Stockton Sparkles is back to bring some Christmas cheer to the Borough - Here's everything you need to know-HO-HO!

20 November 2025

Five images associated with Stockton Sparkles 2025 wrapped in a blue ribbon and bow

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas - so come join the festive fun when the magical Stockton Sparkles returns next week!

The ever-popular festival promises to bring some Christmas cheer to residents and visitors alike over two weekends, and celebrations get underway with the Christmas lights switch on in Stockton town centre on Thursday, 27 November.

Here's everything you need to know for your family to enjoy all the merriment - and yule be crackers to miss any of it...

I'll be there with bells on - tell me more about what's in store at Sparkles 2025!

The countdown to Christmas begins with a launch night on Thursday 27 November packed full of entertainment, including the annual Christmas lights switch-on.

But there's so much more on offer this year and other festival highlights include a free Victorian Christmas Fair, Sparkles Christmas Market, Stories with Santa and festive disco, plus seasonal crafting, face painting, street theatre, choirs and delicious food and drink guaranteed to delight all the family!

The stunning Lantern Parade will also be back to brighten up a Sunday evening.

What's happening on launch night?

Stockton High Street will come alive for Sparkles launch night, with entertainment from 5pm and the moment everyone has been waiting for - the Christmas light switch-on!

Hosted by BBC Tees presenter Gary Philipson alongside Santa himself, families can get into the Christmas vibe with entertainment both on and off stage, as well as tasty treats from food and drinks vendors.

Expect music, magic, merriment, and a special circus performance from Little T and Nat Lunatrick's the Snow King and Queen alongside Flat Cap Brass, our house brass band, with some guest vocals from Tees Valley's Hayley McKay. Billingham Forum panto stars Michelle Heaton (Liberty X), Liam Mellor, Rob Squire and more will answer an exclusive Q&A on this year's panto, The Further Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan.

This year's Around the Christmas Tree will feature a special reading from Santa and festive music you can sing along to from Sonic Futures Tees Valley artists Jamie Dickinson, Jodie Nicholson, and Loren Heat. And don't miss the chance to grab an 'elfie' on the night with Santa's little helpers!

The Mayor of Stockton, Cllr Stephen Richardson, will switch the lights on at 6:30pm, with walkabout street theatre continuing until 7:15pm, with Interstellar's Christmas Ladies animating the town centre.

Enjoy Stories with Santa!

Join Santa and his elves on Stockton High Street on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November in our festive marquee from 10am to 5pm. Stories with Santa and Santa's Disco with Urban Kaos will be ticketed, but you can also enjoy festive walkabout elves, drop-in workshops and free facepainting without tickets. There will be relaxed BSL interpreted sessions at 3pm and 4pm daily. Tickets are free and can only be booked through the Eventbrite webpage.

All the fun of the Victorian Fair

Ride the 50-foot Ferris wheel, carousel and more, all for free, at the fantastic Victorian Fair which will be on the High Street on Friday and Saturday, 5 and 6 December, from 10am to 6pm and on Sunday 7 December from 11am to 5pm.

Once again the Victorian Fair runs during the Sparkles Christmas Market weekend so people can enjoy the fair and get some lovely things to eat and drink while shopping for Christmas gifts too!

Find that special gift at Sparkles Christmas Market

The three-day Christmas Market runs from Friday 5 December until Sunday 7 December on Stockton High Street, offering tasty treats and festive goodies from local artists, makers and traders, all housed in traditional winter wonderland wooden cabins. The market is open from 10am to 6pm on Friday and Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday.

Tell me about the Lantern Parade!

Our annual Illuminated Lantern Parade will light up Stockton High Street on Sunday 7 December. Hundreds of school children and community groups will dazzle their way along the High Street from 4pm, sporting a glittering array of community created lanterns in a celebration of Santa's reindeer friends, supported by street theatre and atmospheric festive music.

What does the Cabinet Member think about Stockton Sparkles?

Councillor Nigel Cooke, Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Culture at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: "Stockton Sparkles is always one of our most popular events and it will be wonderful to see the High Street come alive with Christmas spirit once again.

"The welcome return of our much-loved festival offers a wealth of fun festivities for all the family, and I'm sure both residents and visitors from further afield will turn out in force to enjoy themselves and help make this a magical Christmas to remember. There's plenty to enjoy for young and old alike, so make sure you don't miss any of it!

"And once you are in that Christmas spirit, you can once again look forward to Santa's welcome return when he'll be travelling around the Borough from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 December for his annual Santa on Wheels - with more details to follow!"

Where can I park and which car parks will be closed?

There are over a thousand parking spaces in Stockton plus Wellington Square car park.

The Shambles car park will be unavailable from 4pm to midnight from Tuesday 25 November until Thursday 27 November, Friday 28 November and Saturday 29 November, Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 December and from Friday 5 December until Sunday 7 December.

High Street Car Park North will also be unavailable from 6pm to midnight on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 November and from Wednesday 3 December to Sunday 7 December.

From Monday 24 November 2025 until Saturday 31 January 2026 the Council will be offering the first hour's parking free of charge in all Council-owned short stay car parks in Stockton. It's also free to park on Sundays and every day after 5pm.

For more details and a full list of parking options, visit the Council's website where you can find a car park in Stockton-on-Tees.

What road closures will there be and will buses be affected?

Some road closures will also be in place, including the High Street, for launch night (Thursday 27 November) and the Lantern Parade (Sunday 7 December). A full list of road closures can be found on the Council's website. This will also affect bus stops so visit the Connect Tees Valley website to help you find the best options for your journey.

Our regular Wednesday, Friday and Saturday markets will still be on during Sparkles, but stalls will be moved on some days down to the Shambles Car Park.