Christmas in Jesmond 2026

Christmas in Jesmond is quieter than it is a mile down the road in the city centre, and that is a large part of its appeal. There is no parade and no big stage. Instead there is a small, friendly lights evening on Acorn Road, candlelit carols by the Metro station, concerts in a Grade I listed church, and the Dene on your doorstep for a frosty walk.

This guide covers what usually happens each year, with the 2026 dates that have been confirmed so far.

The Acorn Road lights

Jesmond's Christmas lights evening is a community affair on Acorn Road rather than a council event. Known as Light Up Jesmond, it is organised by the Watson Family Charitable Trust and has run each December since 2023, with the Jesmond Residents Association sponsoring it in 2024.

JesmondLocal reported that the 2025 event on 4 December was switched on by two volunteer police cadets from Northern Counties School. There were carols, a visit from Father Christmas, a nativity performed by the school's signing choir, and free hot drinks. LOCAL NCL handed out drinks and mince pies, and the Angel's Share served mulled wine. The tree outside St George's Church was lit on the same evening.

2026 date: TBC. Previous years have fallen on the first Thursday of December (7 December 2023, 5 December 2024 and 4 December 2025), but nothing has been announced for 2026 yet. We will update this guide when it is.

Best for:

Best for: a short, neighbourly start to the season, with a hot drink in hand.

Christmas markets

Our full Christmas markets in Jesmond guide has the details. In short, Jesmond Dene House holds its ticketed indoor Christmas Market on Sunday 29 November, and Jesmond Food Market trades on Armstrong Bridge on the first and third Saturdays of the month, which puts its December dates on the 5th and 19th. Newcastle's large city-centre market is a short walk or one Metro stop away.

Carols and Christmas concerts

The best-known date in Jesmond's Christmas calendar is Carols by Candlelight at Jesmond Parish Church, beside Jesmond Metro on Eskdale Terrace. Around a thousand candles light the church for traditional carols and readings across a series of services from Sunday 6 to Sunday 13 December 2026. Admission is free with no booking, and the 4.30pm service on 6 December is a relaxed, accessible service with BSL interpretation. Doors open around 30 minutes before each service and the popular slots fill up, so arrive early.

St George's Church on St George's Close hosts two festive concerts. The Brass and Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia bring their winter tour there on Saturday 28 November, with carols alongside Gabrieli, Bach, Rutter and a Nutcracker suite. The Friends of St George's then present The Singers' Christmas Concert on Saturday 5 December at 7pm.

For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services at Holy Trinity Jesmond and the other parish churches, check each church's own website nearer the time, as the 2026 service times have not yet been published.

Shows for families

Jesmond does not have a pantomime of its own, but some of the region's best Christmas shows are within walking distance at Barras Bridge.

• The Snow Queen is Northern Stage's main Christmas show for 2026, a new adaptation by Laura Lindow, from 3 December. It is recommended for ages 5 and over.
• The Christmas Sorting Office in Northern Stage's Stage 3, from 21 November, is a gentle first theatre trip for under-fives, with Meet Santa add-ons on selected dates.
• The Great Festive Dinosaur Show at the Great North Museum: Hancock runs on 19 to 23 and 28 to 31 December for children aged 3 to 7.

Older children and adults have Christmas Gothic, three Victorian ghost stories on 15 December, and a one-man A Christmas Carol on 22 and 23 December, both at Northern Stage. If it is a traditional panto you are after, the Theatre Royal's Jack and the Beanstalk opens on 24 November, and the People's Theatre in Heaton stages Beauty and the Beast from 12 December.

Winter walks in the Dene

Jesmond Dene is the place to walk off Christmas lunch or blow away the cobwebs on Boxing Day. The paths along the Ouseburn past the waterfall and the old mill are free and open all year, although they can be muddy and slippery in winter.

One thing to note for 2026: Pets' Corner is closed on weekdays for around ten weeks from 12 October while the council refurbishes the enclosures, but it stays open with free entry at weekends. The Friends of Jesmond Dene post walks, talks and volunteering dates throughout the year. Our Jesmond Dene visitor guide has routes and history.

Best for:

Best for: a free family day out between the presents and the leftovers.

Getting about: the Metro and parking

Jesmond has three Metro stations within a short walk of most of the area (Jesmond, West Jesmond and Ilford Road), and the Metro is usually the easiest way in and out over Christmas. In recent years Nexus has run no Metro service on Christmas Day and a reduced service on Boxing Day, and it publishes the festive timetable each December on the Nexus website. Check it before planning any Boxing Day trips.

Driving is harder. Much of Jesmond's on-street parking sits within residents' permit zones, so read the signs carefully before leaving the car, especially around Osborne Road and Acorn Road on busy evenings.

Help us keep this guide up to date

Christmas plans tend to be confirmed late. If you are organising something in Jesmond this December, or you spot a date we have missed, please get in touch and we will add it.