Where to see Father Christmas near Lewes in 2026: Seaford's grotto on 12 December, Paradise Park in Newhaven, and Bluebell Santa Specials from £10 a child.

Four places near Lewes have confirmed a Father Christmas for 2026. Seaford’s Christmas Magic day on Saturday 12 December includes a Father Christmas Grotto, which was free last year. Paradise Park in Newhaven has put its grotto tickets on sale. And the Bluebell Railway runs Santa Specials from Sheffield Park on weekends from 28 November and every day from 19 to 24 December. Peacehaven’s Christmas Fair, also on 12 December, has Father Christmas at £4 a child.

The quick answer

Updated 3 October: Peacehaven Town Council has listed a Christmas Fair with Father Christmas on Saturday 12 December, £4 a child including a toy.

  • Free: Seaford Christmas Magic, Saturday 12 December. In 2025 the grotto was at Cross Way Church from 10am, with a gift for each child.
  • Paradise Park, Newhaven: grotto ticket includes a full day in the park, from 9am. Tickets on sale now, with a separate SEN session.
  • Bluebell Railway Santa Specials: 28 and 29 November, then weekends and 19 to 24 December. Adults from £35, children from £10.

Seaford Christmas Magic: Saturday 12 December

Seaford Town Council’s Christmas Magic page lists the “ever-popular Father Christmas Grotto” among the regular features of the day, alongside the market and the Lantern Parade. It has not published the 2026 times.

Last year the council’s programme put Father Christmas in his grotto at Cross Way Church from 10am, as one of the free activities, and every child got a gift. The rest of the day, from the stalls to the 5pm lights switch-on, is on our Seaford Christmas lights switch-on page.

Paradise Park, Newhaven

Paradise Park on Avis Road says its grotto is new and that its tickets are on sale. Its booking page says:

  • Each child meets Santa and receives a special gift.
  • The ticket includes entry to the whole park: the gardens, the Planet Earth Museum, the Dinosaur Safari and the Playzone.
  • You can arrive from 9am and stay until closing, but Santa visits are in timeslots with limited tickets, so book ahead. The park warns of some queuing on busy days.
  • There is a separate SEN session for children with special educational needs.

The dates and prices show only inside the booking system. For comparison, a normal day pass at the park is £12.99 for anyone over 3.

Peacehaven Christmas Fair: Saturday 12 December

Peacehaven Town Council’s listing puts its Christmas Fair at Community House, Peacehaven, BN10 8BB, from 11am to 4pm on Saturday 12 December. Father Christmas visits from 12pm to 3pm, at £4 a child, including a toy. There are festive stalls from local sellers, and the council promises guest mascots, including a Cheeky Elf. It is the same day as Seaford’s Christmas Magic, so a family could do both.

Bluebell Railway Santa Specials

The Bluebell Railway runs its Santa Specials by steam from Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes and back. Its 2026 dates are:

Month Dates
November Saturday 28, Sunday 29
December Saturday 5, Sunday 6, Saturday 12, Sunday 13
December Every day from Saturday 19 to Thursday 24

Prices start at £35 for adults and £10 for children. There are four departures a day, at 10am, 11.05am, 1pm and 2.05pm, and the whole trip takes about two hours. Every child has an activity pack at their seat (new for 2026) and gets a collectible toy from Santa. At Horsted Keynes there is a Christmas fair with classic fairground rides included in the ticket.

The railway warns that trains cannot wait: if you miss yours, there is no refund or rebooking, so leave time for the drive. Buggies and prams will not fit in the compartments, but can be left at Sheffield Park. Registered support dogs are the only dogs allowed.

Lewes town

Lewes’s Christmas evening, with the lights switch-on and late night shopping, has not been dated for 2026 yet. Our Lewes Christmas lights switch-on page has what happened last year and when to expect the announcement.

Still to be confirmed

  • Seaford grotto times and venue for 2026: expected when the council publishes the programme, likely in November.
  • Paradise Park grotto dates and prices, which sit inside its booking system.

Driving out to Sheffield Park or Newhaven? Check roadworks and travel first. Trains over the holiday are on our Lewes Christmas travel page, and a panto for the same trip is on our Lewes pantomime page.