Christmas Lights in York 2026

York's Winter Lights are the seasonal displays that York BID and Make It York place in many streets of the city centre, and the City of York Council says they can be enjoyed between November and February. Their dates for the 2026 season have not been announced yet, and no switch-on has been published.

The latest edition with published details ran from 14 November 2024 to 3 February 2025, with 175,000 LED lights over more than 50 streets and 15 km. The Shambles was hung with lit wreaths and small Christmas trees, St Helen's Square had a snowy projection, and a giant illuminated Santa's Postbox stood in Museum Gardens, where children could send their letters to the North Pole. The displays also carried the symbols of several faiths. The lights on the city's historic bars were left out that season, because of wear on some of them and the specialised work needed to hang them.

The streets with lights are a few minutes' walk from the York Christmas Market on Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square, which runs from 12 November to 21 December 2026; its opening times are in the guide to the Christmas Markets in York.

Photo (November 2023): Christmas lights in Stonegate by Malcolmxl5 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

York Minster's Christmas Tree Festival fills the medieval cathedral with 100 Christmas trees from 28 November 2026 to 5 January 2027, in the Nave, the North Transept, the Chapter House and the Lady Chapel. Local businesses, schools and charities decorate each tree to its own theme, and visitors can write a Christmas message on a tag for the festival's prayer trees. In 2025, its fifth year, the festival had 70 trees.

The trees are switched on at 10:00 on Saturday 28 November during Minster Mash-Up, the Minster's 45-minute service for children and families; families can come at any time during it, and no booking is needed. After that the festival can be seen during the Minster's general admission times until Tuesday 5 January, and it is included in the sightseeing ticket. The organisers note that the trees may have flashing lights.

York Minster, on Deangate, is 0.3 km north of the Christmas Market on St Sampson's Square.

Photo (September 2009): York Minster at night by Dakotsmom229 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

A Dickens of a Christmas at Castle Howard runs from 12 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 at the stately home in the Howardian Hills, 21.3 km north-east of York. It is not a light trail: inside the house, the novels of Charles Dickens are brought to life with projections, soundscapes and theatrical surprises, and the rooms are dressed with displays, props, sets, stage lighting and installations. It comes from CLW Event Design and imitating the dog, the team behind the house's earlier Christmases with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Alice's Christmas Wonderland.

Outside, the North Drive is lined with lit Christmas trees and the South Drive with fairy lights. Entry to the house is by timed 30-minute slots, and the organisers suggest about 40 minutes for the whole experience. All tickets have to be booked in advance, and the house, grounds and shops have variable opening times over the festive period.

Bus 81 runs daily from York city centre to Castle Howard.

Photo (July 2026): Castle Howard, south front by Benjamin Smith (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Winter Illuminations at Stockeld Park, near Wetherby, light up the estate's ancient woodland from 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. At dusk the Enchanted Forest fills with light installations, projections and sculptures along a mile-long trail (about 1.6 km), and the illuminations reach into the Snowflake Maze. Ice skating and the park's other activities stay open until the same date.

On weekends, and on weekdays throughout December, the park opens from 10:00 to 21:00; on weekdays in November it opens from 15:00 to 21:00. Last entry to the illuminations is at 20:00, and the park closes at 21:00. The light trail is ticketed, and a Winter Illuminations ticket covers both the Enchanted Forest and the Snowflake Maze.

Stockeld Park lies 23.2 km west of York city centre.

Photo (April 2015): Stockeld Park by Immanuel Giel (CC BY-SA 4.0)