Best West Midlands Christmas days out 2025
Christmas days out in the West Midlands 2025 sell out fast! This is a comprehensive list of places to see Santa in Birmingham and the surrounding areas as well as other festive events. Shows, pantomimes, Christmas markets and trains provide things to do at Christmas in the West Midlands both with and without Santa visits.
You can jump straight to each event using the links in the table below. Please do let me know if I’ve missed any brilliant events off the list, I’d be happy to add them in. Advance booking is essential at all attractions unless otherwise stated.
This post covers the West Midlands County area only. If you are looking for Christmas days out in nearby counties, please see below:
You can also check out my post about all the Pantomimes taking place across the West Midlands Region.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens – Luminate Live Winter Light Trail 2025
Luminate Live is back at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens for Christmas 2025 with an illuminated trail that will delight and enthral your senses. The trail is almost a mile long and features gorgeous lighting elements and amazing light play set to ambient music. It will take around 60 to 90 minutes to walk round.
Tickets need to be booked online in advance and a small amount of free parking is available at the University and a nearby school. The Gardens themselves offers very limited blue badge parking on a first come, first served basis.
Dates: 28th November 2025 to 1st January 2026.
Website: Luminate
Review: Redbrick
Birmingham city centre West Midlands – Frankfurt Christmas Market and Ice Skate Birmingham
Starting early in the festive calendar, Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas market is widely accepted in the area as one of the first signs of Christmas! This is the biggest German Christmas market outside of Germany and Austria. With food, drinks and gifts galore, you’ll be revelling in the fragrance and spirit of the festive season. Look out for live music on Victoria Square and don’t forget to pre-book your slot to go ice skating on Centenary Square.
Frankfurt Christmas Market dates: 1st November to 24th December 2025.
Birmingham Ice Skating Dates: Not yet announced.
Frankfurt Christmas Market Website: German Market
Birmingham Ice Skating Website: Ice Skate Birmingham
Independent review: Birmingham Mail
Birmingham Hippodrome – Robin Hood and The Nutcracker
Two festive shows take place at Birmingham Hippodrome for Christmas 2025. Choose between an upbeat panto or a classic seasonal ballet.
Robin Hood
With Gok Wan as Gok Scarlet, Faye Tozer as Maid Marion, Matt Cardle as the Sheriff of Nottingham and Birmingham’s favourite panto performer Matt Slack as Robin hood, it is a star-studded line up for this year’s panto. Not to mention Panto royalty Christopher Biggins’ special appearance as King Richard, along with Andrew Ryan as Henrietta Hood and Sandra Marvin as the spriit of Sherwood.
Expect dazzling costumes, stunning scenery, hilarious comedy, audience participation, incredible special effects and all the boos and hisses you love about a panto.
Dates: 20th December 2025 to 1st February 2026.
The Nutcracker
Sir Peter Wright’s ballet the Nutcracker is returning to Birmingham for Christmas 2025. Clara is on an adventure to a magical winter wonderland on Christmas eve. Dancing snowflakes, enchanted Christmas trees and of course, the sugar plum fairy will be on stage. This classic production is an ideal festive treat for ballet fans.
Dates: 21st November to 13th December 2025.
Website: Birmingham Hippodrome.
Independent review: Reviews of previous years’ performances: All that Dazzles / Muddy Stilettos.
Birmingham Moor Street Station – Vintage Trains Polar Express Train Ride
Enjoy a theatrical recreation of the Polar Express movie on board a steam train. If you and your family believe in Father Christmas, now is the time to immerse yourselves in the magic. Take in the sights, sounds and smells as you watch actors portraying the dancing chefs, conductor and other characters from the Classic festive film. Leave Birmingham Moor Street station and travel to the North Pole, where Santa will board the train to give out the first gift of Christmas.
Dates: 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th November and 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th and 20th to 23rd December 2025.
Website: Vintage trains.
Review: Tripadvisor.
