Christmas Lights Switch-On in Hexham 2026

Hexham's Christmas really starts on a Friday night in late November, when the town gathers by the Abbey, the school choirs sing from the bandstand and the lights come on from the bridge up to the Market Place. No tickets, no arena, just most of the town standing together in the cold.

The date: Friday 20 November 2026

Hexham Town Council has listed the Christmas Lights Switch On for Friday 20 November 2026 on its own events calendar. The council pays for the lights, arranges the switch-on and coordinates the big Christmas tree, which is donated each year by Egger, the wood-panel manufacturer on the edge of town.

The council's 2026 listing says that all times will be released nearer the time, and no running order or line-up has been published yet. We will update this guide when it is.

What to expect

We are not going to guess at this year's programme, but the shape of the evening has been consistent for years. The council describes it as a gathering to mark the switch-on "with carols and a visit from Santa", with the lights strung through the town centre from the bridge to the Market Place.

In recent years the evening has centred on the bandstand in the park beside Hexham Abbey. Last year, on Friday 21 November 2025, singers from Queen Elizabeth High School and Hexham Middle School performed from the bandstand before the lights went on, with the Mayor hosting. In earlier years the switch-on came at around teatime, with the Market Place tree lit shortly afterwards. Whether 2026 follows the same pattern is for the council to confirm.

Best for:

Best for: a free, early-evening family outing that marks the start of Christmas in the Tyne Valley.

Where to stand

Head for the Abbey Grounds and the bandstand if you want to hear the choirs, then drift up to the Market Place and Beaumont Street for the lights themselves. The Market Place, with the Abbey on one side and the Shambles in the middle, is where the town tends to gather afterwards.

With small children, arrive early for a spot near the front. The park paths are dark in late November, so sensible shoes are worth having.

Getting there and parking

The train is the easy option. Hexham station is on the Tyne Valley line between Newcastle and Carlisle, roughly forty minutes from Newcastle Central, and the walk up to the Market Place takes about ten minutes.

If you are driving, the large Wentworth car park off Alemouth Road is the main option and is a short walk from the Abbey. Tyne Green on the south side of the river is free all day and leaves you a walk over the bridge under the lights. Our guide to where to park in Hexham explains the parking disc system and the smaller car parks. No road closures had been announced for 2026 when we wrote this.

Accessibility

The council has not published accessibility details for 2026. The crowd is densest near the bandstand, so wheelchair users and families with buggies may find the edge of the Market Place more comfortable. We will add any accessible viewing or parking arrangements if they are announced.

Food and drink nearby

There is plenty within a few minutes' walk of the Abbey.

For a warm-up before or after: Bunters Coffee Shop is on Hallgate just off the Market Place, and 31 Market Place is on the square itself. For a drink, The Forum is in the Market Place, The Heart of Northumberland is on Market Street, The Grapes Hotel is on St Mary's Chare, and The Beaumont Hotel faces the Abbey Grounds across Beaumont Street. If the children need feeding quickly, Hexham Fish Bar on Priestpopple is a few minutes away.

Making a night or a weekend of it

The Queen's Hall on Beaumont Street and the Forum Cinema on the Market Place are both right by the switch-on, so check their listings for that Friday if you fancy a show or a film afterwards.

The weekend continues the festive start elsewhere in Northumberland. Winter Lights at The Alnwick Garden opens on 20 November, and Blyth switches on its own Christmas lights on Saturday 21 November. In Hexham itself, the big Christmas shopping day is Saturday 12 December, when the Abbey Christmas Fair and the Farmers' Market fall on the same morning; our guide to Christmas markets in Hexham has the details.

For everything else on that weekend, see what's on this weekend.

If you miss it

• Prudhoe: Prudhoe Town Council traditionally switches on its lights on the last Friday of November. Check the council's website for the 2026 date.
• Alnwick: the Market Place switch-on is usually on a Friday in late November, with the Duchess of Northumberland helping a local child turn on the lights. The 2026 date had not been announced.

What is not confirmed yet

As of mid-October 2026, the council had not published:

• Start and switch-on times
• Performers or the guest who will switch on the lights
• Any road closures or parking arrangements
• Late-night shopping in the town centre

Know something about this year's Hexham switch-on that we have missed? Let us know via our contact page.