Christmas in Cambridgeshire starts earlier every year. The big light trails open in the third week of November, the cathedral fairs come soon after, and by the first weekend of December every town and village seems to have a market, a grotto or a switch-on.
We have gathered the events with confirmed 2026 dates from the organisers or their official ticket sellers. Where an annual fixture had not published its 2026 details when we checked, we have left it out for now and will add it once the date is announced. The best-known evening slots sell out, so book early.
Details were accurate when we checked them on 5 November 2026. Dates, times and prices can change, so please check each organiser’s website before you book or travel.
Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire
The city and the estates to its south put on the county’s biggest festive shows, with two National Trust properties and the Botanic Garden all running ticketed Christmas events.
Christmas at Wimpole
Outdoor activity
- An illuminated evening trail through the grounds of the National Trust’s Wimpole Estate, with brand new light installations for 2026
- Runs on selected evenings from Friday 20 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027
- Entry is by timed slot, and Anytime Tickets are also sold for entry at any point between first and last entry on your chosen evening
- The trail includes a glimpse of Father Christmas, food and drink stalls and festive music
- It is a separately ticketed event, and National Trust members pay for trail entry like everyone else
- Parking is bought separately alongside your trail tickets; National Trust members park free but must book it at least 24 hours ahead and show their card on arrival
- Only assistance dogs are allowed on the trail
- The trail is outdoors on estate paths, so wear warm clothes and sensible shoes
Address: Wimpole Estate, Arrington SG8 0BW
Website: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cambridgeshire/wimpole-estate/christmas-at-wimpole
How to book: Online through the National Trust’s Christmas at Wimpole page, which links to the Ticketek booking site
The Hall lit up at the end of the avenue is the image everyone takes home. Weekend and school holiday slots go first, so if you can do a weekday evening early in the run, you will get a quieter trail. Children under five tend to manage the walk best in a pushchair or sling.
Cambridge Botanic Lights 2026
Outdoor activity
- An after-dark trail of light, colour and sound through Cambridge University Botanic Garden
- Runs on 17 evenings between Friday 27 November and Wednesday 23 December 2026: 27 to 29 November, 3 to 6 December, 10 to 13 December and 18 to 23 December
- Doors open at 4:30pm, with entry slots every 15 minutes until the last one at 7pm, and the gates shut at 8:30pm
- Off-peak tickets cost £18.15 for adults and £13.50 for children aged 4 to 15, standard tickets £24.75 and £17, and under-fours go free; 3 and 10 December are off-peak all evening
- Groups of six or more get 10 per cent off, and Friends of the Garden pay a reduced price
- The trail follows the garden’s gravel and tarmac paths, wheelchairs and pushchairs are welcome, and there is a separate accessibility page for the event
- The garden is a ten minute walk from Cambridge station and has no visitor car park, so plan to arrive on foot, by bike or by bus
- Day visits to the garden continue as normal, and Christmas Crafts for families runs on Saturday 5 December 2026 from 10am to 1pm, free for children with booking essential and normal garden entry for adults
Address: Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Bateman Street, Cambridge CB2 1JE
Website: botanic.cam.ac.uk/cambridgebotaniclights2026
How to book: Online through the Botanic Garden’s Botanic Lights page
Botanic Lights is the city’s answer to the estate trails, and it has the advantage of being walkable from the centre. The glasshouses and old trees make a good canvas for the lights. The garden has been asking people to donate old garden gnomes for this year’s trail, which gives you a clue to the tone. Some paths can be wet or slippery, so wear shoes with a decent grip.
Anglesey Abbey at Christmas
Indoor and outdoor
- The house reopens on Tuesday 1 December 2026 with A Festive Voyage, six rooms dressed with a travel theme inspired by Lord Fairhaven’s winter trips on his yacht, running until Sunday 3 January 2027
- The house is closed to visitors from Monday 2 to Monday 30 November 2026 while it is prepared
- Father Christmas visits in the house run on 5 and 6 December, 12 and 13 December and from 18 to 22 December 2026, with slots between 9:45am and 3pm
- Each visit lasts about 30 minutes and costs £24.95 per child, including one adult and a gift, and is recommended for children aged 3 to 10
- Christmas opening is 9:30am to 4pm in the garden and 11am to 3:30pm in the house, with last entry at 3pm, and the property closes on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but opens on Boxing Day
- The Winnie the Pooh centenary exhibition in the house and a Pooh story trail in the garden both run until 3 January 2027
Address: Anglesey Abbey, Quy Road, Lode, Cambridge CB25 9EJ
Website: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cambridgeshire/anglesey-abbey-gardens-and-lode-mill/christmas-at-anglesey-abbey
How to book: Online through the National Trust for Father Christmas visits; house and garden entry on arrival
Anglesey Abbey is the gentler Christmas option, all daylight and fires rather than light shows. The house looks its best dressed for the season, and the Winter Garden is at its peak in December with white birches and red stems. The Father Christmas slots are timed, and the house is a 10 to 15 minute walk from the visitor centre, so give yourself time to get there.
