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

Christmas events in and around Edinburgh

• Edinburgh Zoo's Giant Lanterns
  📅 Fri 13 Nov – Sun 21 Feb · Selected evenings, entry from 4.45pm (last entry 8pm)
  Santa & Christmas · Corstorphine

  An evening lantern trail of giant glowing animals around the zoo, on 60 selected nights through the winter.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Edinburgh's Christmas
  📅 Sat 14 Nov – Sun 3 Jan
  Santa & Christmas · Edinburgh city centre

  The capital's big Christmas festival: market stalls, fairground rides and a family ice experience in the city centre.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Father Christmas at the Gyle
  📅 Sat 14 Nov – Thu 24 Dec · Weekends 14 Nov to 29 Nov, 4 to 6 Dec, then every day 10 to 24 Dec
  Santa & Christmas · South Gyle

  Meet Father Christmas at the Gyle. £11 a child, adults free, up to 4 children per booking.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Christmas at the Botanics
  📅 Thu 19 Nov – Wed 30 Dec · Evenings, timed entry
  Santa & Christmas · Inverleith

  An after-dark illuminated trail through the Botanic Garden, marking its 10th year with new light installations.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Santa's Stories
  📅 Fri 20 Nov – Thu 24 Dec · Timed 20-minute sessions
  Santa & Christmas · Edinburgh city centre

  Small-group story time with Santa in the gardens; every child meets him and goes home with a gift.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Santa's Grotto 2026 (Dobbies Edinburgh)
  📅 Sat 21 Nov – Thu 24 Dec
  Santa & Christmas · Lasswade

  Garden centre grotto with a wishing well, Penguin Post Office, a visit with Santa and a penguin soft toy to keep.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Edinburgh's Magical Christmas with Kevin Quantum
  📅 Sun 22 Nov · 1:30pm-3pm
  Shows, theatre & panto · Cramond

  Christmas magic show by Edinburgh magician Kevin Quantum at Lauriston Castle, for children 8 and over with an adult.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Santa at The Pitt
  📅 Fri 27 Nov – Sun 13 Dec · Selected dates (27-29 Nov, 4-13 Dec); 40-minute sessions between 10:30am and 3:30pm
  Character meet & greets · Granton

  Indoor Santa storytelling grotto at The Pitt. Each child gets a gift and the ticket includes one adult. Timed slots, book ahead.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride
  📅 Fri 27 Nov – Wed 30 Dec · 2 to 5 departures a day; ride about 1 hour (allow 1.5 to 2 hours)
  Santa & Christmas · Edinburgh city centre

  The Polar Express train ride from Edinburgh Waverley, based on the Christmas film. About an hour on board. Some dates are filling up.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• WinterFest Skating Rink
  📅 Fri 27 Nov – Sun 3 Jan · 45-minute sessions on the hour; most days 10am to 6pm (shorter on Christmas Eve, 27 to 31 Dec and 2 to 3 Jan)
  Santa & Christmas · Dalkeith

  Outdoor festive ice rink at Dalkeith Country Park, with quieter sessions for children with extra needs.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• The Adventures of Pinocchio
  📅 Sat 28 Nov – Sun 17 Jan
  Shows, theatre & panto · Tollcross

  Edinburgh's big panto returns to the reopened King's, with Allan Stewart, Grant Stott and Jordan Young.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• A Christmas Carol
  📅 Sat 28 Nov – Sun 3 Jan
  Shows, theatre & panto · Edinburgh city centre

  The Lyceum's festive staging of Dickens' ghostly tale of Scrooge, suited to children aged 7 and up.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Santa Cruise on the Forth
  📅 Sat 28 Nov – Sat 19 Dec · Saturdays 28 Nov, 5, 12 and 19 Dec; cruise about 90 minutes
  Santa & Christmas · South Queensferry

  A 90-minute boat trip under the Forth bridges with Santa. Every child gets a wrapped present. Book ahead.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Family Festive Make
  📅 Sat 28 Nov · 10am-1pm, short sessions every 30 minutes
  Workshops & crafts · Leith · Free

  Free family making morning: giant cardboard crackers, festive scenes, printed cards and cracker crowns.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Back to the Future The Musical
  📅 Wed 2 Dec – Sat 2 Jan · Various performance times
  Shows, theatre & panto · Leith Walk / Picardy Place

  Marty McFly and Doc Brown's time-travelling adventure as a big, flashy West End musical over the Christmas holidays.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Santa's Grotto at Ocean Terminal
  📅 Thu 3 Dec – Thu 24 Dec · Thu 3-Sun 6 Dec, Thu 10-Sun 13 Dec, Thu 17-Thu 24 Dec; 5-minute slots
  Santa & Christmas · Leith

