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🎅 Santa, pantos & Christmas events for children in Dundee (2026)

Dundee usually has a Christmas lights switch-on and markets in the city centre, a Christmas show at Dundee Rep, and Santa visits at garden centres and farm parks in Angus and north Fife.

Christmas events in and around Dundee

  • Dundee Christmas Switch-On
    📅 Sun 15 Nov · 10am-7pm; tree lights on at 6pm
    Santa & Christmas · Dundee city centre · Free

    A full day of festive fun in the city centre, with a craft tent for kids, the Grinch and acrobatic elves, a drone show, a family Santa Dash and Santa himself switching on the tree lights at 6pm.

    🎟️ Tickets & booking
  • Santa's Grotto at Dobbies Dundee
    📅 Sat 21 Nov – Thu 24 Dec
    Character meet & greets · Monifieth

    Walk through a North Pole village with a wishing well and Penguin Post Office before family time with Santa; every child gets a penguin soft toy.

    🎟️ Tickets & booking
  • The Snow Queen
    📅 Sat 28 Nov – Wed 30 Dec
    Shows, theatre & panto · Dundee city centre

    Dundee Rep's big Christmas show this year is a snowy musical adventure based on the classic fairy tale, for the whole family.

    🎟️ Tickets & booking
  • Santa's Grotto at Discovery Point
    📅 Sat 5 Dec – Wed 23 Dec · 5, 6, 12, 13 & 18-23 Dec
    Character meet & greets · Dundee waterfront

    An elf performance, a meet-and-greet with Santa and a gift, beside Captain Scott's ship RRS Discovery, with a museum visit for the child included.

    🎟️ Tickets & booking
  • Christmas at McManus
    📅 Sat 5 Dec · 10am-4pm
    Santa & Christmas · Dundee city centre · Free

    A free drop-in festive family day with a pop-up makers' market, family activities and a 16-foot Christmas tree in the museum's grand Gothic Hall.

    🎟️ Tickets & booking
  • Cinderella (Downfield Musical Society)
    📅 Thu 10 Dec – Sat 19 Dec · Evenings, plus matinees Sat 12 & Sat 19 Dec
    Shows, theatre & panto · Dundee West End

    A traditional local panto from Downfield Musical Society at the Whitehall, a cheaper and cosier alternative to the big city pantos.

    🎟️ Tickets & booking
  • Paper Moon
    📅 Wed 16 Dec – Thu 24 Dec · Check booking page
    Shows, theatre & panto · Dundee city centre

    A 30-minute interactive dance adventure: help Poppy and her dog Peppy build paper rockets and rescue the cow stuck on the Moon. Older siblings welcome.

    🎟️ Tickets & booking

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Tips from people who’ve been

  • Book Santa early: the best grotto times often sell out by mid-November.
  • Check what’s included: a gift, a photo, a craft or a story, and whether grown-ups pay too.
  • Ask about quiet or relaxed sessions if loud music, crowds or queues are hard for your child.
  • Weekday visits and the first slot of the day are usually calmer than weekends.
  • Pantos often have relaxed and signed performances: look for them when you book.

Warm indoor places near Dundee for a cold day

Within 15 km: Soft play: 1 · Museum & attraction: 6 · Swimming & leisure: 3 · Trampoline & inflatable park: 2 · Cinema: 2

Other places

Christmas with children 2026: Santa, pantos and lights · See everything on the map