Christmas in North Shields 2026

Christmas in North Shields is a town-sized affair. There is no ice rink, but there is a proper market in the Georgian square, a steam railway with Santa on board, live music on the Fish Quay and a ferry that will take you to a pantomime on the other side of the river. This guide covers what happens most years, with a dated section for what is already confirmed for 2026.

The Christmas market

The main event is North Shields Christmas Market, which returns to Northumberland Square and Howard Street on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December 2026. It is free to get in, with around 70 stalls, a food and drink village, fairground rides and choirs. Local churches and the Salvation Army traditionally open it with a short service at 10am on the Saturday.

Our Christmas markets guide covers road closures and other markets nearby, and the event listing has the details.

The North Shields Community Hub and Library faces the square, and last year it ran free children's crafts, a Christmas quiz and letters to Santa alongside the market. Its 2026 programme has not been published yet.

Christmas lights

North Tyneside Council puts up festive motifs in North Shields town centre, on the Fish Quay and around Northumberland Square. There is no public switch-on ceremony in North Shields itself. If you want a switch-on with carol singers, the nearest is at Spanish City in Whitley Bay on Sunday 15 November.

Santa

The best-known Santa experience in town is the Elf Express at Stephenson Steam Railway on Middle Engine Lane. It runs from 5 to 23 December 2026. Families watch a live show from Santa and his elves, then board a Christmas-themed heritage train, and children up to 12 get a gift from Santa. Sessions sell out, so book early.

Smaller community grottos tend to be announced later in the season. Last year the Cedarwood Trust ran a £1 Santa's grotto at its Christmas market, Santa visited the Transport Hub by bus, and festive characters appeared at the Beacon Centre during the market weekend. None of these has been confirmed for 2026 yet. Over in Whitley Bay, Spanish City runs Afternoon Tea with Santa on selected dates from 5 to 24 December.

Festive happenings on the Fish Quay

The Fish Quay does Christmas quietly but well. At the Old Low Light Heritage Centre, former Royal Northern Sinfonia leader Bradley Creswick gives a pre-Christmas recital with David Murray on Friday 4 December. Its café has one of the better views on the river.

Salt Market Social on Liddell Street is hosting a Christmas World Market on Sunday 13 December, 1pm to 6pm, with festive food from around the world, gifts from independent makers and drinks.

Up on Howard Street, The Exchange 1856 has Dolly Does Christmas, a festive Dolly Parton tribute in Brown's Bar and Kitchen, on Friday 11 December. It staged Jack and the Beanstalk last December, but no 2026 panto has been announced.

Shows nearby

If there is no panto in town, there are two within easy reach:

• Sleeping Beauty at The Customs House, South Shields, runs from Friday 20 November 2026 to Saturday 2 January 2027. The theatre is next to the South Shields ferry landing, so taking the Shields Ferry from the Fish Quay is part of the outing.
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Playhouse Whitley Bay runs from 4 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. See the event listing for booking.

Carol services

Christ Church, the parish church on Preston Road, is the focus for carols in the town. Last year it hosted the RNLI Christmas Carol Service on the first Sunday in December, with refreshments afterwards, and a church Christmas fair in late November. The 2026 dates have not been published, so check the parish website nearer the time.

Festive walks

The classic North Shields Christmas walk starts on the Fish Quay, follows the river past the two Low Lights and Clifford's Fort, then climbs to Tynemouth Priory and comes back through Northumberland Park. The Ramblers' version of this loop, which also takes in King Edward's Bay, is an easy 5.5 miles and takes about three hours.

Northumberland Park, on Tynemouth Road, is open all year. It is a good place to walk off Christmas dinner, and Tynemouth Metro station is a few minutes away. Our guides to the best walks in North Shields and parks and green spaces have more routes.

Boxing Day

The big local Boxing Day tradition is the Boxing Day dip on Tynemouth's Longsands, organised by the North Sea Volunteer Lifeguards to raise money for their lifesaving charity. Hundreds of swimmers, many in fancy dress, run into the North Sea while crowds watch from the beach. It was called off in 2020 because of the pandemic but has run every year since. Check the lifeguards' own channels for this year's start time before you go.

Getting about over Christmas

On market weekend, the Metro is the easiest way in: North Shields station is a five-minute walk from Northumberland Square. For parking, the Beacon Centre is closest to the shops, and the Low Lights car park is the one for the Fish Quay. See our parking guide for the full picture.

The Shields Ferry normally crosses roughly every half hour, but Nexus runs reduced services over the holidays. In recent years neither the Metro nor the ferry has run on Christmas Day, and Christmas Eve services have finished early. Nexus publishes its festive timetable each December, so check it before travelling.

What we are still waiting on

As of early November, the market's entertainment, community grottos, carol service dates and holiday transport times are still to be confirmed. We will update this guide as they are announced.

Know a North Shields Christmas event we have missed? Get in touch.