026 but had not published dates or prices when we checked.
- Sheffield Christmas Market (Sheffield)
- Christmas in Cambridge (Cambridge)
- Bristol Christmas Market (Bristol)
- Bournemouth Christmas Market (Bournemouth)
- Bakewell Christmas Market (Bakewell)
- Blenheim Palace Christmas Market (Woodstock)
- Durham Christmas Festival (Durham)
- Mayfair Christmas Market (London)
- Christmas on the Square (Salisbury)
- Broadway Late Night Christmas Shopping (Broadway)
- Marlborough Christmas Lights Event and Market (Marlborough)
- Christmas Market at the Pavilion Theatre, Gorleston (Gorleston-on-Sea)
- Christmas in Frodsham (Frodsham)
- Dorking Christmas Festival (Dorking)
- Folkestone Harbour Arm Festive Marketplace (Folkestone)
- Fulham Pier Christmas Market (London)
- Knutsford Christmas Market (Knutsford)
- Love Loughborough Festive Fair (Loughborough)
- Malmesbury Late Night Christmas Shopping (Malmesbury)
- Matlock Christmas Market (Matlock)
- Melton Mowbray Christmas Market (Melton Mowbray)
- Mount Edgcumbe Christmas Fair (Cremyll)
- Pavilion Gardens Christmas Fair and Santa's Grotto (Buxton)
- Richmond Christmas Fair (Richmond)
- Sherborne Festive Shopping Day (Sherborne)
- Southport Christmas Market Cabins (Southport)
- Stoneleigh Winter Fair (Stoneleigh)
- Tring Together Christmas Festival (Tring)
- West Wittering Beach Christmas Market (West Wittering)
No Christmas Market, but You Can Meet Father Christmas
People search for a Christmas market at these places and there is none in 2026. Each does have its own Father Christmas visit, which is why they are listed here.
| Place | Dates | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milton Keynes Milton Keynes | 20 Nov to 24 Dec 2026 | £16 a child | |
| Portsmouth Portsmouth | 5 to 6 Dec 2026 | Charged: see the page | Book ahead |
| Preston Preston | See the page | Free | |
| Haworth Haworth | 5 to 6 Dec 2026 | Free | |
| Doncaster Doncaster | 16 to 19 Dec 2026 | Not published | Book ahead |
| Castle Howard York | 28 Nov to 24 Dec 2026 | Charged: see the page | Book ahead |
| Longleat Warminster | Festival of Light dates, to 24 December | £23.50 a child | Book ahead |
Mentioned by the venue, with no details yet: Covent Garden and Kew Gardens.
Questions About Santa's Grottos at Christmas Markets
Which Christmas markets have a free Santa's grotto?
Perth Christmas Lights Switch-On Weekend Festive Market, Billericay Christmas Market, Christmas in Colne, Queens Hall Narberth Christmas Market and Southwold Christmas Lights Switch On and Market have a grotto the organiser describes as free. Some ask for a donation to a charity, and the market itself may still charge for entry: each page says.
Do you need to book Santa's grotto at a Christmas market?
At 12 of the 37 listed here the organiser says you must book: Chatsworth Christmas Market, Truro Christmas Market, Derby Festive Markets, Ipswich Town Hall Christmas Fayre, Leeds Castle Christmas Market, Christmas at Beamish, 'Keep' Christmastide Market, Coniston Festive Fayre, Cornwall Gold Christmas Market and Haddo's Christmas Craft Fair and others. Weekend slots in December go first. Where the organiser says nothing about booking we leave the column blank rather than guess.
How much does Santa's grotto cost at a Christmas market?
Of the 16 that charge and have published a 2026 price, the cheapest is £5 a child (Aberglasney Winter Fair) and the dearest £40 (Chatsworth Christmas Market); the middle price is £15. What is included differs: some prices cover a gift, some a whole event ticket.
Every grotto here was read on the organiser's, venue's or council's own page; the latest check was on 12 October 2026. We looked at the most searched markets and those whose pages mention Father Christmas, so a market missing from this page may still have one. How we check.