Brighton Christmas Market 2026: Skating at the Royal Pavilion

Don’t come expecting rows of wooden chalets. The Brighton Christmas Market is really several events and fairs, where the person behind each table has usually made what’s on it. Pair one with an afternoon in the city’s independent shops. Skate at the Royal Pavilion after dark, and you’ve got a relaxed winter weekend by the sea.

Brighton Christmas Market 2026

Dates

Status: Confirmed
Hove Winter Makers Fair: 21st to 22nd November 2026
Shoreham Christmas Makers Fair: 5th December 2026
Brighton Festive Makers Fair: 12th to 13th December 2026
Last checked: October 2026

Update: Dates were announced in October. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of changes.

Source: Verified by Ultimate Christmas Markets via Visit Brighton.

Plan Your Visit

Locations

Hove Winter Makers Fair: The British Engineerium, The Droveway, Hove
Shoreham Christmas Makers Fair: The Shoreham Centre, Pond Road, Shoreham-by-Sea
Brighton Festive Makers Fair: Wagner Hall, Regency Road, Brighton

Travel and Accommodation

Recommended tour: Royal Pavilion Admission Ticket – Skip the line with this ticket to Brighton’s most popular attraction.
Parking: Please take public transport to help limit congestion.
Where to stay: Blok-74 located in The Lanes, just across from Brighton Beach.

Amenities and Attractions

Santa: Father Christmas at the Royal Pavilion.
Ice skating: Royal Pavilion Ice Rink: 24th October to 4th January 2027 (unconfirmed). Book online.
Brighton Panto: Aladdin. 22nd to 30th December 2026. Book tickets.
Reason to visit: See the beautiful lights at The Lanes, go skating at the Royal Pavilion Ice Rink and relax at the rinkside bar.

Dietary Options

Vegetarian: Yes, plenty of options.
Vegan: Yes, plenty of options.
Gluten free: Yes, but limited.
Specialities: Products from artisan bakers, makers, brewers, distillers and confectioners.

Accessibility

Accessible: Yes.
Pet-friendly: Yes, but not recommended during busy periods.

Convenient Hotels

The Lanes has some of the country’s best independent boutiques, plus a huge choice of places to eat and drink. It’s where I recommend staying in Brighton. I suggest staying at Blok-74, located right in The Lanes, across from Brighton Beach, and just 8 minutes from the famous Royal Pavilion.

Visitor Feedback

What Visitors Loved

• The makers fairs are properly curated, with small creative businesses selling their own work, so gifts feel personal rather than mass-produced.
• Skating in front of the Royal Pavilion is the moment people remember, especially after dark, and the separate beginners’ area with penguin skate aids suits younger children.
• The Festive Makers Fair at Wagner Hall is an easy, warm half day out, with a sheltered courtyard, a pop-up café and something festive to drink.
• The Lanes and North Laine fill the gaps between fairs with independent shops, so a December weekend never feels thin.

Common Complaints

• Anyone expecting a German-style chalet market is disappointed, as the big outdoor market in Valley Gardens hasn’t returned since the council dropped it.
• Each fair runs for just a day or a weekend, so visitors who arrive between dates find little market activity.
• The Lanes and North Laine get very crowded on December weekends, and city-centre parking is limited and expensive.
• The wind off the sea makes evenings feel much colder than the forecast suggests.

The Bottom Line

Treat Brighton as a weekend of independent shopping with a makers fair at its heart, rather than a classic Christmas market trip. Time your visit for a fair weekend, book a skating slot for after dark and leave the car at home.

What to Expect

Brighton no longer has one big Christmas market. Instead, the season runs on a string of fairs organised by Paper Daisy Events, from a Victorian pumping station in Hove to a hall in the city centre, each filled with local artists, designers and small-batch producers. Between fairs, The Lanes and North Laine carry the festive mood, with independent shops, street performers and buskers, while the ice rink glows in front of the Royal Pavilion’s domes after dark.

To find a traditional alternative to Brighton’s events, my guide to the best UK Christmas markets can help you decide where to go.

Food Specialties

• Sussex Pond Pudding: A steamed suet pudding wrapped around a whole lemon with butter and sugar. Cut into it and the buttery lemon sauce pools around it like a pond, which is how it got its name.
• Fish and Chips: Local fish in crisp batter, wrapped in paper and best eaten on the seafront, gulls permitting.
• Brighton Rock: The traditional stick of rock with “Brighton” running all the way through, sold in rainbow colours and flavours along the seafront.
• Small-Batch Producers: The makers fairs bring in local food and drink producers alongside the craft stalls, so it’s easy to stock up on edible gifts.
• Mulled Wine: The Festive Makers Fair pairs its pop-up café with festive drinks, and a warm mulled wine is the obvious order in December.
• Vegan Treats: Brighton has one of the UK’s best-known vegan scenes, so vegan doughnuts, plant-based pies and artisan vegan cheeses are easy to find.

What to Buy

• Brighton Artwork: Prints and illustrations by local artists, from the Royal Pavilion and the piers to cheeky seaside cartoons.
• Jewellery: Handmade pieces from independent makers, at the fairs and in The Lanes, long known for its jewellers.
• Sussex Wines and Beers: Sparkling wine from the South Downs vineyards and craft beer from local breweries make easy gifts to take home.
• Vintage Clothing: North Laine’s vintage shops are the place for classic coats and retro dresses.
• Ethical Cosmetics: Locally made, cruelty-free skincare from small Brighton brands.

Sustainable Travel Tips

• Skate on renewable power: The Royal Pavilion Ice Rink says it’s the UK’s only Christmas ice rink powered exclusively by solar, wind and wave energy.
• Hire a Beryl BTN Bike: The city’s bike share has e-bikes and pedal bikes at hubs all over Brighton and Hove, including the seafront. Book through the Beryl app and return the bike to a marked hub, as leaving it elsewhere costs extra.
• Take the bus to Hove: Several Brighton & Hove Buses routes serve Hove Park, a short walk from the British Engineerium, so there’s no need to drive to the Winter Makers Fair.
• Buy straight from the maker: Paper Daisy’s fairs are built around small creative businesses selling their own handmade work, so your money goes directly to the person who made it.
• Eat in a Gold food city: Brighton & Hove was the first place in the UK to earn a Gold Sustainable Food Places award, thanks to the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership’s work on community food, so independent cafés and local produce are easy to find.
• Walk The Living Coast: The city sits inside a UNESCO biosphere that takes in the South Downs and the shoreline. Walk the seafront promenade from the Palace Pier to the Hove beach huts for a car-free morning by the sea.