Christmas in Cambridge, Parker’s Piece
Outdoor activity
- A Christmas village on Parker’s Piece with a market, open-air ice rink, big wheel, curling lanes, an Alpine lodge and a funfair
- It is run by Seventa Events under an agreement with Cambridge City Council that began in 2024
- Runs from Friday 13 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027
- Entry is free, and it opens daily from 11:30am on weekdays and 10am at weekends until 10pm or 11pm, opening at 10am every day from 19 December
- Ice skating and the big wheel are booked online, and Father Christmas walks around the site at weekends through the season
- The site is in the city centre, so use park and ride or the train rather than driving
Address: Parker’s Piece, Cambridge CB1 1NA
Website: christmasincambridge.co.uk
How to book: Online through the organiser’s website for ice skating sessions
Parker’s Piece in December is loud, bright and busy, which is exactly what some people want. The ice rink is the main draw for families, and the big wheel gives you a view across the rooftops towards King’s. Book skating sessions ahead for weekends, and check opening times over Christmas and New Year on the organiser’s site.
Huntingdonshire and Peterborough
West and north of the county the big Christmas draws are steam trains, a cathedral full of music and the town switch-ons, which are smaller than the city events but very much part of local life.
Nene Valley Railway Santa Specials
Indoor and outdoor
- Christmas at the Railway Santa Specials run on weekends from Saturday 28 November to Sunday 20 December 2026, plus Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 December
- Trains leave from Wansford station near Peterborough for a journey of about an hour, and Father Christmas visits every child at their seat
- Every child gets a wish coin to swap for a present at Santa’s Toy Shop after the ride, and Mrs Claus and Santa’s Post Office are on the platform beforehand
- Standard tickets cost £30 for adults and children aged 2 to 15 and £12 for under twos, with private compartments for up to six at £240; advance booking is essential
- Quiet Trains with less noise, run with the railway’s Autism Railway Crew, leave at 10:30am on Sunday 29 November and Saturday 5 December
- Wansford has a large free car park and a café; pushchairs are left on the platform, and only assistance dogs are allowed
Address: Nene Valley Railway, Wansford Station, Stibbington, Peterborough PE8 6LR
Website: nvr.org.uk
Phone: 01780 784444 (office open every day, 9am to 4pm)
How to book: Online through the Nene Valley Railway website
A Santa Special is a proper old-fashioned Christmas outing, and the Nene Valley does it well. The carriages are warm, the trains are usually steam hauled, and the ride along the Nene is long enough to feel like a journey. This year Pendennis Castle, a Great Western locomotive on loan from Didcot, is hauling some of the trains. Children aged two to eight get the most out of it. Book as soon as you know your date, as December weekends go quickly.
Christmas Concerts at Peterborough Cathedral
Indoor activity
- Peterborough Cathedral hosts a run of ticketed Christmas concerts through December 2026, including A Christmas Carol on 7 December, a Rat Pack candlelit evening on 9 December and The Christmas Orchestra on 10 December
- Christmas at the Musicals is on Tuesday 22 December 2026 at 7pm
- Vivaldi Four Seasons at Christmas by Candlelight, played by the Piccadilly Sinfonietta, is on Wednesday 23 December 2026 at 7:30pm
- The cathedral also runs its own carol services and Christmas worship, which are free and listed on its website
- The cathedral is in the city centre, a short walk from Peterborough station and Queensgate car parks
Address: Peterborough Cathedral, Minster Precincts, Peterborough PE1 1XS
Website: peterborough-cathedral.org.uk
How to book: Through the promoters’ ticket links on the cathedral’s events page
Peterborough Cathedral is one of the finest Norman buildings in the country, and it makes a remarkable concert hall when the lights are low. The late December concerts are a good way to get out of the house in that strange week before Christmas. Ticket prices and age limits are set by each promoter, so check the booking page before you buy for a family.
Christmas in Peterborough City Centre
Outdoor activity
- Peterborough City Council switches on the city’s Christmas lights in Cathedral Square on Friday 20 November 2026, with entertainment from 5pm and the switch-on at 7pm
- Queensgate shopping centre holds its own switch-on on Saturday 21 November 2026, with activities from 11:30am and the lights going on at 4pm
- The cathedral’s Craft and Gift Market, with around 140 stalls, runs from 20 to 22 November 2026
- Christmas stalls trade in the city centre from Friday to Sunday through late November and December
- The cathedral’s Christmas Tree Festival runs from Thursday 26 November 2026 to Wednesday 6 January 2027, and Father Christmas visits the Cathedral Library on selected dates from 21 November to 24 December
- The square is pedestrianised, so use the city centre car parks or come by train
Address: Cathedral Square, Peterborough city centre
Website: peterborough.gov.uk (search Christmas in Peterborough)
How to book: No booking needed for the switch-on or the markets
Cathedral Square with the west front of the cathedral behind it is a fine setting for the lights switch-on, and the craft market in the cathedral the same weekend makes it easy to turn the evening into a day out. The Christmas Tree Festival inside the cathedral is a gentler option for later in the month, with trees dressed by local groups and organisations.
St Neots Museum at Christmas
Indoor activity
- St Neots Museum in the old magistrates’ court on New Street runs Christmas sessions for young children through December
- Toddler Time: If I Was Father Christmas is on Thursday 3 December 2026 from 10:30am to 11:30am
- Spaces are limited and must be booked through the museum’s Ticket Tailor page
- In 2025 the museum also ran the Santa’s grotto at the St Neots Christmas lights switch-on
- The museum is in the town centre, a short walk from the Market Square
- A pom pom tree decoration workshop follows on Wednesday 23 December 2026
Address: St Neots Museum, The Old Court, 8 New Street, St Neots PE19 1AE
Website: stneotsmuseum.org.uk
How to book: Online through the museum’s Ticket Tailor page
Small and well run, the museum’s Christmas sessions are the kind of thing that never makes the big round-ups but matters to local families. The old courtroom setting adds a bit of character. Book early, as the toddler sessions fill up.
Christmas Lights Switch-ons in St Neots and Chatteris
Outdoor activity
- The market towns hold free Christmas lights switch-ons with stalls, entertainment and a countdown to the lights
- St Neots holds its switch-on on Sunday 29 November 2026 from 12pm to 6pm on the Market Square, with festive stalls, a funfair, food and live performances, according to the town council
- Over the border in Fenland, Chatteris switches on its lights on Saturday 28 November 2026 at 4:30pm; the town’s volunteer-run Christmas lights group dates back to 1985
- Switch-ons are free and do not need booking, but expect road closures and busy car parks
Address: Market Square, St Neots; Chatteris town centre
Website: stneots-tc.gov.uk and chatterischristmaslights.co.uk
How to book: No booking needed
The town switch-ons are where the market towns do Christmas. They are free, friendly and noisy, with school choirs, mulled wine and the countdown everyone joins in. St Neots makes an afternoon of it with the funfair, while Chatteris keeps to an early evening countdown, which suits younger children.
Ely and the Fens
Ely’s cathedral is the centre of Christmas in the Fens, with the county’s biggest Christmas fair and a full programme of concerts under the octagon. Wicken Fen adds a quieter, traditional option for small children.
Ely Cathedral Christmas Gift and Food Fair
Indoor and outdoor
- A three day Christmas fair inside Ely Cathedral with around 160 exhibitors, more than a third of them new for 2026
- Runs from Thursday 19 to Saturday 21 November 2026, with daytime sessions from 9:30am to 1pm and 1pm to 4:30pm, and evening shopping from 6:30pm to 8:30pm on Thursday and Friday
- Session tickets cost £10, or £5 for children aged 3 to 15 with an adult; the £15 all-day tickets had sold out for Thursday and Friday when we checked
- The outdoor Festive Village has a bigger marquee area and covered seating this year, and mulled wine is served in the Lady Chapel
- The cathedral has warned about scams claiming to represent it, so only book stalls or tickets through the cathedral’s own website
- Ely station is a short walk away
Address: Ely Cathedral, The College, Ely CB7 4DL
Website: elycathedral.org/events/christmas-gift-food-fair
How to book: Online through Ely Cathedral’s website
The Ely fair is the one that shoppers from across East Anglia plan around. The cathedral nave lined with stalls is quite a sight, and the Festive Village outside adds food and somewhere to sit between rounds of shopping. The evening sessions are calmer than the daytime and feel more festive with the lights on. Come by train if you can, as Ely’s car parks fill quickly.
