Christmas in Liverpool 2026: The Ultimate Guide to Festive Events

Christmas in Liverpool starts early this year. From Friday 20 November the Pier Head becomes Liverpool Christmas Wonderland, Knowsley Safari switches on its Enchanted light trail, and a day later the Christmas market returns to St George’s Hall. Add more than a dozen pantos, a packed programme at Blackstock Market and a December full of big gigs and festive football, and there is a lot to fit in.

We’ve spent the autumn covering it all on Unlock Liverpool, so this is everything in one place: what’s on, when, how much, and where to read more.

Christmas in Liverpool 2026: key dates at a glance

What	Where	Dates	Cost
Giant ice sculpture giveaway	Church Street	Sat 14 Nov, 11am to 4pm	Free
Beauty and the Beast: Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto	Liverpool Everyman	14 Nov to 16 Jan	£20 to £47
Liverpool Christmas Wonderland	Pier Head	20 Nov to 3 Jan	Free entry; skating from £12.50
Enchanted light trail	Knowsley Safari	Selected dates, 20 Nov to 23 Dec	From £9.95
Liverpool Christmas Market	St George’s Plateau	21 Nov to 3 Jan	Free entry
Christmas Party Nights	Blackstock Market	27 Nov to 19 Dec	Ticketed
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs	Epstein Theatre	5 Dec to 3 Jan	From £13
Dick Whittington	Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight	5 to 31 Dec	£23.50; family £74
Cinderella	The Auditorium, M&S Bank Arena	12 to 29 Dec	See venue
Boxing Day football: Everton v Sunderland	Hill Dickinson Stadium	Sat 26 Dec, 3pm	Compare on TixChoice

Prices and dates were correct when we published each guide. Always check with the venue before you travel.

Liverpool Christmas Wonderland at the Pier Head

The biggest new arrival of the season takes over the waterfront from Friday 20 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. Liverpool Christmas Wonderland brings 36 attractions, a covered real-ice rink and 28 food and drink units to the Pier Head, all set against the Three Graces.

Entry to the site is free, so you can wander in for the atmosphere and pay only for what you do. Thrill-seekers get the 85-metre Star Flyer, a first for the city, plus The Yeti, Avalanche, Ice Twister and an ice maze. Younger visitors have children’s rides and Santa experiences, and the heated Alpine-style Winter Club is the place for a festive drink overlooking the river.

Dates: Friday 20 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027
Opening hours: 11am to 9pm daily, closed Christmas Day
Entry: free; rides, skating and attractions paid separately
Ice skating: from £12.50 for children and £15.50 for adults at off-peak sessions, family tickets from £49, skate hire included

This weekend: on Saturday 14 November, from 11am to 4pm, a 1.5-metre ice sculpture filled with hidden prizes lands outside NEXT on Church Street. It’s free to chip away at, and the top prize is five season passes for unlimited skating and rides.

Christmas markets in Liverpool and nearby

Liverpool Christmas Market returns to St George’s Plateau from 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with festive food, gift stalls and one of the best backdrops in the city. New this year is Skate St George’s, an outdoor ice-skating experience alongside the market.

If you fancy a festive day out beyond the city centre, these are the markets within easy reach:

Market	Dates	From Liverpool
Chester Christmas Market, Town Hall Square	18 Nov to 22 Dec	40 to 45 mins
Frodsham Christmas Festival & Market	Sat 28 Nov	35 mins
Formby Hall Christmas Market	Sun 29 Nov	30 mins
Southport Christmas Market, Southport Market	4 to 6, 10 to 13 and 17 to 20 Dec	40 mins
Knutsford Christmas Market	5 and 6 Dec	50 mins
Port Sunlight Christmas Market	Sun 6 Dec	25 mins
Manchester Christmas Markets	6 Nov to 22 Dec, selected sites to 3 Jan	50 mins to 1 hour

Our full guide also covers York, Chatsworth and Birmingham’s Frankfurt market for anyone planning a festive weekend away.

