Andover Christmas Festival

Friday 20 November 2026, 4pm to 8pm

Join us in Andover town centre for a magical evening to launch the festive season, brought to you by Test Valley Borough Council, Andover BID and Andover Town Council. Sponsored by Costa, Pennies Haberdashery, The Kittens Emporium and David Mellor Jewellers and proudly supported by Andover Radio & Love Andover, this free, family-friendly event has something for everyone, including:

  • Live performances on two stages — one on the High Street and one in the Pocket Park

  • Festive market stalls along Bridge Street

  • Food and drink on Bridge Street and the lower High Street

  • Fairground rides in Town Mills car park

  • Santa’s post office and face painting in the Chantry Centre

  • Walkabout performers, community acts, and children’s entertainment across the site

The Christmas lights will be switched on at 6.30pm.

Entertainment Schedule:

Entertainment listings by location, please click below to expand the sections and view the timings. Please note these may be subject to change.

  • The guildhall stage hosts a vibrant mix of local acts, including schools, community groups and bands.

    5pm - Vigo School Choir
    5.20pm - Can dance will dance
    5.40pm - Stagecoach Andover Choir
    6pm - Transient Cam
    6.20pm - Big Star Little Star poetry competition
    6.30pm - Lights switch on
    6.30pm - Cove
    7pm - Covergirlz
    7.30pm - Side Plot
    8pm - End

  • Head to Town Mills to find family friendly favourites to keep you and your little ones entertained, alongside local singer songwriters.

    5pm - Lani Claton
    5.20pm - Sean Bless Magician
    6pm - Abbotts Ann Pantomime Players
    6.20pm - UV Bubble Show
    6.30pm - Snow Party
    7pm - Bootscootin’ Country Christmas Line Dance
    7.20pm - Georgie A
    7.40pm - Jamie Walsh

  • The Chantry Centre will host free drop-in activities for kids including:

    In the old O2 shop:
    4pm to 7pm - Face painting

    In the Indoor Garden:
    4pm to 8pm - Santa’s Post Office

    Santa will also be doing a walkabout after his appearance on the main stage!

  • Walk along Bridge Street and enjoy a festive market featuring local independent makers and traders from Andover and the surrounding region. DJ Chris Burford will be keeping everyone entertained with festive tunes.

  • Enjoy funfair rides, game stalls or drop into The Life Bus from Andover Parish.

 

Getting here

We recommend walking, cycling or using public transport if you can. The town centre will be busy and some roads will be closed:

  • The High Street and Bridge Street will be closed to vehicles from 10am to 10pm

Town Mills car park will be closed all day to make space for the fairground rides. All other town centre car parks will be open as usual, with accessible parking available in George Yard and the Chantry Centre.

Toilets

Toilets will be available at:

  • Chantry Centre multi-storey car park (until 8pm)

  • Town Mills car park (portable toilets including accessible units)

  • The John Russell Fox and The Redbridge (via the community toilet scheme)

  • ACE (Andover Community Engage)

Accessibility

We want everyone to be able to enjoy the festival, therefore:

  • There will be accessible toilets located in the Chantry Centre multi-storey car park and an accessible portaloo located in the Town Mills car park

  • Koala Community Hub will be open to those who are in need of a calm space to regulate in during the evening’s entertainment. Please note the space is not for general use.

  • The festive market stalls, Santa’s Post Office, face painting and fairground rides will open from 4pm, before the stage entertainment starts at 5pm, offering a chance to explore these areas before the peak event hours.

Please note: the event gets very busy, especially between 5.30pm and 6.30pm.

Event information and safety

Look out for our information points on the night — you’ll find them in/on:

  • High Street

  • Bridge Street

  • Town Mills Park

  • Chantry Centre

Staff will be on hand to help with event information and give out free wristbands for children. You can write a parent or guardian’s phone number on the wristband in case you get separated.

If you need help on the night:

  • A first aid and lost child point will be located behind the Guildhall on the High Street

  • Security and stewards wearing high-vis jackets will be located across the site

Selection of images from previous years. Photography by Mykola Romanovsky.