What's On in Chester this Christmas

Chester Zoo's much loved Lanterns event returns for another magical year, where you can see the zoo turned into a spectacular wonderland, full of sparkle, illumination and cheer! 

Take a Christmas Tour of Chester where you can marvel at the resourceful way local shopkeepers kept their businesses ticking over during the tough wartime years of rationing and find out more about some of the characters we see in the colourful and vibrant Winter Watch Parades – and you won’t believe what used to pass as a tasty Christmas dinner in days gone by!

Come and visit Chester Christmas Market as we celebrate its 10th anniversary, with unique, locally made products and handmade crafts, jewellery, accessories and stocking fillers, you’re sure to find the perfect presents for everyone!

Santa will be in his enchanted Grotto in the Grosvenor Shopping Centre so don't forget to come along and see him and tell him what you would like for Christmas.

Explore Chester’s historic Rows this Christmas and soak in the festive atmosphere. Every Thursday and weekend, you will find a variety of entertainment to enjoy from Christmas carolling, Christmas craft sessions for children and adults alike, sampling, demos and a free family scavenger hunt with a £50 Chester Gift Card up for grabs.

Make it a Christmas to remember with a special screening of family favourite the Snowman accompanied by a live orchestra or join the London Concertante as they perform their Viennese Christmas Spectacular by Candlelight at Chester Cathedral.

This year's Christmas performance at Storyhouse is The Snow Queen, the eternally beautiful story of childhood friends, Gerda and Kai, torn apart by dark temptation and reunited by the force of Gerda’s love. 

Not forgetting Chester's infamous parades. The first one is the 12 Days of Christmas Parade that kicks off the festive season on 24th November, followed by hundreds of school children parading through the city on 30th November for the Lanterns Parade. The Winter Watch Parade returns twice, once on 8th December and another time alongside the Saturnalia Parade on 15th December. No one does Parades quite like Chester!

See what's on in Chester this Christmas below: