Yuletide is Upon Us: A month of Eastbourne Festivities

The festive season is well and truly under way, and Eastbourne has plenty on offer for all, this Christmas period. From quaint markets serving up edible delights and hand crafted gifts; to opera, ballet and Rat Pack Christmas classics being performed on theatre stages across Eastbourne. The Sunshine Coast sure knows how to do Christmas, but can we bring snow?

Yes! Well almost. Druisilla’s Park switches on its Winter Wonderland Illuminations at 16.30 on Saturday November 29, transporting visitors to a magical ice-capped Kingdom where penguins and polar bears made of dazzling lights, will be animated for a 20 minute illumination display every day until January 4, perfectly synchronized to festive and pop music. 

Children (and adults) can also meet and hug a Husky dog, Hello Kitty, Santa’s Reindeer, Christmas elves and Santa himself – there really is so much on offer at Drusilla’s this Christmas; it will make the perfect Winters day out for family festivities.

Shopping locally for your Christmas gifts couldn’t be easier, with numerous Christmas markets and crafts fairs dotted around the town. ‘Meads Magic’ in Meads Village is happening from 14.30 this Friday 28 November. As well as the delightful food stalls and unique seasonal gifts, Christmas magic will be brought to Meads in the form of live street music from the Swing Ninjas. Santa will be making another trip to Eastbourne especially for the magical Meads event. 

Another charming corner of Eastbourne, Little Chelsea, will be holding their ‘Little Christmas’ outdoor market on Friday 5 December between 17.30 and 22.00. South Street will be taken over by market stalls, offering more traditional gifts, festive culinary delights, rides and attractions. Various street performers will keep Christmas spirits high with entertainment throughout the entire evening. Real life reindeer will be travelling down from the North Pole with Santa (again) to meet and greet one and all.

For another alternative evening of shopping, the Towner Art Gallery is holding an ‘After Hours Christmas Shopping’ event on Tuesday December 2, 18.00-21.00. You’ll find more unique Christmas treasures for your friends and families gifts, and receive mulled wine and mince pies, complimentary of the gallery.

Visitors to Eastbourne can make a night, a weekend or a whole week of it. There are a number of very welcoming hotels who love to welcome in guests at Christmas, with some brilliant offers on for the festive period. The Langton’s, a Victorian seafront guest house, have 20% off of a three night stay or more until March 30. The Royal is a beautiful and charming hotel with offers on 6 and 7 night stays. All available hotels and B&B’s can be booked online at http://www.visiteastbourne.com/accommodation/

For those that like to keep active, even throughout the gluttonous month of December, the Santa Fun Run and Walk is happening on Sunday December 7. All runners will be decked out in Santa’s suits (he’s a fashion role model), and be rewarded with a mince pie at the end of their promenade run. More details about can be found at www.events.myastheniagravis.co.uk/SantaEastbourne.

The Christmas theatre season is packed out, catering for all musical tastes, and age groups. Classical dance fans will be mesmerised by Russian State Ballet and Opera House productions of Gisele at the Congress on Friday 5 December, and The Nutcracker, a favourite Christmas story, on Saturday 6 December. Beauty and The Beast is the pantomime not to be missed this season, and with a whole month of performances, there is no excuse. See it at the Devonshire Park Theatre between December 12 and January 11. The Rat Pack Big Band will be bringing Sinatra seasonal classics and more hits from 1950’s America, to the Congress on December 23. For a full theatres list and to book tickets visit www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk.

And the grand finale of festivities is the trio of annual free Bandstand concerts. Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day will be celebrated in traditional Eastbourne style at our unique Bandstand. A Christmas vacation in Eastbourne would be incomplete without experiencing at least one of these concerts, if not all. The Eastbourne Silver Band will grace the Bandstand stage on Christmas Day, caroling the morning away. Boxing Day and New Year’s at the Bandstand promises two fun and lively concerts from the Ray Campbell Dance Band, joyfully rounding off Eastbourne’s festive season.

There is no better place to be this December, than the Sunshine Coast – Merry Christmas One and All!

Eastbourne Celebrates With a Month of Festive Fun Events

Eastbourne will be full of festive fun this December with a month long Christmas events programme of shopping events, free concerts and a winter wonderland of theme park illuminations at Drusillas Park, designed by the ‘King of Christmas Lights’.