  Indoor grotto in Leith with a gift for every child. Tickets go on sale online on 13 November.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• A Tale with Santa
  📅 Fri 4 Dec – Wed 23 Dec
  Santa & Christmas · Dalkeith

  Santa reads a festive story while his singing elf acts it out; each child gets a photo and a gift.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Lanterns Grotto
  📅 Sat 5 Dec – Thu 24 Dec · 5, 6, 11-13, 16-24 Dec; 10-min slots 5.15pm-8.45pm
  Santa & Christmas · Corstorphine

  Meet Santa on the Giant Lanterns route at Edinburgh Zoo; book the grotto slot before the lantern tickets.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Santa's Grotto: An Arctic Adventure
  📅 Sat 5 Dec – Wed 23 Dec · 5, 6, 12, 13, 19-23 Dec, selected times
  Santa & Christmas · Holyrood

  Help an elf return a lost Arctic animal home, then meet Santa in his grotto and pick a cuddly polar toy.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Festive Grotto at Edinburgh Zoo
  📅 Sat 5 Dec – Thu 24 Dec · Selected days, 10-minute slots 10.20am-3.30pm
  Santa & Christmas · Corstorphine

  Daytime visit to Santa in the zoo's Budongo Trail building. Zoo entry is booked separately.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Breakfast with Santa at Coffee Saints
  📅 Sat 5 Dec · 9.30am-11.30am
  Character meet & greets · St James Quarter

  Cafe breakfast with Santa, plus a gift and a photo for each child. Adults £10. Spaces are limited.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Victorian Christmas at Edinburgh Castle
  📅 Sat 5 Dec – Sun 13 Dec · 11am-3pm on selected dates
  Santa & Christmas · Old Town

  Actors in Victorian costume share old Christmas customs and stories around the castle. Santa tells tales in the Great Hall.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Edinburgh Santa Fun Run & Walk
  📅 Sun 6 Dec
  Santa & Christmas · Edinburgh city centre

  Families in Santa suits run or walk through the city centre for When You Wish Upon A Star, a children's charity.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Children's Christmas Cinema Club
  📅 Sun 6 Dec – Sun 20 Dec · Sun 6 Dec and Sun 20 Dec
  Santa & Christmas · Murrayfield

  A Christmas film for children at Murrayfield, with soft play. Meeting Santa an hour before costs £5 extra.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Scottish Ballet: Cinders!
  📅 Fri 11 Dec – Thu 24 Dec · Evenings 7.30pm; matinees 1.30pm/2.30pm
  Shows, theatre & panto · Southside

  Scottish Ballet's playful Cinderella with live Prokofiev music, opulent costumes and a magical rose garden.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Robin Hood & The Witches of Sherwood
  📅 Fri 11 Dec – Sun 20 Dec · Evenings 7pm, matinees 2:30pm (see booking for each date)
  Shows, theatre & panto · Morningside

  Edinburgh People's Theatre's traditional family panto, with booing, cheering and the Sheriff of Nottingham.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Jack and the Beanstalk
  📅 Fri 11 Dec – Sun 20 Dec · Evenings 6pm or 7pm; weekend matinees 2pm
  Shows, theatre & panto · Newington

  Edinburgh Acting School's panto, set in a hungry Scottish village. 12 shows at Summerhall.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Santa's Grotto at Carberry Tower
  📅 Fri 11 Dec · Slots from 10am; 12pm and 4pm slots are quieter
  Santa & Christmas · Musselburgh

  Grotto at a country house near Musselburgh, with a gift from Santa's elves. Only children need a ticket.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Dino's Science Club: Polar Expedition
  📅 Sat 12 Dec · 10am, 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3pm
  Workshops & crafts · Holyrood

  Hands-on science and crafts: children track penguins and find out how animals survive the extreme cold.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Children's 'Come & Sing' Carols
  📅 Sat 12 Dec · Arrive from 9am; singing 9.30am-11.45am; short concert 11.30am
  Workshops & crafts · West End · Free

  Primary-age children learn carols in the cathedral, then sing them in a short concert for families.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• A Family Edwardian Christmas at Lauriston Castle
  📅 Sun 13 Dec · 12pm-3pm (arrive 11:45am)
  Santa & Christmas · Cramond

