The first parade begins at 11:30am, but if you’d like to make a morning of it, our stores open from 10am, with some restaurants opening even earlier. We recommend arriving a little before the parade starts to find a good viewing spot, but there’s no need to come too early – little ones may get restless waiting. If you happen to miss the 11:30am parade, don’t worry – there’ll be another chance to catch the magic at 2:30pm!

Each parade and show will last around 45 minutes. Some of the characters will make their way around the upper level of The Orient before heading down to the Main Stage on the lower level for a showstopping festive finale.

As our gift to you, our Christmas Parade is completely FREE!

A host of family favourite characters will join a cast of festive dancers and singers in a magical extravaganza to kickstart the Christmas season – including an appearance from Santa himself! Please note, a few characters may need to rest their paws and won’t appear along the full parade route. Children’s characters include:

• Bluey and Bingo
• Hey Duggee
• Paddington™
• The Gruffalo
• The Grinch
• Stick Man
• Sonic the Hedgehog™
• Cam the Cat from Squishmallows
• Supertato
• Teletubbies
• Ginger from Vegesaurs
• Bo and Mojo from Mojo Swoptops
• Cheer Bear from Care Bears
• Lady Bug and Cat Noir from Miraculous
• Tatty Teddy
• Bully from Bullseye
• Elfie and Elvie from Elves Behaving Badly
• Little Miss Sunshine and
• Numberblock One
• Mr Bump/Mr Strong
• Pudsey

We’ve compiled a handy gift guide on our website showing which stores you can purchase items from all your favourite characters – stores include Selfridges, John Lewis and NEXT.

Unfortunately, we’re not able to reserve seats or spaces. We recommend arriving a little early to find a good viewing spot – but there is no best spot to watch the parade from. The parade travels along both the upper and lower levels of The Orient and finishes with a spectacular finale on the main stage – so there’s plenty of opportunity to catch the magic wherever you are!

All areas on the lower level are accessible. A dedicated viewing area will be available for guests who use wheelchairs or have mobility impairments, located at the back of The Orient (next to Batch’d / Plant Boost).

This area will be clearly signposted on the day, and our friendly team will be happy to guide you there. As space is limited and may get busy, we may need to allow one accompanying adult or carer per guest.

Our Christmas Parades will feature lively performances, loud music, flashing lights and pyros, which may feel overwhelming for some children – including those with sensory sensitivities or who are neurodivergent. Please use your discretion when deciding if this event will be comfortable for your child.

If you’d prefer a calmer festive experience, we also offer a range of other magical Christmas activities to enjoy — including Whispering Winter sessions at The Grotto, ice skating, and our family fairground.