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 Riverbank (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.
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!
Glitter Pines
6–21 December
Sunjive Studios, Hendon
2025 PAE Christmas Trail.
Join Crispy Shawn the Christmas Prawn and all his friends for the 2025 PAE Christmas Trail.
Step into a world of colour, character and cracking good jokes to celebrate the silly season with a playful, interactive, augmented reality trail. Think technology like Pokémon Go but the creativity and imagination of artist Luku Kuku Kuku creating characters and stories especially for the PAE Christmas Trail!
Visit the giant wrapped presents across nine locations in City of Port Adelaide Enfield and discover what’s inside. Adventure awaits!
Rundle Mall Christmas Decorations
Wander through Rundle Mall this festive season and soak up the Christmas spirit!
From the sparkling Mistletoe Arch to Santa’s Festive Sleigh and Jolly Throne, there’s plenty to admire and enjoy.
With twinkling trees, giant golden presents, and festive installations at every turn, exploring the Mall is a fun, FREE way for the whole family to get into the holiday spirit.
Adelaide St John Ambulance Carols by Candlelight 2025
The St John Carols by Candlelight is back at Elder Park/ Tarntanya Wama on Saturday, December 13 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?
Christmas at Melbas Woodside
15 – 23 of December
Open daily from 9am to 10pm, with FREE family entertainment including Face Painting, Balloon Twisting and FREE Father Christmas visits and photos. They’ll also have food trucks set up at the front of the Factory, so you can enjoy dinner on the lawns and make a truly magical night of it!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
Parkside Carols and Markets
Singing Under The Stars: Parkside Carols and Markets 2025 is a magical night of festive fun for the whole family on Friday 21 November from 6–9pm.
Enjoy live Christmas music from talented young performers, explore twinkle-lit markets packed with handmade gifts and tasty treats, and grab something delicious from a mix of food trucks. Kids can play in the soft play area, and Santa will be stopping by for some festive cheer and photos.
Entry is free.
Jingle Junction, Rundle Mall
Kids can decorate Christmas cookies, get their faces painted, write letters to Santa and colour their hearts out.
There’s something fun for every kid this week!
📅 Tues 16 Dec – City Library Christmas Craft and Storytime plus Face painting
📅 Wed 17 Dec – Cookie decorating (we loved this)
📅 Thurs 18 Dec – Face painting
📅 Fri 19 Dec – Face painting
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 2025!
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.
List of events in Photo View
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December 5, 2025 – December 24, 2025
Santa’s Wonderland Adelaide
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December 15, 2025 – December 23, 2025
Christmas at Melba’s Woodside
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