Enchanted: the Christmas light trail at Knowsley Safari

Enchanted returns to Knowsley Safari on selected dates from 20 November to 23 December 2026, running from 4pm to 9pm. The trail is all new and longer than before, with glowing tiger paw prints leading into an illuminated forest, giant bees and dragonflies, six-metre chandeliers and a huge Christmas tree that is bound to be the family photo spot.

The Winter Village has fire pits for marshmallow toasting, loaded Yorkshire pudding wraps, churros and festive hot chocolates, plus illuminated rides. Santa’s grotto is an optional extra, and every child goes home with a large plush toy.

New for 2026 is a dedicated SEN night on 9 December, with reduced capacity, softer sound and lighting, and the rides closed to keep things calm.

Tickets: from £9.95 per person
Santa’s grotto: from £21.50, booked separately
Not included: refreshments, rides and the grotto
Worth knowing: book before 15 November and marshmallow toasting is free. Several dates sold out in advance last year.

Christmas at Blackstock Market

Blackstock Market on Blackstock Street has a full festive programme under one roof, and it splits neatly into family days and grown-up nights.

For families

Dear Santa: The Grotto Experience. Children meet Santa, receive a golden coin and take home a festive treat.
Free Christmas Family Fundays. Every weekend through the season, with face painting, mascots, Christmas films and live music. They’re ticketless, so arrive early.
Christmas Family Picnic. Seasonal treats with appearances from favourite Christmas characters.
The Totally Improvised Christmas Pantomime. A brand-new panto made up from audience suggestions at Hot Water Comedy Club, throughout November and December.

For nights out

Christmas Party Nights, 27 November to 19 December, with live music and roaming Christmas characters. Ideal for work dos.
Christmas comedy specials at Hot Water Comedy Club throughout December.
The Magic Table at Whisky & Water, every Friday and Saturday from 6pm, with close-up magic, live music and more than 420 whiskies.
Private hire for up to 140 guests if you want your own space.

Liverpool pantomimes and Christmas shows 2026

Oh yes it is. Liverpool and the surrounding area have a panto for every age this year, from toddler-friendly storytelling to a very grown-up Scouse Nativity.

Show	Venue	Dates	Best for
Beauty and the Beast: Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto	Liverpool Everyman	14 Nov to 16 Jan	Older children, teens and adults
Elf The Musical	Liverpool Empire	19 to 22 Nov	Ages 5+
The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan	St Helens Theatre Royal	28 Nov to 10 Jan	Primary-school children
Cinderella	The Atkinson, Southport	4 to 31 Dec	Younger children
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs	Epstein Theatre	5 Dec to 3 Jan	Traditional family panto
Aladdin	Floral Pavilion, New Brighton	5 Dec to 3 Jan	Families; BSL show 20 Dec
Dick Whittington	Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight	5 to 31 Dec	Families who like smaller theatres
Rapunzel	The Hope Street Theatre	11 to 31 Dec	Ages 3+; relaxed show 16 Dec
The Night the Toys Came to Life	Unity Theatre	11 to 23 Dec	Younger children
Cinderella	The Auditorium, M&S Bank Arena	12 to 29 Dec	Big-production panto; BSL show 21 Dec
Storytime with Santa	Liverpool Everyman	19 to 23 Dec	Babies, toddlers and preschoolers

Three to know about

Snow White at the Epstein stars Ryan Mulvey as Prince Fredrick in his panto debut, with Leanne Campbell back as the Magic Mirror. Tickets from £13.
Dick Whittington at the Gladstone has Emmerdale and Hollyoaks actor Darren John Langford as King Rat. Standard tickets are £23.50 and a family of four is £74, which makes it one of the better-value festive days out. Port Sunlight is on Merseyrail’s Wirral Line.
Scouse Nativity is back at the Royal Court for anyone after a grown-up Christmas night out. Check the theatre for dates.

For very little ones, The Reader in Calderstones Park is also showing Christmas Mini Movies on selected December dates, including Stick Man, The Gruffalo’s Child and The Snowman.

