Christmas in Southampton has become one of our favourite family traditions, and every year the city seems to get more magical. From the sparkling Christmas market to the family attractions, festive food, and the light show at Bargate, Southampton truly knows how to celebrate the festive season. If you’re planning a day out, or simply looking for ideas for Christmas in Southampton, here’s everything we got up to during our magical visit this year.
A Magical Visit to Santa’s Grotto in Southampton
We began our day with a visit to Santa’s Grotto (you’ll find this in the Christmas market), and it was the perfect way to start the day. We had a good amount of time with Santa and his two cheerful elves, who made the whole visit feel warm and special. Elsie absolutely loved it.
After chatting with Santa and making sure he knew exactly which Elsa Doll Elsie was hoping for this Christmas, we had some photos taken. You have the option to purchase these after. Then came the highlight: Elsie got to choose a teddy to take home. Out of all the choices, she instantly reached for Rudolph, her new festive best friend, tucked under her arm for the rest of the day. She’s been telling everyone that it was a special gift from Santa.
Exploring the Southampton Christmas Market & Festive Fun House
After leaving the grotto, we did some more exploring of Southampton Christmas Market. The twinkling lights, the wooden stalls, the smell of festive food and mulled spices… it just feels like Christmas the moment you arrive
We wandered through the market, taking in the atmosphere, before popping into the Christmas Fun House, some of the obstacles were interesting at 7 months pregnant but it added a lovely bit of extra festive fun and Elsie really loved it!
Festive Lunch at All Bar One Southampton
Come lunchtime, we were ready for something cosy and comforting, so we headed to All Bar One. I ordered their festive camembert and chorizo beef burger, and honestly, it was delicious. The flavours worked so well together, but the star of the dish was the pickled cherry and pineapple chutney – sweet, tangy, and absolutely perfect.
Elsie ordered fish and chips from the kids’ menu and enjoyed every bite. I also treated myself to the Mountain Mallow mocktail, topped with a raspberry marshmallow. It was sweet, festive, and such a lovely little treat in the middle of our day. I find mocktails so hit and miss, they’re usually overly sweet but this was delicious!
Family Fun at High Score Arcades
Next, we made our way to High Score Arcades, which is such a brilliant family activity when spending Christmas in Southampton. If you haven’t been before, you simply pay for a timed session and then get a full hour of unlimited play on all the arcade machines. Ideal for kids, and just as fun for grown-ups!
We hopped between games, laughed our way through the dance machine, and had great fun racing on the motorbike game. It’s energetic, nostalgic, and perfect for breaking up the day with something a bit different. one hour sessions are £12.50pp or you can get a family ticket for 4 for £40.
Rides, Christmas Lights & The Bargate Light Show
It rained the entire day – classic December weather. But it didn’t stop us exploring more of the market and hopping on a few of the festive rides.
The ferris wheel was one of the highlights of the entire day for us both. Seeing the Christmas market from above was absolutely magical. All the lights, the stalls, the buzz of people mingling below – it was the perfect bird’s-eye view of Christmas in Southampton. Elsie had a go on the little helicopter ride too, there are other ‘bigger’ rides for thrill seekers too!
At 5:30, we made our way to Bargate, ready for the light show. This is honestly something you cannot miss. Bargate is illuminated with a beautiful Christmas story, and as snow falls around you. Elsie was mesmerised, and it was one of those moments that felt truly magical. The light show is played every 30 minutes from 5:30pm.
A Cosy Hot Chocolate to Finish
We ended our full day of festive fun with a warm hot chocolate at Mettricks, it was the perfect cosy finish after a long, wonderful day exploring Christmas in Southampton.
Once again, the city delivered an unforgettable festive experience. It’s become one of our favourite annual traditions, and after this year’s visit, we’re already excited to return next year. There is also ice skating with West Quay on Ice but in my heavily pregnant state we opted to give that a miss – not to mention the shopping, there really is just about everything you need all in one place. Southampton really knows how to make the season feel special.
Our festive day out was kindly organised by Visit Southampton, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
