Worthing's free Christmas tree switch-on is at 5.30pm on Friday 20 November in Montague Gardens. A festive market follows on Portland Road on 18 December.
Worthing will switch on its town centre Christmas tree at 5.30pm on Friday 20 November, at a free evening in Montague Gardens, and Worthing Borough Council will follow it with a festive market on Portland Road on Friday 18 December.
Both events are free and both are run by the council. It gives the town a lights moment to gather for: the town centre BID has long said that the street lights run off too many separate power supplies to be switched on together, so they go on in stages. This year’s switch-on is for the council’s tree, which energy company Hemiko has paid for.
Overview
- Christmas tree switch-on: Friday 20 November, 5pm to 7pm, Montague Gardens. Free. The tree lights go on at 5.30pm.
- Festive market: Friday 18 December, 4.30pm to 8pm, Portland Road, with music in Montague Gardens. Free to attend.
- Knitted Christmas display: back at Worthing Town Hall by the end of November.
- The council says more events will be announced on its Facebook page.
Friday 20 November: the switch-on
The evening opens at 5pm with Worthing’s town crier, Bob Smytherman. The tree lights go on at 5.30pm, and the music carries on until 7pm.
It is the first Christmas for Montague Gardens, the rebuilt square that opened in September, and the council has given it the whole line-up:
- Heene Sign Choir
- Andy’s Angels Choir
- A sing-along with local singer Laura Vane
- The cast of this year’s pantomime, Puss in Boots
The council’s Facebook event carries the full details of the evening. The panto itself runs at the Pavilion Theatre from 3 December to 3 January; dates and prices are on our Christmas shows page.
Friday 18 December: the festive market
A week before Christmas, Portland Road becomes an evening market of food and drink stalls and gift stalls. Round the corner in Montague Gardens there will be live music from folk singers, local youth bands and DJs, from 4.30pm to 8pm.
The council has not yet said how many stalls there will be or who is trading. It says more details about the market will go on its Facebook page.
That date is three weeks after the town’s other Christmas markets: the Step into Christmas Market in Bath Place and the Bay Cafe fair on 28 November, and the So This is Christmas craft fair on 6 December. All three are on our Christmas markets page.
The knitted display returns to the Town Hall
Last year’s knitted Christmas installation, made by the knitters and crocheters of community organisation Storm’s Make n Munch, goes back on show at Worthing Town Hall by the end of November.
The council also says it is planning Christmas-themed screen printing workshops with Worthing business Hello DODO. No dates have been given yet.
Why the council is doing it
The events are part of Pride in Worthing, which the council describes as bringing together “council teams, partners, businesses, community groups and residents behind one shared ambition”: a cleaner, greener town centre that people want to spend time in. The council says it wants the two evenings to bring people into the town centre and spend money with local businesses.
The money behind Pride in Worthing comes from the Community Infrastructure Levy, the charge developers pay when they build. The council’s Pride in Worthing page, checked on 11 November, says it is spending £175,000 of it between September and March 2027, with £200,000 earmarked for the town centre in 2027/28 and £500,000 in 2028/29. The same page lists the work planned each week: this week it is jet washing in Montague Street and South Street and sweeping in the Montague Quarter.
Councillor Caroline Baxter, the leader of Worthing Borough Council, said:
“One of my priorities as leader is to make Worthing a place we can all be proud of, with a lively town centre where people want to spend time and support local businesses.
“That’s what Pride in Worthing is all about. The opening of Montague Gardens showed how this new space can bring people together and breathe new life into our town centre. I’m delighted we’re building on that with free Christmas events this year.
“A huge thank you to Hemiko for sponsoring our Christmas tree and helping bring some festive magic to Worthing. It’s fantastic to see local businesses working hard to make Christmas special, and we’re pleased to support Worthing BID’s work promoting our town centre businesses throughout the festive season.”
Getting there
Montague Gardens and Portland Road are in the middle of the shopping area. Grafton multi-storey is closed for good, so the nearest council car parks are Buckingham Road, High Street and Civic Quarter; tariffs are on our parking in Worthing page, and any road closures for the evenings will be on our roadworks and travel page.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Worthing Christmas lights switch-on in 2026?
The council’s Christmas tree is switched on at 5.30pm on Friday 20 November in Montague Gardens. The free evening runs from 5pm to 7pm.
Is the Worthing switch-on free?
Yes. The council says both the switch-on and the 18 December festive market are free events.
Who is performing at the switch-on?
Heene Sign Choir, Andy’s Angels Choir, local singer Laura Vane leading a sing-along, and the cast of the Puss in Boots pantomime. Town crier Bob Smytherman opens the evening.
When is the Worthing festive market?
Friday 18 December, from 4.30pm to 8pm, with stalls on Portland Road and live music in Montague Gardens.
Sources
- Worthing Borough Council, “Worthing Borough Council champions shopping local with free Christmas events”, 11 November 2026, sent to The Worthing Express
- Worthing Borough Council, Christmas tree lights switch-on event on Facebook
- Adur & Worthing Councils, Pride in Worthing: what we’re doing, checked 11 November 2026
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