Christmas Concerts at Ely Cathedral
Indoor activity
- Ely Cathedral hosts a programme of Christmas concerts and services through December 2026
- Christmas by Candlelight, with West End singers and a live band playing sing-along Christmas favourites, is on Saturday 5 December 2026 at 7:30pm
- The cathedral’s own carol services and Christmas worship are free and listed on its website
- The cathedral is a short walk uphill from Ely station
- Concerts in a large stone building can be cold, so bring a coat you can keep on
Address: Ely Cathedral, The College, Ely CB7 4DL
Website: elycathedral.org (events)
How to book: Christmas by Candlelight through the Concerts By Candlelight link on the cathedral’s events page; other events through the cathedral’s website
Hearing Christmas music under the octagon is worth the trip on its own. The candlelit concerts are pitched at families and general audiences rather than specialists, and the sing-along format suits mixed groups. Arrive early to find a seat with a view up into the lantern.
Christmas at the Fen, Wicken Fen
Indoor and outdoor
- Father Christmas visits for young children in the thatched Fen Cottage at the National Trust’s Wicken Fen nature reserve, from 29 November to 23 December 2026
- Fen Cottage is a Grade II listed fenland cottage, furnished in 1930s style
- Visits are booked through the National Trust’s Wicken Fen events page
- The Visitor Centre shop and Docky Hut Café are open for winter drinks and gifts
- The Hamish and Owl winter trail, following a young Highland cow and his friend, runs on the reserve from 28 November 2026 to 10 January 2027
- The boardwalk and woodland walk are open all winter if you want to add a short walk, but expect mud
Address: Wicken Fen Nature Reserve, Lode Lane, Wicken, Ely CB7 5XP
Website: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cambridgeshire/wicken-fen-national-nature-reserve
How to book: Online through the National Trust’s Wicken Fen events page
If your children are small and big light trails feel like too much, Christmas at the Fen is a good alternative. The cottage is tiny, warm and full of character, and the reserve outside is wonderful on a cold, clear afternoon. Combine it with a walk on the boardwalk and a hot chocolate in the café.
Seasonal Highlights
Mid November: Christmas in Cambridge opening on Parker’s Piece on 13 November, Ely Cathedral Christmas Gift and Food Fair from 19 to 21 November, and Christmas at Wimpole and the Peterborough lights switch-on on 20 November.
Late November: The Christmas Tree Festival at Peterborough Cathedral from 26 November, Cambridge Botanic Lights from 27 November, Chatteris lights and the first Santa Specials on 28 November, and the St Neots switch-on and the first Father Christmas visits at Wicken Fen on 29 November.
Early December: The Festive Voyage opening at Anglesey Abbey on 1 December, toddler Christmas sessions at St Neots Museum on 3 December, and Christmas Crafts at the Botanic Garden and Christmas by Candlelight at Ely Cathedral on 5 December.
The week before Christmas: Father Christmas at Anglesey Abbey from 18 to 22 December, Christmas at the Musicals on 22 December and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on 23 December at Peterborough Cathedral, and the last Santa Specials on 24 December.
A Note From Inside Cambridge
We will keep this guide updated as more organisers confirm their dates, including Mill Road Winter Fair and the other town switch-ons. If you are running a Christmas event anywhere in Cambridgeshire or Peterborough, tell us and we will consider it for the list.
And if you spot something here that has changed, let us know. Christmas plans are made months in advance, and we would hate to send anyone to the wrong place on the wrong night.
Before You Go
- Book Christmas at Wimpole, Cambridge Botanic Lights, Santa Specials and Father Christmas at Anglesey Abbey as early as you can, as weekend and school holiday slots sell out
- Christmas at Wimpole is not covered by National Trust membership, but members park free if they book parking at least 24 hours ahead
- Ely Cathedral’s Christmas fair is ticketed by session, and the all-day tickets for Thursday and Friday have already sold out
- Check that you are booking through the official organiser’s site, as Ely Cathedral has warned about scams using its name
- Evening light trails are outdoors and can be cold and muddy, so dress for the weather and bring a torch for the walk back to the car
- Use park and ride or the train for city centre events in Cambridge and Peterborough, as car parks fill quickly in December
- Anglesey Abbey closes on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and opens again on Boxing Day