Featuring real reindeer, huskies, street markets, cookie decorating, an outdoor town centre performance stage and a wide selection of Santa’s Grotto’s, Eastbourne will celebrate in style, culminating in a free Christmas Day concert at the iconic seafront bandstand.

Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism & Leisure, Cllr Carolyn Heaps said “This is our busiest programme of Christmas events ever and it is fantastic to see so many businesses working together to put on such a fantastic show for the local community and the many visitors who celebrate their Christmas in the town.”

Kicking off the month long celebration, the Enterprise Shopping Centre open their weekend Santa’s Grotto on 1 December with a Christmas gift fair and complimentary mulled wine, along with the chance to return on 15 December to meet the lovable real reindeer. 

Real Reindeer at Enterprise Shopping centre

Santa takes up weekend residence at Sharnfold Farm from 1 December, and at Seven Sisters Country Park Visitor Centre, make lanterns, garlands and Christmas decorations in A Touch of Frost, suitable for children and adults alike.

For craft fans, head to the Redoubt fortress 1 – 2 December to make Victorian inspired Christmas decorations, part of the Eastbourne Christmas Artist Open Houses event taking place across the town.

Nearby Drusillas Park opens up Santa’s Christmas Cottage with the chance to hug a husky and view their brand new Winter Wonderland Illuminations from 1 December – 6 January with over 60,000 lights designed by Channel 4’s ‘King of Christmas Lights’ Paul Toole, in an animal themed display and synchronised to festive music.

Winter Wonderland Illuminations at Drusillas Park

Over 400 Santa’s hit the seafront on 2 December in the annual Santa Fun Run, jingling all the way in a 3 mile jog raising money for charity, and on 4 - 5 and 7 - 8 December, the Russian State Ballet and Opera House bring their magical production of Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty to the Congress Theatre.

The weekly Christmas street market continues in Eastbourne town centre every Wednesday from 5 December, and on 6 December, new event Meads Magic in the heart of Meads village celebrates with Santa’s grotto, shopping, Christmas cookie decorating and more.  In the town centre, Centre Stage - a brand new outdoor stage featuring live entertainment from 3pm begins, along with mall entertainment in the Arndale Shopping Centre and late night shopping every Thursday until Christmas.

Little Chelsea Christmas

Little Christmas returns to the heart of Little Chelsea on 7 December with fairground rides, Santa’s grotto, real reindeer, treasure trails, hog roast and live music, and in the heart of Eastbourne’s Historic Old Town, HOT Christmas festivities on 8 December include street market, jugglers, choirs, Santa and Christmas crafts.

Over 2,000 primary school children from across East Sussex perform the Great Big Christmas Sing 11 – 13 December at the Congress Theatre, in a fun retelling of the nativity featuring Dinkey the amusing teenage donkey and a frantic Joseph, who late on Christmas Eve has forgotten to buy his present for Mary.

From 13 December to 13 January, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without the traditional and highly acclaimed Eastbourne pantomime, starring Bernie Nolan at the Devonshire Park Theatre, this year’s spectacular performance features a fun filled jaunt through the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty.

Santa opens up his grotto at Knockhatch Adventure Park from 15 December each weekend with soft play, quad-a-pillar rides and farm, and at the Congress Theatre on 18 December join Christmas with the Rat Pack and experience the sounds of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Dean Martin at the famous Sands hotel, featuring seasonal classics such as White Christmas and Baby It’s Cold Outside.

Give the kids a treat the weekend before Christmas and join the Santa Special at Eastbourne Miniature Steam Railway 22 – 23 December with train rides to Santa’s Grotto and festive drinks and mince pies for mums and dads.

On Christmas Day the iconic seafront Bandstand welcomes thousands of festive fans for a pre-dinner treat in a free Christmas Day Bandstand concert, featuring carols and traditional yuletide hits.  The first in a triple bill of festive concerts which continue on Boxing Day and New Years Day, the second of which is followed by a Boxing Day Walking Tour at 12.30 and 2.30pm by local tour guide Harry Pope, featuring historical and amusing anecdotes along the way.

Christmas Conga at The Bandstand

Towner, contemporary art museum, celebrate the winter season with their brand new Bon hiver exhibition, running from 1 December until 3 March, including star of the Tate Turbine Hall, Olafur Eliasson, and his installation ‘The Forked Forest Path’.

For more information on all Christmas events, plus opening times and prices, telephone 0871 663 0031 or visit www.visiteastbourne.com.