Banbury's lights go on at 5pm on Sunday 29 November, the second day of the Winter Market. Plus Upton House at Christmas, carols, Dear Santa and the Nutcracker.

Christmas arrives in Banbury this week: Perry Tree Farm is selling trees and Upton House opens its Christmas with the Muses on Saturday 14 November. The big weekend is 28 and 29 November, with the Winter Market in the town centre and the lights switch-on and fireworks at about 5pm on Sunday 29 November. December brings carols at St Mary’s, the Nutcracker and Dear Santa at The Mill.

Everything below was read from the organisers’ own pages on 13 November 2026, and each entry links back to its source. Dates and prices can change, so check the link before you set off. For places that are open whatever the month, see things to do in Banbury.

This week

  • Illuminated Evenings at Fairytale Farm, Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November, the last weekend, Southcombe, Chipping Norton, OX7 5QH. The farm lit up after dark, included in a standard day ticket; a supper deal with entry from 3pm, hot food and a drink is £17.99 for adults and £16.99 for children aged 2 to 10 (Fairytale Farm).
  • Christmas trees at Perry Tree Farm, on sale now, from Thursday 12 November, Milton Road, Adderbury, OX17 3HN. Nordmann firs from 4ft to 16ft, pot-grown trees and wreaths. Open 10am to 6pm Tuesday to Saturday and 10am to 3pm on Sunday, closed Monday. The farm has not published prices or a last day of sales (Perry Tree Farm). More on our Christmas trees in Banbury page.
  • Christmas with the Muses at Upton House, Saturday 14 November to 3 January, 11.30am to 3.30pm, Upton House, OX15 6HT. The National Trust house’s Christmas presentation and family trail, with normal admission (National Trust). Workshops, evening visits and the 16 December carol concert are on our Upton House Christmas page.
  • Banbury Comedy Festival, Saturday 14 November, The Mill. Four Fringe-style shows: stand-up in Spanish at 3pm, a Best of the Fest showcase at 4.30pm, Tony Law at 6pm and Ingrid Dahle at 7.30pm. Pay what you want, through Rock The Atic (The Mill).
  • Rock for Heroes, Saturday 14 November, 7.30pm, The Mill. £28.50. Classic rock anthems from Queen, Bon Jovi, The Eagles and more; 10 tickets were left on 13 November (The Mill).

Next week

  • The Girl on the Train, Thursday 19 and Friday 20 November at 7.30pm, Saturday 21 November at 2.30pm and 7.30pm, The Mill. £17. Banbury Cross Players stage the Paula Hawkins thriller; age guidance 14+, mature themes and language (The Mill).
  • Banbury United v Alvechurch, Saturday 21 November, 3pm, Station Approach (Banbury United).
  • Christmas with the Clauses at Fairytale Farm, selected dates from Saturday 21 November to Thursday 24 December, Southcombe, Chipping Norton, OX7 5QH. A live Christmas adventure that ends with a visit to Father Christmas in his grotto. A child ticket with a gift is £25.99, an adult £18.99 and an under-2 with a gift £12.99; booking online only. Sensory sessions for children with SEND run on 28 and 29 November, 11 and 18 December, and all day on 16 December (Fairytale Farm).

Later in November

  • A Christmas Carol, Wednesday 25 November at 7.30pm and Thursday 26 November at 2.30pm, The Mill. £19.50. Dickens’s ghost story as a solo show, one actor playing every character, directed by Rebecca Vaughan (The Mill).
  • Kidlington Christmas lights switch-on, Thursday 26 November, High Street, Kidlington. The fun starts at 5pm and the lights go on at 6pm (Kidlington Town Council).
  • Banbury Winter Market, Saturday 28 November, 10am to 7pm, and Sunday 29 November, 10am to 6pm, town centre. Free entry. Banbury BID has named 55 traders; the entertainment line-up is still to come (Banbury BID). Stalls and parking are on our Christmas market page.
  • Bicester Christmas Light Switch On, Saturday 28 November, 2pm to 7pm, Sheep Street, Bicester. Free (Bicester Town Council).
  • Meet Father Christmas at Castle Quay, Saturday 28 November, Saturday 5 December and Tuesday 22 December, 11am to 4pm, in the grotto opposite Calendar Club. Free, with a free gift for each child and no booking (Castle Quay). Other Santa visits are on our grotto page.
  • St Mary’s Christmas Craft Fair, Saturday 28 November, 10am to 4pm, St Mary’s Church, Horse Fair, OX16 0AA. Free. About 30 stalls of handmade gifts, tombolas, hot drinks and cakes, and a raffle with a £100 hamper as first prize (St Mary’s arts brochure).
  • Autumn Stories at Banbury Museum, Saturday 28 November, 10am to 4pm. Free, drop in. Farm tales in the Banbury Gallery with a billy goat paper craft for under-9s afterwards; for adults, the first showings of Voices of the Ally, a film of eight decades of Alcan aluminium work in Banbury, with a Q&A. The film is free but needs a booked ticket (Banbury Museum).
  • Banbury United v Halesowen Town, Saturday 28 November, 3pm, Station Approach (Banbury United).
  • The George Harrison Project, Saturday 28 November, 7.30pm, The Mill. £25. His songs from The Beatles, his solo records and the Traveling Wilburys, played live; 53 tickets were left on 13 November (The Mill).
  • Banbury Christmas Lights Switch-On, Sunday 29 November, 11am to 6pm, Market Place, OX16 5LJ, with the stage by the Town Hall. Free. Music, Father Christmas and funfair rides, with the lights and fireworks at about 5pm. There are no food stalls or toilets at the council’s event (Banbury Town Council). More on our lights switch-on page.

