Where to meet Father Christmas near Horsham in 2026: Tulleys from 21 November, Amberley from 5 December, and Santa's grottos at five village Christmas fairs.

The two places near Horsham with Father Christmas confirmed and on sale for 2026 are Tulleys Farm at Turners Hill, whose Santa Experience opens on Saturday 21 November, and Amberley Museum, whose Christmas train to Father Christmas’s parlour runs on eight days from Saturday 5 December. In town, the Capitol’s Christmas show for small children ends with a gift from Santa for every child, and five village Christmas fairs, from Southwater on 28 November to Billingshurst on 5 December, each have Father Christmas or a grotto.

Updated 29 October: Horsham District Council has published its 2026 Christmas events list. Santa’s grottos are confirmed at the Southwater, Pulborough and Billingshurst Christmas events, Father Christmas at Steyning’s late night shopping, and Santa at Storrington Library (details below). Festive Fishers still says “2026 bookings coming soon”.

The grotto most Horsham families know best, Festive Fishers at Fishers Farm Park, has not published its 2026 dates or prices yet. This page will be updated when it does.

Everything below was checked against each organiser’s own website on 25 October 2026.

Overview

  • Tulleys Santa Experience, Turners Hill: Saturdays and Sundays from 21 November, then every day from 19 to 24 December, 8.45am to 6pm (4pm on Christmas Eve). Tickets on sale now.
  • Amberley Christmas Adventure: 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 December, plus Wednesdays 9 and 16 December. £10 a child on top of museum admission, timed trains every half hour from 10.30am to 3pm.
  • In Horsham: ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas in the Capitol Studio, 1 to 31 December, from £17, ages 2 and up, with a gift from Santa for each child.
  • Village fairs with Santa: Southwater Sat 28 Nov (from 12pm), Steyning Wed 2 Dec (4pm to 8pm), Storrington Thu 3 Dec (5pm to 8pm), Pulborough Fri 4 Dec (5pm to 8pm), Billingshurst Sat 5 Dec (10am to 3pm).
  • Not yet announced: Festive Fishers at Wisborough Green says “2026 bookings coming soon”. Hillier Horsham lists no grotto, and it is not one of the Hillier centres running Breakfast with Santa this year.

Every date at a glance

Where Dates Price
Tulleys Farm, Turners Hill Sat 21, Sun 22, Sat 28, Sun 29 Nov; Sat 5, Sun 6, Sat 12, Sun 13 Dec; daily 19 to 24 Dec Shown at booking
Amberley Museum Sat 5, Sun 6, Wed 9, Sat 12, Sun 13, Wed 16, Sat 19, Sun 20 Dec £10 a child plus admission
Capitol Studio, Horsham 1 to 31 Dec, most days 10.30am and 1.30pm From £17, family £60
Southwater, Steyning, Storrington, Pulborough, Billingshurst 28 Nov to 5 Dec, one day each Grotto prices not published
Fishers Farm Park Not yet published Not yet published

Tulleys Santa Experience, Turners Hill

Tulleys, the farm behind the pumpkin festival, runs a full-day Christmas experience in its courtyards and woodland. The centrepiece is a covered tractor sleigh ride to Santa’s Log Cabin, where Father Christmas reads a story and each child gets a gift. Around it are gingerbread decorating, reindeer food to take home, circus performances and an outdoor ice rink (Tulleys Christmas).

It opens on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, then runs on weekends (28 and 29 November, 5 and 6 December, 12 and 13 December) before opening every day from Saturday 19 to Thursday 24 December. Hours are 8.45am to 6pm, and 4pm on Christmas Eve. It is closed on weekdays before 19 December and from Christmas Day (Tulleys, dates and prices).

What to know before booking, from the Tulleys FAQs:

  • Everyone needs a ticket, adults included, and children must be with someone over 18.
  • Your ticket is for a set sleigh ride time. Arrive at the farm 30 minutes before it, and at the sleigh station 15 minutes before.
  • Most dates sell out in advance, so pay-on-the-day entry is not something to rely on.
  • Skating is a 30-minute session with skate hire, sold on the same booking site; children under 16 must skate with an adult.
  • It runs in all weathers. The sleigh and its queue are covered; the rest is outdoors.
  • Only guide dogs are allowed. Photos are allowed everywhere except inside Santa’s Log Cabin, which has its own photographer.

Tulleys does not show prices on its website; they appear on the booking site when you choose a date. The farm is on Turners Hill Road, Turners Hill, RH10 4PD, on the far side of Crawley from Horsham, and it takes group bookings on 01342 718472 (Tulleys FAQs).

Amberley Christmas Adventure

Amberley Museum, south of Pulborough, puts on a Christmas train to Santa’s Parlour: families ride the museum’s narrow-gauge railway to meet Father and Mrs Christmas, hear a story written for Amberley, and each child receives a gift and can have a photograph taken with Father Christmas. Afterwards there is a trail back through the museum with a telegram to send to Father Christmas, a decoration to make in the Pottery (charged) and a Christmas print in the Print Shop (Amberley Museum).

