Worthing Lions' free grotto has no 2026 dates yet; in 2025 it ran on three December Saturdays. Confirmed now: meet Santa at the Connaught on 8 and 9 December.

Worthing’s own Santa’s grotto, the free one Worthing Lions run in the town centre, has not announced its 2026 dates. Last year it ran on three Saturdays in December. Two places to meet Santa nearby are confirmed: Dear Santa Live at the Connaught Theatre on 8 and 9 December, and the Christmas train at Amberley Museum on December weekends.

The quick answer

  • Worthing Lions grotto: free, in South Street Square. In 2025 it ran on Saturdays 6, 13 and 20 December. On 30 October 2026 the Lions’ page still shows those 2025 dates.
  • Christmas at Worthing Fire Station: a grotto at Ardsheal Road with Broadwater Carnival Society. Last year’s was Saturday 13 December, 11am to 6pm, and its Eventbrite listing went up in mid-November. Nothing for 2026 yet.
  • Confirmed in town: Dear Santa Live, Connaught Theatre, Tuesday 8 December at 3.45pm and Wednesday 9 December at 10.30am, from £16.50. Children meet Santa after the show and get a gift.
  • Confirmed nearby: Amberley Christmas Adventure, a train ride to meet Father and Mrs Christmas, on 5-6, 12-13 and 19-20 December plus Wednesdays 9 and 16 December. £10 a child for the train, plus admission.

We will add the Lions and fire station dates when they are published.

Worthing Lions’ grotto in the town centre

The grotto most Worthing families mean is the one run by Worthing Lions, the volunteer club that also puts on the pier fireworks. Its 2025 listing read: “South St. Square Saturday 6th 13th and 20th December 2025 Confirmed Free”. The Lions say the grotto “will have music played and spread cheer to the children meeting Santa”. (Worthing Lions, Santa’s Grotto)

That page had not been updated for 2026 when we checked it on 30 October. The Lions’ fireworks page was updated for 2026 by early October, so the grotto dates may follow nearer December. Until then, treat the Saturday pattern as last year’s, not this year’s.

The Lions also take Santa out on a decorated van on December weekday evenings, 6pm to 8pm, touring residential streets for donations. They publish each evening’s route on their website and Facebook page from 4pm on the day. The 2026 routes are not up yet. (Worthing Lions, Santa’s Street Collections)

Christmas at Worthing Fire Station

Worthing Fire Station, 57 Ardsheal Road, BN14 7RN, hosted a Santa’s grotto last year with Broadwater Carnival Society. Its Eventbrite listing ran it on Saturday 13 December 2025, 11am to 6pm, with tickets booked in advance. The listing was created on 16 November 2025, so a 2026 one, if there is one, would be likely to appear around the middle of November. (Eventbrite, Christmas at Worthing Fire Station with Santa’s Grotto)

Dear Santa Live at the Connaught: confirmed

Rod Campbell’s picture book, from the author of Dear Zoo, is on stage at the Connaught Theatre, Union Place, for two shows:

  • Tuesday 8 December, 3.45pm
  • Wednesday 9 December, 10.30am

Worthing Theatres and Museum (WTM) says the show is “the perfect introduction to theatre for those aged two to seven years old”, with Christmas songs and audience participation, and “the chance to meet and receive an exclusive Christmas gift from Santa himself”. It lasts 55 minutes and the suggested age is one and over. Tickets are from £16.50 plus a £1.75 transaction fee per booking. (WTM, Dear Santa Live)

The rest of the town’s December shows, including the pantomime, are on our Christmas shows page.

Amberley Museum’s Christmas train: confirmed

Amberley Museum, New Barn Road, Amberley, BN18 9LT, runs its Amberley Christmas Adventure on:

  • Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December
  • Wednesday 9 December
  • Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December
  • Wednesday 16 December
  • Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 December

Children ride the museum’s narrow-gauge Christmas train “to meet Father and Mrs Christmas in their cosy parlour”, hear a story written for Amberley, and get a gift and a photo with Father Christmas. Trains leave every half hour from 10.30am to 3pm, except over lunch; arrive at least 15 minutes early.

The train costs £10 for children of any age, and everyone in the party also needs a museum admission ticket. The museum says to book admission and the train for everyone travelling, and that tickets “often sell out on these busy days”. Dogs and pushchairs stay outside Santa’s Parlour. (Amberley Museum, Amberley Christmas Adventure)

On the same weekends the museum runs its Christmas Weekends, with train and bus rides included in admission and a telegram to send to Santa. (Amberley Museum, Christmas Weekends)

What we checked and found nothing for

  • Haskins Roundstone, the garden centre on the Roundstone bypass at Angmering, listed no events of any kind on 30 October (Haskins, Roundstone events).
  • WWT Arundel Wetland Centre listed no Christmas or Santa event for November or December (WWT Arundel, what’s on).
  • Worthing Town Centre BID has published no 2026 Christmas listing yet; its newest event listing is the fireworks night on 5 November (Worthing Town Centre BID).

Getting there and parking

South Street Square is in the town centre, a short walk from the council’s High Street and Buckingham Road multi-storeys; current charges are on our parking in Worthing page. For the Connaught, the Civic Quarter car park off Richmond Road is closest. Check roadworks and travel before a December Saturday trip.

The Christmas lights, markets and other festive dates are on our Christmas lights page and Christmas market page.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free Santa’s grotto in Worthing?

Worthing Lions’ town centre grotto was free in 2025, held in South Street Square on Saturdays 6, 13 and 20 December. The 2026 dates have not been published yet.

Where can my child meet Santa in Worthing this Christmas?

Confirmed so far: after Dear Santa Live at the Connaught Theatre on 8 and 9 December (from £16.50). Nearby, Amberley Museum’s Christmas train to Father Christmas runs on December weekends and two Wednesdays, at £10 a child plus admission.

Is the fire station grotto on this year?

Not announced yet. Worthing Fire Station and Broadwater Carnival Society ran one on Saturday 13 December 2025, booked on Eventbrite. Last year’s listing appeared in mid-November.

Sources