Festive dining and Christmas dinner in Liverpool

If you’d rather someone else peeled the potatoes, Liverpool’s grandest dining rooms are ready. Festive menus are already running or about to start across the city:

The Art School Restaurant: Festive Prix Fixe at £49 for three courses, a Festive Tasting Menu at £140 and a Christmas Eve Celebration Menu at £135, with festive menus from the end of November.
Hawksmoor Liverpool: festive sharing menus from 23 November to 31 December, £60 to £93 per person for groups of eight or more.
San Carlo: festive menus from 16 November, including turkey with chestnut stuffing and panettone bread and butter pudding.
Gino D’Acampo Liverpool: Christmas Fayre lunch at £32.50 for two courses or £39.50 for three.
The Ivy Liverpool Brasserie: a seasonal set menu with turkey ballotine, Christmas pudding and a Santa-themed dessert.

Eating out on Christmas Day? Two city-centre venues have published Christmas Day menus: The Municipal Hotel’s Seaforth Restaurant, with six courses at £225 per adult and £122.50 per child, and Gino D’Acampo Liverpool at £100 per person including Champagne on arrival.

Our full guide also covers Panoramic 34, Titanic Hotel and festive hotel stays within a drive of Liverpool, from Thornton Hall on the Wirral to Peckforton Castle in Cheshire.

Real Christmas trees and decking the halls

Choosing the tree is half the fun, and there are some lovely places to do it properly near Liverpool:

Rainfords Farm, Eccleston, St Helens. Nearly 50 years of homegrown trees, plus a Christmas Barn and the Après Tree Kitchen & Bar for hot chocolate afterwards.
Giltrees, Bickerstaffe, Ormskirk. Growing trees since 1965, with Nordmann Fir, Fraser Fir, Lodgepole Pine and Noble Fir.
Church Farm Christmas Tree Forest, Thurstaston. Walk the plantation, pick your tree and have it cut in front of you. Use the separate entrance off the A540.
Gordale Garden & Home Centre, Burton. Real trees alongside big Christmas displays and a café.

Prefer the designer look without the effort? The Christmas Company, which decorates the homes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mo Salah, has launched Christmas in a Box: a 7ft pre-lit tree, decorations, garland and wreath from £750.

December gigs and festive football in Liverpool

Not every Christmas night out involves a grotto. December is one of the best months of the year for live music in Liverpool, with a run of hometown heroes playing in the week before Christmas, and the festive fixture list is a tradition all of its own. These are the December dates currently listed for Liverpool on TixChoice, where you can compare ticket prices across sellers.

Gigs for your Christmas night out

Date	Who	Venue
Wed 9 Dec, 7pm	Slade, of Merry Xmas Everybody fame	O2 Academy Liverpool
Sat 12 Dec, 6.30pm	Morrissey	M&S Bank Arena
Wed 16 Dec, 7pm	Echo and the Bunnymen	Camp and Furnace
Fri 18 Dec, 7pm	Lightning Seeds	O2 Academy Liverpool
Fri 18 Dec, 7pm	Belle and Sebastian	Mountford Hall, Liverpool Guild of Students
Sat 19 Dec, 7pm	Space	O2 Academy Liverpool

Festive football

Date	Fixture	Stadium
Sat 12 Dec, 3pm	Liverpool v Leeds United	Anfield
Sat 19 Dec, 5.30pm	Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur	Anfield
Sat 26 Dec, 3pm	Everton v Sunderland, the Boxing Day game	Hill Dickinson Stadium
Tue 29 Dec, 8.15pm	Everton v Manchester City	Hill Dickinson Stadium

Kick-off times can move for television, so check before you book travel.

Plan your Christmas in Liverpool

Our advice is the same every year: book the things that sell out first. That means weekend panto matinees, Enchanted at Knowsley Safari, Santa’s grottos and anything on Christmas Day itself. Then leave a free afternoon for the markets and the Pier Head, where it costs nothing to wander in.

We’ll keep adding to our Christmas in Liverpool section as more events are announced. For presents, see Unlock Liverpool’s Christmas Gift Guide 2026.