  Edwardian-style family Christmas afternoon at Lauriston Castle. £8 per person, under 2s free.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Children's Classic Concerts: Elf Academy
  📅 Sun 13 Dec · 3pm
  Music & concerts · City centre

  Festive family concert with the RSNO, its Children's Chorus and a Head Elf: a school day at Elf Academy. BSL interpreted.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• The Santa Sparkle Dash
  📅 Sun 13 Dec · Registration 9am; 1K at 10.15am; 3K at 10.45am
  Santa & Christmas · Dalkeith

  A 1K or 3K Santa run in the park, with a Santa hat and medal. Buggies welcome on the 1K. Parking £4.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Recitals for Wrigglers Christmas Concert
  📅 Tue 15 Dec · Arrive from 2:15pm; concert 2:30pm-3:05pm
  Music & concerts · Holyrood

  35-minute Christmas concert for babies and under-5s with a parent or carer, in the Palace's decorated Great Gallery.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Dunedin Consort: Children's Messiah
  📅 Wed 16 Dec · 4:30pm (45 minutes)
  Music & concerts · Newington

  45-minute Messiah made for young children and first-time concertgoers, with BSL interpretation.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Bananas for Christmas
  📅 Thu 17 Dec – Thu 31 Dec · Various; about 45 minutes
  Shows, theatre & panto · Southside

  A short, silly Christmas show for under-fives and up, a gentle alternative to panto for younger children.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Christmas Activity Day
  📅 Sat 19 Dec · 10am-3pm
  Workshops & crafts · Holyrood

  Family Christmas trail round the decorated Palace, plus pomander and mini-wreath crafts. Included with a Palace ticket.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Macastory's Jack and the Beanstalk
  📅 Sat 19 Dec – Tue 22 Dec · 11am and 2pm
  Shows, theatre & panto · Old Town

  A storytelling panto for little people: cheer, boo and help Jack outwit the Giant. Sold out fast last year.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Breakfast with Santa at Edinburgh Zoo
  📅 Sat 19 Dec – Thu 24 Dec · 9am-11am
  Character meet & greets · Corstorphine

  Breakfast and activities with Santa at the zoo before it opens. Child ticket £35, under-3s from £7.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• RSNO Christmas Concert featuring The Snowman
  📅 Sun 20 Dec · Sun 2.30pm
  Music & concerts · Edinburgh city centre

  Family-friendly orchestra concert with The Snowman film, carols and sing-alongs, presented by Hugh Dennis.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Santa & Elf Dash Edinburgh
  📅 Sun 20 Dec · Elf Dash 11am; 5K and 10K 11.30am
  Santa & Christmas · Cammo

  A festive run at Cammo Estate, with a 1K Elf Dash for children and 5K and 10K Santa runs.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Kids Christmas Party at The Tarbet
  📅 Sun 20 Dec · 10am-12pm
  Character meet & greets · Corstorphine

  Morning party with games, dancing, music, prizes and a chance to meet Santa.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking
• Mini Chefs Christmas Baking
  📅 Tue 22 Dec – Wed 23 Dec · 2.5-hour class
  Workshops & crafts · New Town

  Hands-on Christmas baking class for older children. Not suitable for gluten, milk or egg allergies.

  🎟️ Tickets & booking

Know one that’s missing? It takes a minute, and we check each one before it goes on the map. Add an event

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 Edinburgh for a cold day

Within 15 km: Soft play: 4 · Museum & attraction: 35 · Swimming & leisure: 20 · Trampoline & inflatable park: 3 · Cinema: 8

• MakeBelieve - The Baby Play Place Soft play · West End
• Tumbles at Portobello Gymnastics and Softplay Centre Soft play · Portobello
• House of Fun Soft Play Soft play · Dalkeith
• Gravity Trampoline & inflatable park · Fountainbridge
• Glenogle Swim Centre Swimming & leisure · Stockbridge
• Royal Commonwealth Pool Swimming & leisure · Newington
• Museum of Magic, Fortune-Telling and Witchcraft Museum & attraction · Edinburgh
• Vue Museum & attraction · Edinburgh

Other places

• Glasgow
• Bishopbriggs
• Orkney
• Aberdeen
• Dundee
• Inverness
• Stirling
• Perth
• London
• Birmingham
• Bristol
• Manchester
• Liverpool
• Leeds
• Newcastle
• Cardiff
• Belfast
• Sheffield
• York
• Hull
• Nottingham
• Leicester
• Norwich
• Cambridge
• Oxford
• Brighton
• Southampton
• Portsmouth
• Plymouth
• Exeter
• Swansea
• Wrexham
• Derry~Londonderry

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