Experience the magic of Christmas in Exeter.
The wonderfully atmospheric Cathedral Christmas Market returns from 15th November – 15th December. Explore the labyrinth of winding lanes, festooned with fairy lights and laced with the seasonal sights and smells of over 100 festive chalets, plus a new area in the Cloister Garden, hosting independent traders. Entry to the Cathedral itself will be by donation throughout the period of the Christmas Market.
Exeter’s Christmas lights will be on across the city to coincide with the first day of the Christmas Market, on 15th November. Look out for the return of Exeter’s giant bauble, plus a new light up arch on the High Street!
New for 2024, you can follow the Countdown to Christmas Trail around Exeter, until 27th December. Explore the city, visit key locations and collect the letters that spell out a secret Christmas word to claim a special Exeter sticker sheet. You’ll also get the chance to be entered into a draw to win one of 5 Exeter Independent Gift Cards.
Winter Wonderland returns to Northernhay Gardens from 22nd November to the 24th December, with an undercover ice-rink, plenty of exciting rides and attractions, an abundance of locally-sourced festive refreshments and a giant Santa’s Grotto and Naughty Elf Workshop!
The Christmashay Village in Princesshay (28th November – 22nd December) will offer the chance to shop for unique gifts from local traders, with refreshments in the festive chalet outdoor bar and regular live entertainment and performances throughout the festive period.
Late-night shopping will start with a bang in Princesshay, as the Spark Drummers will be performing at 5pm, 6pm and 7pm on Thursday 28th November. Shops will then be open until 8pm every Thursday until 19th December.
Don’t miss Santa in his golden sleigh under the glass canopy in Princesshay every Sunday in December (leading up to Christmas) between 10.30am – 4.30pm. Families will be able to pose with Santa and his Elf for a festive photo before taking home a little keepsake for the tree. Princesshay’s charity partner ELF will be accepting donations (£2.50) from families queuing up to meet Father Christmas.
Visit the Guildhall Shopping Centre for more family fun this Christmas, with character visits and festive entertainment. Late night shopping will run every Thursday from 21st November in the Guildhall, with shops open until 7pm. On the last late night shopping evening of 19th December, shops will be open even later until 9pm, with entertainment throughout the evening.
New for this year, the Shop at RAMM will be open for two special late night shopping evenings, on the 12th and 19th December – the perfect opportunity to browse for a unique Exeter gift!
Soak up the festive atmosphere at this year’s Magdalen Road Christmas Fair on 7th December. Around 50 stalls and the wonderful shops here will be offering crafts, gifts, food and drink, to the sound of live music.
Your four-legged friends will also get the chance to join in the festive fun, as they can have their photo taken on the new Santa Paws throne in the Guildhall Shopping Centre, and even have a festive paw-trait drawn during a special event in John Lewis!
Don’t miss the spectacle of hundreds of Santas running through the city, as Exeter City Community Trust’s Santa Run is back on the 1st December!
The festive fun doesn’t have to stop in the evening, as Exeter's variety of theatres provide plenty of choice when it comes to the traditional panto!
Pantomimes
Cinderella: Exeter Northcott - 28th November to 5th January
After year-on-year record-breaking success, the hilarious Le Navet Bete team up with Exeter Northcott once again to bring you this fabulous modern take on a classic story. With laugh-out-loud fun, great music, stunning costumes and sets, and amazing special effects, you’ll soon be telling everyone about the unmissable family panto Cinderella. There will also be selected performances for adults only, where you can expect the same brilliant show with more adult humour, more swearing and added naughtiness!
Peter Pan: Exeter Corn Exchange - 14th December to 1st January
Following their biggest ever success last year with 'Sleeping Beauty’, Exeter Corn Exchange presents the high-flying pantomime Peter Pan! The festive tale will be told with merriment and melody, plus a big dollop of slapstick fun and silly sing-alongs - you'll be Hooked!
The Elves and the Shoemaker: Exeter Barnfield Theatre - 17th to 24th December
The Exeter-based PaddleBoat Theatre Company will bring their trademark inventive style to the Exeter Barnfield, with a highly interactive 50-minute version of the beloved fairytale, The Elves and the Shoemaker. Full of adventure, clowning, puppetry and a magical miniature world!
Quirk Theatre: Dayzee and the World of Tomorrow: Exeter Phoenix - 15th to 28th December
This year Quirk Theatre ‘come of age’ with their 21st show, a magical futuristic tale where bicycles fly, flies talk and mangrove forests sing! Quirk are known for their inventive and innovative approach to live theatre, wowing audiences with their use of projection, puppetry, creative set design and original music.
Elf The Musical: Exeter Barnfield – 4th to 14th December
Presented by the Exeter Little Theatre Company. Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. He then returns to New York City to find his birth father and help the people of The Big Apple rediscover the true meaning of Christmas! Book your tickets now.
Beauty and the Beast: Exeter Barnfield - 30th December to 2nd January
Enjoy a tale as old as time with Wonder Pantomimes as they bring the story of Beauty and the Beast to the Barnfield this festive season as part of a six-week national tour.
Just four miles from Exeter, the beautiful estuary town of Topsham offers a wonderfully eclectic Christmas shopping experience. With over 50 independent shops and services across town, you’re sure to find a unique gift. Visit during their Christmas shopping evening to soak up the festive atmosphere. Find out more on the Love Topsham website.
If you are stuck for the perfect gift this Christmas treat your loved ones to an independent gift card. The joy of the card is that the gifted amount can be spent across multiple independent retailers, salons, cafes and restaurants, so you really are supporting local with the card. Purchase online at www.inexetergiftcard.co.uk.
See the list below for more Christmas events in Exeter in 2024, as they're announced.
to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
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