December

  • Lights of Love, Thursday 3 December, 7pm, Banbury Cross, then St Mary’s Church from 7.15pm, finishing about 8.30pm. Katharine House Hospice’s remembrance evening: the tree lights go on at the Cross, then music and reflections in church. Open to all; the hospice asks you to reserve a seat (Katharine House Hospice).
  • St Agnes Fountain: Silver Jubilee Tour, Thursday 3 December, 7.30pm, The Mill. £26. Original Christmas songs and traditional carols from the folk band, on its 25th anniversary tour. One ticket was left on 13 November (The Mill).
  • The Nutcracker in Banbury, Friday 4 December at 11.30am, 1.30pm and 4pm, Saturday 5 December at 11am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm, Sunday 6 December at 2pm and 4pm, The Mill. £16.50, all ages, £1.50 off when you book four or more. Let’s All Dance Ballet Company’s 52-minute version (The Mill).
  • Banbury Symphony Orchestra Christmas Concert, Saturday 5 December, 5pm, St Mary’s Church. £12, under-18s free. Anderson’s Sleigh Ride, carols and Merry Christmas Everybody (Banbury Symphony Orchestra).
  • Candlelight Christmas at Sulgrave Manor, Saturday 5 December, 5pm to 7pm, Sulgrave. A Tudor Christmas candlelight tour of the manor, adults only, £20 with mulled wine and a mince pie. Tickets must be pre-booked through the online shop (Sulgrave Manor).
  • Bicester Santa Fun Run, Sunday 6 December, 10am to 1pm, Bicester. A fun run in Santa suits for all ages, raising money for the Mayor’s charities. The council says the route will be announced soon (Bicester Town Council).
  • The 12 Days of Christmas, Wednesday 9 December, 7.30pm, The Mill. £20, all ages. A festive farce from Operation Moonlight, three actors playing more than thirty parts (The Mill).
  • Bye Bye Baby Christmas Show, Saturday 12 December, 7.30pm, The Mill. £30. A Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons tribute, with Christmas favourites alongside the hits; 13 tickets were left on 13 November (The Mill).
  • Voices of Christmas, Saturday 12 December, 7.30pm to 9.30pm, St Mary’s Church. £16, under-16s £5. Banbury Choral Society sings McDowall, Chilcott and Howells, with carols for the audience (Banbury Choral Society).
  • Bicester Christmas Concert, Saturday 12 December, 4pm to 8pm, Garth Park, Bicester. An evening of seasonal music and performances run by the town council (Bicester Town Council).
  • Victorian letter writing and storytelling at Castle Quay, Saturday 12 and Saturday 19 December, 11am to 4pm, in the grotto opposite Calendar Club. Free. Children write a letter to Father Christmas with a quill, and there are live readings from A Christmas Carol (Castle Quay).
  • The West End at Christmas, Sunday 13 December, 7.30pm, The Mill. £25. Singers from West End shows with musical theatre hits and Christmas songs (The Mill).
  • Dear Santa, Monday 14 to Thursday 24 December, The Mill. £18, babes in arms free. A 50-minute show for ages 1 and up, then a visit to Santa in his grotto with a gift for every child. Relaxed performances on Wednesday 16 December at 1pm and Saturday 19 December at 1.30pm (The Mill).
  • A Christmas Concert at Upton House, Wednesday 16 December, 6.30pm to 8pm, Upton House, OX15 6HT. Carols and seasonal songs from the Community Choir of Oxhill, Tysoe and Shenington in the Picture Room (National Trust).
  • Carols by Candlelight, Saturday 19 December, 4pm to 5pm, St Mary’s Church. The town church’s main carol service, with mulled wine and mince pies. Christmas Eve services are at 4pm (crib service) and 9pm (St Mary’s arts brochure). Every carol service and concert is on our carol services page.
  • Banbury United v Redditch United, Saturday 19 December, 3pm, Station Approach. The last home game before Christmas (Banbury United).
  • The Littlest Yak, Monday 21 to Thursday 24 December, Bicester Leisure Centre, Queens Avenue, OX26 2NR. £16.50. LAStheatre’s 45-minute show for ages 3 to 7, at The Mill’s pop-up theatre in Bicester (The Mill). The rest of the season is on our pantomime and Christmas shows page.
  • Festive Lanterns at Banbury Museum, Tuesday 22 December, 10.30am and 1.30pm. £4 a child, ages 3 and up, booking essential. Children make a little festive house that becomes a glowing lantern (Banbury Museum).
  • Banbury parkrun on Christmas Day, Friday 25 December, Spiceball Country Park. Free. The run plans to go ahead, subject to volunteers; the start time is not posted yet (Banbury parkrun). See Banbury parkrun on Christmas Day.

Regular events

  • Banbury Charter Market, every Thursday and Saturday, 9am to 4pm, Market Place. Extra antiques stalls come on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Fruit and vegetables, bread, cheese, plants and hot food (Cherwell District Council).
  • Bicester Friday Market, every Friday, 9am to 4.30pm, Sheep Street, Bicester. About 20 stalls, run by Bicester Market Association (Cherwell District Council).
  • Banbury parkrun, every Saturday, 9am, Spiceball Park, OX16 2AY. Free. Register once before your first run and bring your barcode (parkrun).

Getting there

The Mill, the museum, Castle Quay and the canal are within a few minutes’ walk of each other. Banbury United’s ground is beside the railway station. Council car parks charge on Sundays, so check parking in Banbury first, and anything affecting the roads is on our roadworks and travel page.

Send us your event

Running an event in Banbury, Bicester, Kidlington or the villages? Email hello@banburyonline.co.uk with the date, time, venue, price and a photo. Listings are free. Yours will go on this page and in the diary on our What’s On section.

Sources