Christmas Town is officially returning to Bishop Auckland for 2026, following its success in County Durham over the last two years. The event will take over the market square from December 3-6.
What's planned for 2026
While a full itinerary is still to be confirmed, several elements have already been announced. These include giant cosy tipis, a Christmas Market with stalls, food and drink vendors, and a Santa's Grotto, where Santa himself will take up residence at the event.
Golden Passes for Christmas Town 2026 are already on sale. These grant ticket holders unlimited access to the attractions throughout the day, with the option to add a visit to Santa's Grotto.
Free attractions and how to stay updated
There will still be plenty to explore without a pass, including the markets, food, drinks, spontaneous entertainment, installations and all the noise, colour and movement that will take over the town centre when Christmas Town arrives.
For those wanting to keep up to date with What's On news and reviews in the North East, a free newsletter is available to sign up to. A dedicated WhatsApp community for What's On news and updates has also been created, offering updates on things to do around the North East and breaking gig announcements.
