Bournemouth has locked in the dates for its Christmas 2026 celebrations, and the centrepiece is the Festive Trail, which takes over the Lower Gardens again this year. It runs from Friday 13 November right through to Monday 4 January, so there is plenty of room to fit it in whether you are an early-December family or a Boxing Day wanderer. The good news for the wallet is that entry to the trail itself is free, which makes it an easy one to drop into without planning a whole day around it.
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The trail is open from 11:00 to 23:00, so it works as well for a midday family outing as it does for a late-night winter walk. The main draw is the Christmas Tree Maze, which packs 300 illuminated trees into a walk-through maze, and around it you will find a festive mini golf course, Santa's Workshop — an Alpine-themed space with story time, crafts and encounters — and Santa's Express, a Christmas train that carries you through the gardens. The Big Wheel sits above it all, giving you a proper look across the gardens and the town.
If you are serious about skating, the ice rink is the one to build the day around. SKATE Bournemouth is billed as the longest ice rink in the UK, and it runs slightly shorter than the trail, from 12 November to 3 January. It is the kind of attraction that tends to fill up, so it is worth planning your visit around that rather than the other way round.
For the shopping and eating side of things, the Bournemouth Christmas Market sets up in The Square right next to the trail, with traditional chalets selling gifts, food and drink. And if you want to settle in for the evening, The Alpine Lodge is the place to do it, with a cosy Christmas downstairs and an après party upstairs complete with mulled wine and steins. Between the market, the lodge and the rink, you could easily make a whole evening of it without ever leaving the immediate area.
One thing to keep in mind before you head down: while the trail itself is free, the more popular attractions — the maze, the mini golf and Santa's Workshop — need tickets. The official website has not yet published the specific opening times or final prices for 2026, so it is worth checking back closer to the opening date to see what the ticket situation looks like before you commit to a particular day. That said, the free entry to the trail means you can still have a festive walk beneath the lights even if you skip the paid attractions entirely.
Whether you are planning a family day out, a festive date night or just a winter walk under the lights, the Festive Trail is a reliable fixture of Bournemouth's Christmas. With the Lower Gardens transformed into a lit-up experience from mid-November right through to the first week of January, there is plenty of time to find a night that suits you.
Published Date
6 October 2026
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