Christmas Markets in West Sussex 2026

In 2026 Christmas at the Horsham Market opens its season with a launch party at the Forum on Friday 20 November, from 4pm to 9pm. The Christmas Market at Weald & Downland Living Museum and the South of England Winter Fair are both on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November. Horsham's Christmas market days then run from Sunday 6 December to Saturday 26 December, on top of its usual Thursday, Friday and Saturday market: the extra days are Sundays 6, 13 and 20 December, Monday 21 to Wednesday 23 December, Christmas Eve on Thursday 24 December and a Boxing Day market on Saturday 26 December. There is no market on Friday 25 December or Thursday 31 December. Each market's card shows the dates.

Not at every one. Weald & Downland Living Museum asks for no dogs to be brought to its Christmas Market, and only assistance dogs are admitted. The South of England Winter Fair allows dogs but does not recommend bringing them, because there are a large number of indoor areas where dogs are not permitted. Christmas at the Horsham Market has published no dog rule.

For two of them, yes. The Christmas Market at Weald & Downland Living Museum is a ticketed event, and the museum says advance booking is essential. The South of England Winter Fair sells tickets, cheaper in advance, and children under 16 go in free with a paying adult; society members go in free, tickets are limited, the fair has sold out in previous years, and any left are sold at the gates. Christmas at the Horsham Market has published no entry price.

Weald & Downland runs a free, frequent park-and-ride from Goodwood Racecourse throughout the day, and has limited accessible parking at the museum for Blue Badge holders only. Parking at the South of England Winter Fair is free and mostly on paved roads, though when the showground is busy some parking can be on grass, which may be uneven or wet. In Horsham, Piries Place car park, the closest to the Carfax, has 516 spaces and is open 24 hours, the Forum car park has 472 spaces, and Swan Walk has 900. The Park and Ride at Hop Oast is also available for Horsham.

For some, yes. Horsham station, on North Street, is about a ten-minute walk from the Carfax, and buses stop in the town centre and at the bus station by the Forum, a couple of minutes from the Carfax. The Park and Ride at Hop Oast is served daily by buses 23 and 98 into the town centre, and one day ticket covers up to five people. For Weald & Downland, the Route 60 bus brings visitors to the pedestrian entrance, with a ticket bought in advance. A bus stop on the 272 Metrobus route is close to the main entrance of the South of England Showground, and there is no shuttle bus from the nearest station for the Winter Fair.

The Christmas Market at Weald & Downland Living Museum is open from 10am to 4pm on both days. The South of England Winter Fair is open from 9am to 5pm on Saturday 21 November and from 9am to 4pm on Sunday 22 November. In Horsham the market runs from 9am to 4pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday through the Christmas season.

It varies from market to market. For the Weald & Downland market the museum gives limited Blue Badge parking and a pedestrian entrance; its paths are mainly gravel, chippings or natural rural surfaces, some routes are uneven and courtyards may have cobbles, a flat resin-surfaced path gives step-free access from the parking area to the Visitor Centre, and an accessible toilet is in the café building. At the South of England Winter Fair, Blue Badge parking is near the entrances, accessible toilets are in the toilet blocks and the Queen's Jubilee Hall, and all buildings have ramp access, though the floor of the Festive Barn is sand. In Horsham, the three nearest car parks have disabled bays, Horsham station has step-free access to every platform with lifts, and the toilets at the Forum, Horsham Museum, Swan Walk and Piries Place are step-free, with a Changing Places room at Piries Place.