Magical events this Christmas in Sheffield city centre 🌟

Revel in the sights and sounds of Christmas in Sheffield city centre.

All kinds of festive encounters await you this year ❄️

All information correct at time of publication. 

Our pick of this year's very best festive events in Sheffield city centre includes:
🎁 Sheffield Christmas Market - from Thursday 16 November
🎁 Festive Opening Weekend - Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 November
🎁 The Sheffield Christmas Trail - from Saturday 25 November
🎁 Christmas Tree Festival - from Tuesday 5 December
🎁 Sheffield Cathedral Illuminated: Starlight - Tuesday 5 to Saturday 9 December
🎁 Wartime Christmas - Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 December

For information on festive-themed markets, music, panto and other entertainment visit this page: Festive markets, live performances and entertainment 🎄 (sheffieldcitycentre.com)


🎁 Sheffield Christmas Market

📅 Thursday 16 November to Sunday 24 December

Sheffield welcomes back the ever-popular Christmas Market to the city centre, celebrating Sheffield's great independent traders, with over 80% based locally.

This year's market will feature over 50 log cabins, spread along Town Hall Square, the Peace Gardens and The Moor.

See the market from the sky on the iconic Big Wheel (returning to its 2022 location on The Moor) or come and meet 'the big man' himself at Santas grotto.

As is the case every year, there'll be plenty to see and do for all the family.

Opening times as follows 👇

The Moor cabins 

📅 Sunday to Thursday ⏳ 10am - 6pm

📅 Friday and Saturday ⏳ 10am - 7pm

Pinstone Street cabins

📅 Sunday to Thursday 10am - 7pm

📅 Friday and Saturday ⏳ 10am - 8pm

Bars 🍻

Alpine Lodge (Peace Gardens) ⏳ 10am - 11pm 

Alpine Bar (The Moor) ⏳ 10am - Late 

Bars will be open until Tuesday 2 January 2024.

The Big Wheel 🎡

📅 Sunday to Thursday  10am - 9pm

📅 Friday and Saturday ⏳ 10am - 10pm


Wait, what’s that we hear? 🤫

“Ho Ho Ho” and the sound of bells and hooves can only mean one thing...Santa Claus is coming to town 🎜🎝🎜

Santa and his elves will be making time in their very busy schedules to sprinkle some joy and merriment in Sheffield city centre.

You'll find Santa in his grotto from Thursday 16 November right through to Sunday 24 December.

What's on your Christmas wish list this year? 


🎁 Sheffield's Festive Weekend

📅 Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 November

With Sheffield’s Christmas Market making its welcome return, bringing festive treats and gifts for everyone to enjoy, the city centre will also be hosting a special 'Festive Weekend' on the Market's opening weekend. 

Sheffield’s Festive Weekend will play host to a variety of street entertainers - including brass bands, choirs and street dance artists - as well as an outdoor cinema screen in Tudor Sqaure which will be showing Christmas films throughout the weekend.

 Festive Opening Weekend at Sheffield Christmas Market (welcometosheffield.co.uk)


🎅 The Sheffield Christmas Trail

📅 Saturday 25 November to Sunday 24 December

Brought to you by Sheffield BID.

The Sheffield Christmas Trail features a mix of THREE festive activities (Santa's Study, Christmas Crooners and Brearley Bear's Christmas Collectibles) to get you and your loved ones fully immersed into the spirit of Christmas in Sheffield city centre 🎄

There is NO COST to taking part in Sheffield Christmas Trail activities. 

Santa's Study 🎅

An immersive family experience set in the magical festive setting of Santa’s Study.

📍 Santa's Study - Google Maps

An immersive family experience set in the magical festive setting of Santa’s Study.

Enter the enchanted forest to reveal a fun, playful space with lots of funny details to be discovered.

This is Santa's warm and cosy study where children can write their letters in time for the 'big day'. 

 Santa's Study - Sheffield Christmas Trail

Santa's Study, Christmas 2022

Christmas Crooners 🦌

📍 Atkinsons and 📍 Marks & Spencer

Head to the first floor of independent department store Atkinsons (on The Moor) to find TWO Reindeer Crooners' Eccy and Totsy.

Also making their 'musical debut' this year are a 'penguin trio' (aka The Arctic Penguins) which you'll find located at Marks & Spencer on Fargate.

The Christmas Crooners - Sheffield Christmas Trail


Brearley Bear's Christmas Collectibles 🐻

📅 Saturday 25 November to Sunday 7 January 2024

This year's Brearley activity is a little different to previous years.

For 2023, young fans of Brearley Bear can find a series of collectable trading cards at a wide variety of participating venues across the city centre. There are 30 cards to collect featuring Brearley and all his friends. Collect at least 10 and claim a limited edition collector's tin 😍

 Brearley Bear's Christmas Collectibles - Sheffield Christmas Trail

💡 Don't forget you can keep up to date with all Brearley's adventures by following his account on 'X' BrearleyBear (@BrearleyBear) / X (twitter.com) 🐾


🎄 Christmas Tree Festival

📅 Tuesday 5 December to Tuesday 2 January 2024

Sheffield Cathedral will provide another real feast for the senses this winter. 

Head inside this historic space and you’ll discover the sight – and scent – of more than 30 Christmas trees. Local businesses, charities and schools have joined in the fun to each decorate a tree for this year's Christmas Tree Festival. 

This is a FREE activity. 

For further details visit: Sheffield Cathedral


Sheffield Cathedral Illuminated: Starlight

📅 Tuesday 5 December to Saturday 9 December

There’s no better place to start your Christmas celebrations than at the cathedral’s stunning lightshow, Sheffield Cathedral Illuminated created by Luxmuralis.

Every year friends and families come together to marvel at an incredible multi-sensory immersive experience inside and outside the cathedral. 

Starlight will guide you on a journey following the three wise men. Contemporary light and sound artwork will bring to life stained-glass windows and beautiful paintings, taking you to the heart of the Nativity story which will unfold before you across the West End of the cathedral.

🎟️ Adults: £7.25 
🎟️ Children aged 4-16: £6
🎟️ Children 3 and under: FREE 
🎟️ Family ticket options available

📸 Sheffield Cathedral

For further details and tickets visit: Sheffield Cathedral


📯 Wartime Christmas

📅 Saturday 9 December and Sunday 10 December

Join the National Emergency Services Museum as they turn the clock back 80 years. Step into a fabulous forties festive wonderland and join a whole host of costumed characters, living history interpreters and even Father Christmas for a truly traditional Christmas event.

🎟️ Adults: £9.50
🎟️ Children aged 3-15: £7.50 
🎟️ Family tickets available

📸 NESM

For further details and tickets visit: National Emergency Services Museum


Our full festive guide 🎁

If we've got you thinking about 'all things Christmas' and hastily making plans for your next trip to the city centre, you'll want to take a look at our full festive guide to what's on this year. Here you'll find information on:
✨ Craft fairs, markets and workshops 
✨ Theatre performances
✨ Music and concerts
✨ Christmas on the big screen 


Planning your visit to the city centre 👀

Whether your using public transport, cycling, walking or choosing to visit in the car, you'll find lots of useful information in our online guide to getting into and around the city centre.