The lights go on at 6pm on Saturday 14 November at The Skittles, Market Gate, not Golden Square. Elf screens outdoors on the Friday and Winter Wonderland opens at Time Square.

Warrington’s Christmas lights will be switched on at 6pm on Saturday 14 November. The event moves this year from Golden Square to The Skittles at Market Gate.

Warrington BID announced the date on Wednesday. It is the centre of a three-day weekend that launches Warrington Unwrapped, the town centre’s Christmas programme for November and December. (Warrington BID, 28 October 2026)

What is on that weekend

  • Friday 13 November: an outdoor screening of Elf at The Skittles, Market Gate. The BID suggests bringing camping chairs and blankets.
  • Friday 13 November to Thursday 24 December: Winter Wonderland at Time Square, with fairground rides and festive characters.
  • Saturday 14 November: live performances and activities at Market Gate from 11am, the main switch-on show at 5pm, and the lights on at 6pm.
  • Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November: Christmas Artisan Markets on Bridge Street, Dolmans Lane and Buttermarket Street, 11am to 7pm on Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday.

The markets are organised by Independent Street with the BID. The BID has not yet said who will switch the lights on, or what time the film starts.

Later in the season, Golden Square opens a new outdoor ice rink in Old Market Place on Friday 27 November. A Whoville grotto with the Grinch and Cindy-Lou follows from Saturday 28 November. The BID’s listings run the rink to 3 January. (We Are Warrington: Christmas in Warrington)

Last year’s switch-on, on 15 November 2025, was the first in Warrington since 2019.

“Christmas is such an important time for our town centre businesses,” said Andrea Morley, Warrington BID’s project manager. “We hope Warrington Unwrapped gives people even more reasons to spend time in the town centre this Christmas.”

What it means for you

  • Put Saturday 14 November in the diary, and head for Market Gate rather than Golden Square.
  • Parking changes before the weekend. New council car park charges start on 9 November, and Time Square is no longer free on Sundays. Our parking charges story has the new prices, and parking in Warrington lists the car parks.
  • Everything in one place: our switch-on page has the full timetable, and we will add the line-up when it is published. For skating prices and booking, see the Warrington ice rink page.