  • Dates: Saturdays and Sundays 5 and 6, 12 and 13, and 19 and 20 December, plus Wednesday 9 and Wednesday 16 December.
  • Price: the Christmas Adventure is £10 for each child, an add-on to standard admission. Book admission for everyone in the party, and Christmas Adventure tickets for the children.
  • Times: trains leave every half hour from 10.30am to 3pm, except at lunchtime. Arrive at least 15 minutes before your train. The museum’s winter hours are 10am to 4pm.
  • Book early: the museum says spaces in the Parlour are limited and these days often sell out, members’ tickets included.
  • Practical: dogs on short leads are welcome on site, but dogs and pushchairs stay outside Santa’s Parlour.

The museum is at New Barn Road, Amberley, BN18 9LT, next to Amberley station, which is on the line from Horsham through Christ’s Hospital, Billingshurst and Pulborough.

In Horsham: the Capitol Studio

The Capitol’s main panto, Dick Whittington, has no Father Christmas, but its studio show for small children does. ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas is a 45-minute show from Half Cut Theatre, inspired by A Visit From St Nicholas, about the mice of a house getting ready for Christmas Eve. It is for ages 2 and up, and every child gets a free gift from Santa. It runs from Tuesday 1 to Thursday 31 December, mostly at 10.30am and 1.30pm, with four shows on Christmas Eve. Tickets start at £17, a family ticket for four is £60, and there is a relaxed performance on Saturday 19 December at 1.30pm (The Capitol). The full panto line-up is on our Horsham panto page.

Santa at the village Christmas fairs

Horsham District Council’s 2026 list of Christmas markets and events names Father Christmas or a grotto at five village events. The council’s descriptions do not give grotto prices or say whether booking is needed, so expect to queue on the day (Horsham District Council, Christmas markets and events).

Date Event Where Times
Sat 28 Nov Southwater Christmas Festival, Santa’s grotto Lintot Square, RH13 9LA From 12pm
Wed 2 Dec Steyning Late Night Shopping, Father Christmas High Street and Cobblestone Walk 4pm to 8pm
Thu 3 Dec Storrington Christmas Festive Evening, Santa at the library Storrington Library, around The Square 5pm to 8pm
Fri 4 Dec Pulborough Christmas Market, Santa’s grotto Pulborough Village Hall, Swan View, RH20 2BF 5pm to 8pm
Sat 5 Dec Billingshurst Annual Christmas Fayre, Santa’s grotto Community and Conference Centre, Roman Way, RH14 9QW 10am to 3pm

Each is a bigger Christmas event with stalls around it: Southwater has about 40 market stalls, a disco, a brass band and choirs; Steyning has a funfair and the Christmas Tractor Convoy between 7.30pm and 7.45pm; Storrington has a lantern parade and its tree lights switch-on; Pulborough has live music and mulled wine; Billingshurst has about 50 stalls and carol singing. All the dates are on our Horsham Christmas markets page.

Still to be announced

  • Festive Fishers, Fishers Farm Park, Wisborough Green. The park’s Christmas page promises “an extra special enchanting Christmas grotto, Santa’s elves, the REAL Father Christmas”, but on 29 October it still said “2026 Bookings coming soon”, with no dates or prices (Fishers Farm Park). We will add them here when they appear.
  • Hillier Garden Centre, Horsham. Hillier’s 2026 Christmas events page lists wreath workshops and shopping evenings but no grotto. Its Breakfast with Santa runs only at six centres, Aldermaston, Botley, Eastbourne, Newbury, Three Legged Cross and Weyhill, so not at Horsham (Hillier, Breakfast with Santa; Hillier Christmas events).
  • The Christmas Launch Party, Friday 20 November. The town centre evening runs 4pm to 8pm, and Your Horsham, which organises it, told us on 12 November that it includes “Father Christmas appearances”, though not where or when. It is free, with a living snow globe in Market Square and a silent disco in the Bishopric. More on our Christmas lights switch-on page.

Getting there

Tulleys is reached by road, on the far side of Crawley. For Amberley, the train is the easy option: the station is beside the museum. For the Capitol, the nearest car parks are in the town centre; our Horsham parking page has every car park’s rates, and our roadworks and travel page covers closures and rail engineering work before you set off.

FAQs

Where can I see Father Christmas near Horsham in 2026?

Tulleys Farm at Turners Hill (weekends from 21 November, then daily 19 to 24 December) and Amberley Museum (eight days from 5 December, £10 a child plus admission) both have dates on sale. Closer to home, Southwater (28 November), Steyning, Storrington, Pulborough and Billingshurst (2 to 5 December) have Santa at their Christmas fairs. Fishers Farm Park has not published its 2026 dates yet.

Is there a Santa’s grotto at Fishers Farm Park this year?

Festive Fishers is coming back, but on 29 October the park still said “2026 bookings coming soon”, with no dates or prices.

Does Hillier Horsham have a Santa’s grotto?

Hillier lists no grotto for 2026, and Horsham is not one of the six Hillier centres running Breakfast with Santa.

How much is the Amberley Christmas train?

£10 for each child, on top of standard museum admission for everyone in the party.

Sources

Checked against each organiser’s own page on 25 October 2026; village grottos added from the council’s list on 29 October 2026.