Christmas & New Year in Weston-super-Mare

Here at Visit Weston we've got the big events all wrapped up - and Christmas and New Year is no different.

We know the build up starts earlier and earlier each year so keep coming back to us throughout the year as we add more and more events to this page and our What's On section to make Christmas 2024 even more special for you.

Where else could you watch Santa arrive by helicopter, or see him abseil down a gorge? Where else could you watch a 100-plus cavalcade of Volkswagen vehicles all decorated with Christmas lights processing through the town to the seafront in a spectacular Vee Dub Cruz?

And if that’s not different enough for you, how about putting on that lovely warm Christmas jumper and having a go at ice-skating in Clevedon town centre?

Did we mention Santa? There’s even a Santas on the Run charity event at Charlton Farm in nearby Wraxall when you can dress up as your favourite Christmas character and have great fun whilst supporting a good cause.

Want something feeling even colder? Then why not burn off some of those extra Christmas pounds by taking part in an annual New Year’s Day dip in the sea at nearby Clevedon? Sticking with the fitness theme, you could lace up your running shoes and take part in a traditional Boxing Day run.

It's going to really start feeling like Christmas on 26th November when the Mayor of Weston, Cllr Sonia Russe will be joined by singer Phoebe Richards for the 5pm turning on of the Christmas lights in the Italian Gardens.  With carol singing and free mince pies, it's always a jolly gathering.

We've got Christmas all wrapped up for you

We haven’t forgotten the traditional stuff either. We’ve got Christmas fayres, markets and bazaars coming out of our ears as well as carol services in the town centre, car parks and indoors. Check them out here.

And, of course, the annual festivities would not seem quite normal without the  ever-popular pantomime, which always brings the house down. Weston Playhouse is showing Sleeping Beauty this year starring Vicki Michelle from television's 'Allo, 'Allo and Derek Moran from Milkshake.  Weston College is putting on Babes in the Wood at The Blakehay Theatre.  

If you’re looking for something a bit more intimate, check out The Theatre in The Hut, Weston’s very own 58-seat theatre which is exactly what it says on the tin – a theatre in a hut! It is promising lots of laughs when it stages Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs.

Alternatively, step back in time, and enjoy Portishead's traditional  Victorian Evening where you'll see a lantern parade, live stage acts as well as having plenty of stalls to browse through.

Or pop over to Puxton Park for their Magical Christmas Experience and make your own Christmas decorations with assistance from Santa's Little Helpers!

Hoping for a white Christmas?

And if you're dreaming of a white Christmas, but aren't sure that it is going to happen, we've got just the thing for you. Our partners at the Mendip Outdoor Activity Centre are running twilight tobogganing sessions. Your group of up to eight people will slide down the toboggan slope which is lit with more than 10,000 fairy lights, coloured flood lights and lasers.

The fun doesn't stop there! After your tobogganing session, you'll  sit under canopies, around a camp fire where you'll roast marshmallows and light sparklers. 

All of these events and more are happening in Weston-super-Mare or within a short drive from our favourite happening seaside town.

Keep visiting this page and our what’s on guide because we’re going to be updating it with more and more events as we hear about them.  Please be our eyes and ears as well. If you are organising a festive event in our area, we want to know all about it.  So take advantage of the submit event section of our website to let everyone know about your plans.