Birmingham Rep – A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story
This Christmas in Victorian London’s West End, a string of mysterious on-stage deaths interrupts the festive cheer, prompting Sherlock Holmes to uncover a surprising link to The Twelve Days of Christmas. With time running out, Holmes, Dr Watson, and rival sleuth Athena Faversham must race to save French Hens, recover Gold Rings, and rescue Mother Goose in a perilous, laugh-out-loud comedy whodunnit. Written by The Penny Dreadfuls’ Humphrey Ker and David Reed, with new songs by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, this world premiere promises mischief, mayhem, and a festive mystery at 221b Baker Street.
Age guidance: 10 + (under 5s won’t be admitted)
Dates: 14th November 2025 to 11th January 2026.
Website: Birmingham Rep.
Review: The Guardian (review of the London performance).
Black Country Living Museum West Midlands Christmas 2025
Christmas
The BCLM will be transformed for the festive season. Period houses and shops are brimming with festive cheer and historic characters are on hand to tell visitors how they’re getting ready for the big day.
Dates: From 29th November 2025.
Glad Tidings
Spend an evening at BCLM with friends and family. Open fires, traditional carollers and fifties hits encourage everyone to sing along. Traditional treats are on offer to add to the Christmassy feeling. Characters on costume will be chatting to visitors and street entertainers will be on hand to keep everyone amused.
Dates: 12th to 23rd December 2025.
Santa Hunts
Spend around an hour on a quest around the town to find Santa. Help festive characters to find his secret Black Country grotto. Write letters to Santa, sing songs and follow the clues en route. When you arrive, Santa will welcome you into his grotto for a chat, keepsake gift and a photo with him.
Dates: 29th and 30th November and 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th and 20th to 24th December 2025.
Website: BCLM
Review: You can read my review of a family day out at the Black Country Living Museum.
Cadbury World, Birmingham West Midlands
Information on the 2025 Christmas event at Cadbury World has not yet been released, and I can’t find any info on last year’s Christmas event so I’ve linked to their website so you can check for more recent updates.
Dates: Not yet released.
Website: Cadbury World
Review: Mama Geek
Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust West Midlands – The Jingle Boat
Dudley Canal & Caverns invites families to hop aboard The Jingle Boat – an underground, Merry West Midlands adventure through illuminated limestone caverns where mischievous elves and a lively pantomime bring Christmas magic to life. Guests will then disembark to visit Santa’s grotto, where children receive a special gift, while adults enjoy a complimentary mince pie and hot drink. Visitors are encouraged to get into the spirit by wearing Christmas jumpers and singing carols. This merry cruise tends to sell out fast so booking early is strongly advised.
Dates: Not yet announced.
Website: Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust
Review: Trip Advisor
Echills Wood Railway – Santa Trains
Climb aboard Santa’s Express to his grotto, where children can pay him a visit. Santa will select a special gift for each child based on their age and adults will receive a mince pie and hot, seasonal drink. Then, it’s back on board to ride the train all the way around the railway. Ticket holders for this event will be able to use their ticket on other trains during their visit.
Early booking is advised due to limited availability. Tickets can ONLY be purchased at the venue and MUST be booked in advance – this is extremely popular and likely to sell out early as there are only a few dates available.
Website: Echills Wood Railway.
Dates: 6th, 7th, 13th and 14th December 2025.
Review: Tripadvisor.
National Sea Life Centre Birmingham
Visitors to the National Sea Life Centre this festive season can dive into a fish-massy adventure with Santa and his elves. Take a look at over 2000 sea creatures including sharks, sea otters and gentoo penguins. Then head to Santa’s grotto to find out if you’re on the naughty or nice list. All children will be given a present to take home.
Dates: 29th November to 24th December 2025.
Website: National Sea Life Centre
National Sea Life Centre Christmas event Review: Plutonium Sox
Loved this list! The West Midlands has so many festive activities to offer. I can’t wait to check out the Christmas markets and the winter wonderland events! Any recommendations for family-friendly activities?