Simply Christmas

Simply Christmas is taking over NEC Hall 11 from Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November, and if you're the sort of person who starts thinking about Christmas in October, this is where you'll want to be. It's a festive retail fair with more than 150 exhibitors under one roof, and they're promising more new makers than ever this year. The focus is on handmade gifts, Christmas decorations, seasonal crafts and unique treats from designers and makers, so it's more of a shopping trip than a trade show.

Inside, you'll find hand-crafted decorations, bespoke gifts, clothing, ceramics, soft furnishings, glassware, art and home accessories. It's not just about the stalls, either: there are festive-themed workshops to get stuck into, live music, Father Christmas photo ops and competitions with some big prizes up for grabs. If you're looking for something a bit more personal than the high street for your Christmas shopping, this is a good place to start.

One thing that makes it worth the trip is how it fits into the wider season. Simply Christmas is part of the ICHF Events Birmingham Autumn 2026 programme and runs alongside its sister shows: The Creative Craft Show, Sewing for Pleasure (Winter Edition), Cake International and Bake International. A single ticket gets you into all of them, so if you're into crafting, sewing or baking as well as Christmas, you can wander between the different shows without paying extra. The organisers also take the show to the SEC in Glasgow.

It runs from 9.30am to 5pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and closes a bit earlier on Sunday at 4.30pm. A one-day adult pass is £15, and there are two, three and four-day passes available if you want to spread your shopping across the weekend. Under 16s go free with an accompanying adult on standard tickets, and there are disabled concessions and group rates too. VIP tickets are already sold out.