Celebrate Christmas in Lincoln

Lincoln Christmas Lights

This year, the Lincoln Christmas lights are set to illuminate the city like never before. Brand new lighting will be installed across the city from Newport Arch, all the way down to Tentercroft Street. There will be some incredible new installations to see - including a dazzling fairy-light display within Exchequer Gate Arch and a 16m illuminated comet in City Square. You can also find new new lights along Steep Hill and Bailgate, and across the buildings in Castle Square.

The big reveal of these brand new lights will take place on Thursday 23 November. The switch-on celebrations will kick off at 4.00pm, with a whole host of entertainment taking place on Lincoln High Street. Christmas songs, live music and festive activities are sure to get you in the Christmas spirit, ahead of the main switch-on at 7pm.

To turn on the lights this year, the City of Lincoln Council’s Civic Party will be joined by the stars of the New Theatre Royal’s 2023 pantomime, Aladdin. Celebrity guests will include Olympic Gold medallist and Strictly Come Dancing Champion Louis Smith MBE and Strictly professional Ian Waite. Joining them on stage will be West End Star Roger Wright, who will play Genie of the Lamp in this year’s panto and Ellie Cooper, who will play Jasmine.
 

Lincoln Christmas Lights Trail

Also launching on the 23 November will be the annual Lincoln Christmas Lights Trail. There will be some brand-new lights joining the trail for 2023, alongside some of your favourite displays from last year. These larger-than-life light installations will be illuminating the city streets until the end of December, so you will have plenty of time to track them all down - capturing some magical memories along the way.

 As you make you way along the trail, don’t forget to share your photos with us on social media, using #ChristmasInLincoln.
 

Thor’s Tipi Bar

Nothing says Christmas like a festive drink by a roaring fire. Luckily, Thor’s Tipi Bar will be returning to Lincoln with both from the 3 November.

This popular pop-up will be situated in the Cornhill Quarter throughout the festive season; visit during the day for a hot chocolate, or stop by in the evening for a Christmas cocktail. As always, Thor’s will be serving up a selection of deliciously festive drinks, alongside local ales, spirits and food. There will also be an open mic night every Thursday from 7pm, so you can catch some live music - or perform yourself!

Late-night Shopping

To make your Christmas shopping even easier, a number of businesses in the city centre will be extending their opening hours for the festive season.

When using the Pay By Phone app, visitors can also enjoy free parking in selected council car parks on late-night shopping dates.

Selected shops will be open until 8pm on:

• Thursday 23 November (light switch-on)
• Thursday 30 November
• Thursday 7 December
• Thursday 14 December
• Thursday 21 December

This year, shops in the Cathedral Quarter will also be hosting late night shopping nights on the following dates:

• Thursday 30 November
• Thursday 7 December
• Friday 8 December
• Thursday 14 December

On the 7 and 8 December, there will also be free parking available in the Uphill Lincoln car parks, from 4pm - 9pm (when using the PaybyPhone app).
 

Lincoln Ice Trail

A brand new event for 2023, the Lincoln Ice Trail is set to transform the city into a winter wonderland. This magical new event will see a series of larger-than-life ice sculptures dotted across the entire city, forming a fun and festive trail. There will be 20 ice sculptures to track down – some of which will be Lincoln-themed!

Alongside the trail, there will be a variety of other festive activities taking place throughout the weekend, with live ice carving demonstrations at the Cathedral, traditional Glühwein in Castle Square, a carousel on the Dean’s Green, and live fire shows in the Bailgate each evening. Children will also have the chance to meet Frozen characters, Anna and Elsa, who will be out casting their magic over the city all weekend.

With sparkling installations, live entertainment and plenty of Christmas joy, this impressive ice trail is the perfect way to start your festive celebrations. As you follow the trail, you can soak up all the sights and sounds of the season under the new lights - with plenty of hot choccy stops along the way!
 

Lincoln Castle Illuminated

Lincoln Castle will be sprinkling some festive sparkle over the city this year, with the return of their magical Castle Illuminated experience. Visit on selected dates in December and you can enjoy the castle’s beautiful grounds after dark, as they are brought to life with lights and decorations.

Explore the historic grounds, take a trip down Candy Cane Lane, and give your warmest season’s greetings to the castle’s resident dragons – Lucy and Norman. This year, there will be some new additions to this much-loved event, from traditional fairground rides to a Mini Polar Express - all aboard! As no Christmas event would be complete without some deliciously festive food, the castle will also be hosting a variety of local vendors who will be offering sweet treats and winter warmers.

If you’d like to take in the spectacular sights from above, Lincoln Castle will also be illuminating their Medieval Wall Walk. Upgrade your Illuminated ticket to include the wall walk and you will be rewarded with the most incredible views across the night sky and the city below.

Meet Santa in Lincoln

Children will be pleased to know that Father Christmas will be making a return to Lincoln this year. For those not on the naughty list, Santa and his elves will be at Waterside Shopping Centre throughout the festive season, from 25 November until Christmas Eve.

This year, you’ll find Santa’s Grotto hidden within the Christmas tree on the lower ground level, near New Look and Superdrug. You will have the chance to meet all the elves, before heading inside to hand over your wish list to the man himself. If you’ve been good this year, you may even receive an extra little gift to open on the big day.

Father Christmas will also be popping up at other locations across Lincolnshire throughout December, find out where you can meet him here.
 

Santa Fun Run

If you’re looking for an opportunity to burn off those pre-Christmas mince pies, we’ve got good news…Lincoln’s annual Santa Fun Run is back! Now in its 18th year, this much-loved event is one of the longest running festive fun runs in the UK.

This year’s race will take place on Sunday 17 December. Starting from Castle Square, the route will run through Lincoln’s historic Cathedral Quarter, with a grand finish in Minster Yard.

Even if you don’t take part in the actual race, it’s worth digging out your Christmas jumper and coming down to support the runners. The atmosphere is brilliant - and it’s not often you get the opportunity to see 2000 Santas sprinting down the street!
 

Christmas at Doddington

For an unforgettable experience, visit Doddington Hall this Christmas. As always, this beautiful Elizabethan home will be completely transformed for the festive period.

As you journey through the hall, you will discover spectacular scenes in every room. Each imaginative display has been created by either Doddington staff, volunteers, local artists or students from Lincoln College. This year’s theme is ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, so you can expect plenty of swimming swans, leaping lords and of course, a big partridge in a pear tree.

To make things even more special, Doddington will be extending their opening hours on selected dates this year, so you can enjoy the warm glow of decorations and twinkling fairy lights after dark.

To see the full range of festive events in Lincoln, visit our dedicated Christmas in Lincoln page.