It’s the most wonderful time of the year…. It’s CHRISTMAS IN ADELAIDE!

Here at Kids In Adelaide, Christmas isn’t just about presents, decorating Christmas trees & eating too much (though we love those things too!). We think it’s about getting out & about in Adelaide, getting involved in all of the Christmas festivities & starting some family traditions. We have rounded up the best Christmas events across Adelaide & we ho-ho-hope you are on the good list so you can make the most of the festive season with your kids.

From free Christmas events, Pageants, full days out, Carols, Christmas Lights around Adelaide & evening markets, we have all of the best events that will have you jingling all the way across Adelaide & beyond. Book a Santa’s Wonderland session at the Adelaide Showground for rides, ice skating, stage shows & more. No Christmas in Adelaide is complete without a visit with the kids to the Brewery Lights – this is one of many FREE Christmas activities across Adelaide that you can enjoy with the family.

Christmas is all about giving right? A great way to support your local community is to attend a local Carols event or Christmas Pageant. They often feature local community groups, schools & businesses & are a wonderful way to keep in touch with what’s happening in your area. After all, is it really Christmas if your local real estate agent hasn’t thrown lollies at you out of their tinsel adorned car in the Council Pageant? Your kids will love seeing performances from local dance schools or waving to Father Christmas!

So whether you are looking to go all out, or looking for free or local events, look no further than the Kids In Adelaide Christmas Events Guide! We’ll be updating it as more fabulous Christmas events get added, so be sure to keep checking back and also keep an eye on the Kids In Adelaide socials for some Christmassy ideas! 

National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant

The National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant has grown to become one of Adelaide’s most cherished events. celebrated every November usually on the second Saturday, it’s every childs dream to watch!  It’s a magical community event featuring fantasy & fairy floats, colourful characters, over 200 clowns, bands, dancers & more! The best part – it’s FREE. 

Check out all the information on this years event below.

Click here

Santas Wonderland

Santas’s Wonderland is back again and if we’re completely honest, this event just keeps getting bigger and better! Featuring a range of amazing amusement rides, spectacular Christmas stage shows, and a magnificent ice skating rink, plus an awesome Christmas Activity trail, there is so much to entertain your little believers! Tickets are all inclusive – once the curtain opens and you enter the pavillion, almost everything is covered under the one price. 

It really is 3 hours of magic! 

Click here

Adelaide St John Ambulance Carols by Candlelight 2024

The St John Carols by Candlelight is back at Elder Park/ Tarntanya Wama on Saturday, December 14 and really, there is no better way to celebrate Christmas than this wonderful SA tradition.

With a fantastic line-up of performers, grab your family and friends, plus a picnic rug and enjoy a FREE afternoon/ night celebrating the festive season. With pre-show entertainment, interactive games and activities, food stalls and more, we can’t love this event any harder.

We’re ready to sing our little hearts out – are you?

click here for info

Lights of Lobethal

The Lobethal Christmas festival has been lighting up the Lobethal Valley in the Adelaide Hills for over sixty years… created by the community of Lobethal. In the true spirit of Christmas, a tradition that has now evolved into the largest Community Christmas Light Display in the Southern Hemisphere.

Following the official “Lights On” ceremony residents will turn on their lights and these wonderful light displays will remain lit each night until Sunday the 22nd. There will also be lots of activations throughout the township during the period.

click here for more info

Victoria Square / Tarntanyangga Christmas Tree

Get ready for a dazzling light display that loops every 10 minutes. If it’s a warm night, the kids will love having a splash in the Victoria Square fountains too!

Lighting up annually each Novemeber this tree is loved by kids and adults alike, we can’t wait for this again in 2024!

 

Christmas in the City

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and what better way to celebrate than in the heart of Adelaide! The Santa Course is back for 2024, offering FREE fun for the kids with an interactive trail of 10 giant Santa statues scattered across the city. As you explore Rundle Mall, don’t miss the giant swinging bells and festive window displays, each brimming with Christmas decorations and holiday cheer. And be sure to visit Light Square, where two enormous, light-up presents add a touch of magic to your city stroll. Enjoy the festive spirit all around Adelaide city! click here for more info

Riverbank (West End Brewery) Christmas Lights

Celebrate the festive season with Adelaide’s iconic Riverbank (West End Brewery) Christmas display.

Lighting up from November 24,  this is a annual tradition for many families and we can’t wait to see this dazzling display in all her glory!

click here for info

The Kids in Adelaide Christmas Lights Map

Our MASSIVE Christmas lights map is updated every year and has become one of the biggest and best places to look for Christmas Lights in your area.

click here to take a look

Local Council Pageants

Keep an eye on the local council pageants and make it your mission to go along and support your community as they parade down the main street in your suburb. Wave to the dancers from the nearby dance school as they twirl on by. Don a Santa hat and catch lollies from your neighbourhood real estate agent as they thrown them out of their car. Line the streets of Adelaide and the burbs’ and just get into the Christmas spirit – go on, no one likes a grinch!

click here for our list of local pageants for 2024

Civic Park Carols

Civic Park Carols is a community Christmas event hosted by the City of Tea Tree Gully attracting wonderful local artists. Usually held at Civic Park every December, this year will be no different. With pre-entertainment kicking off from late afternoon, the performers AND the crowd will get ready to sing their little hearts out.

Find out all the details on this years event below.

Click here

Christmas at the Mortlock

Head to the State Library and celebrate Christmas by visiting the iconic Mortlock Chamber where Adelaide’s largest indoor Christmas tree stands.

The 7-metre-tall tree will be the centrepiece of the Christmas program which will include lots of fun activities such as; a Christmas reading nook, Christmas craft, story-telling and a school choir performance.

This is a must-see for Christmas lovers of all ages.

 

Are you looking for ADELAIDE’S BEST CHRISTMAS LIGHTS?

We’ve made it so easy for you to find the best Christmas light displays in Adelaide with our clickable Map

More Christmas Events Happening in Adelaide and Regional S.A

We have LOADS more Adelaide Christmas Events on our main event calendar below. And if you’d like to list your Adelaide Christmas Event with us, please click here to list your Adelaide Christmas Event with us.

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  • Check out the Kids in Adelaide Christmas Carols List for 2022. If we've missed any please let us know ho ho!

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  • 2024 Early Bird Santa's Wonderland tickets are available for purchase now! Unwrapping the Magic: A Joyful Journey through Santa's Wonderland! Dubbed the “BEST. CHRISTMAS. EVENT. EVER!” by the KiA kids – this is one experience that shouldn’t be missed! A must for Christmas lovers, thrill-seekers, and anyone ready to sleigh the holiday game with the big man himself. it’s honestly our favourite way to infuse some holiday cheer into the little (and big) people in our lives. Held once again at the Adelaide Showgrounds, every corner of the Jubilee Pavilion (8,000 square metres to be exact) has been converted into a fun-filled magical space where even the Grinch would crack a smile. That said, don your ugly Christmas sweater or festive tee (otherwise you might melt) and treat yourselves to a place so incredibly merry, Santa Claus himself would be proud! BUY TICKETS HERE Each three-hour session includes unlimited rides, ice skating, tobogganing and the beloved activity trail featuring a variety of selfie stops, fun simple tasks and Christmas crafts for kids. Throw in some colourful roving entertainers, a couple of new, brilliantly choreographed stage shows and everyone’s favourite childhood figure (until that fateful day when someone tells you that *Spoiler…