The Artists & Makers Fair fills Lewes Town Hall on Saturday 28 November, £2 on the door. The castle market has no 2026 date; Seaford and Peacehaven are 12 Dec.

Lewes does not have a weeks-long Christmas market. It has a run of one-day fairs, and the biggest confirmed so far is the Artists & Makers Fair at Lewes Town Hall on Saturday 28 November, 10am to 5pm, £2 on the door. The market people usually mean, the one in the castle grounds on Late Night Shopping night, has no 2026 date yet.

The quick answer

  • Artists & Makers Fair: Saturday 28 November, 10am to 5pm, Lewes Town Hall. Adults £2, children free. Ticketed opening night Friday 27 November, 6pm to 8.30pm.
  • Folk & Bespoke Market: Saturdays 14 November and 5 December, 10am to 3pm, Lewes Town Hall.
  • Late Night Shopping castle market: 2026 date not announced. The last two ran on the first Thursday of December, which would make it Thursday 3 December.
  • Farmers market: Saturdays 5 and 19 December, 9am to 1pm, Friars Walk car park.
  • Seaford Christmas Magic and Peacehaven Christmas Fair: both Saturday 12 December.

All of this was checked on the organisers’ own pages on 6 October 2026.

Artists & Makers Fair, Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November

The most established Christmas fair in Lewes, and the one with firm 2026 details. The organisers say more than 85 stalls of work by local artists and makers will be at Lewes Town Hall, with winter food and drink.

  • Saturday 28 November, 10am to 5pm. Adults £2 on the door, children free.
  • Opening night, Friday 27 November, 6pm to 8.30pm. Ticketed, with a drink, food from Feature Kitchen and first pick of the stalls. The organisers say tickets are limited and sell out; there is also a “Treats” ticket that includes a cocktail. The opening night price is not shown on the site, only a booking link on the tickets page.
  • Who it helps: all funds raised go to Western Road primary school.

Folk & Bespoke Market, Saturdays 14 November and 5 December

A curated makers’ market at Lewes Town Hall, 10am to 3pm both days, listed by the town council for 14 November and 5 December. No entry price is listed.

The same evening, 5 December, the Town Hall has Ghost Stories for Christmas at 7.30pm, tickets from £15.87 (Lewes Town Council listing).

Late Night Shopping: the castle market (2026 date not announced)

This is the evening most people mean by “the Lewes Christmas market”. Nothing has been announced for 2026 by Lewes Chamber of Commerce or Lewes Town Council as of 6 October.

What happened last time, on Thursday 4 December 2025, 6pm to 9pm, from the town council’s listing and the event’s own 2025 newsletter:

  • Castle Christmas Market in the grounds of Lewes Castle: stalls from local makers, seasonal food and drink, live music and a Dickensian-style carol performance. Sussex Past’s listing on Visit Lewes named stallholders including Mamoosh Bakery, Beak Brewery, Pat’s Pizza and Grown in Lewes, with free entry to the museum and shop that evening.
  • A second market inside Lewes Town Hall, entered from Fisher Street, 5pm to 9pm, with more than 60 stalls (town council listing).
  • The 12 Star Christmas Trail, Santa’s grotto at Lewes House on School Hill, the Christmas lights switch-on and late opening in the shops. Entry free, no tickets.

The 2024 event was on Thursday 5 December and the 2025 one on Thursday 4 December, so the first Thursday of December points at Thursday 3 December 2026. That is our inference, not an announcement. The full picture is on our Lewes Christmas lights switch-on page, which we will update the day a date is published.

One trap: leweslatenightshopping.co.uk still shows the 2024 event. Do not plan by it.

Lewes Farmers Market, Saturdays 5 and 19 December

The farmers market runs on the first and third Saturdays at Friars Walk car park, 9am to 1pm. Its own site lists 5 and 19 December, which makes the 19th the last one before Christmas. It is the place for local meat, cheese, vegetables and bakes for the Christmas table, not a gift fair. Before that it runs on 7 and 21 November.

Seaford Christmas Magic, Saturday 12 December

Seaford’s town centre Christmas day is confirmed for Saturday 12 December 2026 (Seaford Town Council). The council describes it as live entertainment, “bustling market stalls”, the Father Christmas grotto and the lantern parade. It is run with Seaford Chamber of Commerce, Seaford Town Market, local traders and Seahaven FM.

Times, the grotto venue and the stall line-up are not published yet. The council says more details will come nearer the time. Traders wanting a stall can email Xmasmagicmarket@gmail.com. Our Seaford Christmas lights page has what happened last year.

Peacehaven Christmas Fair, Saturday 12 December

The same Saturday, Peacehaven Town Council holds its Christmas fair at Community House, BN10 8BB, 11am to 4pm: festive stalls, local sellers and gifts, with Father Christmas from 12pm to 3pm, £4 a child including a toy. For more Santa visits, see Santa’s grottos near Lewes.

Getting there and parking

  • Lewes Town Hall is on the High Street, BN7 2QS. The town council’s market listings give the Fisher Street entrance.
  • Lewes district car parks charge Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, so the Saturday fairs are paid parking, while an evening event after 5pm costs nothing in the council car parks. Tariffs and the car park list are on our parking in Lewes page.
  • Free Saturday parking in December was offered in 2024: the district council made its Lewes car parks free on 7, 14 and 21 December that year, with Friars Walk free only on the 14th because of the farmers market. No offer has been announced for 2026.
  • On Late Night Shopping evening the High Street closes to traffic. Check Lewes roadworks and travel before driving in.

What we are still waiting on

Detail Expected
Late Night Shopping 2026 date and castle market October or November
Seaford Christmas Magic times, grotto venue, stalls November
Artists & Makers opening night price On the booking page
Any 2026 free Christmas parking in Lewes Late November

We will update this page as each one is published.

Sources