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View list of services affectedChristmas Lights Switch-on and Tin Hat Fair
About the event
This year's Christmas festivities will come to light in Hinckley on Friday 20 November with the cheerful start of 2026's Christmas Lights Switch-on festival. Celebrations will feature live entertainment, food and market stalls, late night shopping, a large fair and much more, all packed into this festive evening. The Tin Hat Fair will continue on Saturday 21 November.
The festival will kick off on Friday 20 November at 4pm, with live musical performances on stage in the marketplace and Argents Mead's bandstand. The switch-on of the town lights takes place at 6:30pm. Lights in the Mead will also be back, with all lights on from 6.30pm from November 20 and each evening until January 6 2027.
At this children-friendly opening, younger ones are encouraged to get creative at the free children's crafts workshop in the United Reformed Church, which runs from 4:30pm to 7:30pm. The Tin Hat Fair is going to be back in town for this year's celebrations and will be open on Friday between 4pm and 10pm, and on Saturday between 12 noon and 10pm (weather depending).
The Christmas Lights Switch-on is accompanied by a bustling market which runs the entire length of Castle Street and this year will open up into Church Walk car park. The market is made up of Friday's market stall holders who have opted to stay on for the evening, a variety of arts and craft stalls and charity stalls raising funds for their chosen charity. Church Walk car park will again be transformed in to a food and drink hub where you can purchase all your favourite festive treats. At the top of Castle Street, Santa can be found in his grotto. To visit the grotto and receive a present from Santa, it is £5 per child (cash only) and all profits raised will go to Against Breast Cancer.
The Atkins Building will also be hosting their own Christmas Fair on Saturday 22 November from 10am to 4pm.
All relevant road closure information will be detailed on this website, as well as on One Network (one.network)
Lights in the Mead
Thousands of twinkling fairy lights in hues of green, blue and pink will create a trail of lights around the trees, pathways and bandstand in Argents Mead, Hinckley from Friday 20 November 2026 until Tuesday 6 January 2027. The 'Lights in the Mead' will be turned on in zones on the night of Hinckley's Christmas Light Switch-On from 5pm on Friday 20 November 2026, with all the lights being on in the Mead from 6:30pm until late that evening. 'Lights in the Mead' will then be on daily, every evening thereafter (Saturday 21 November 2026) until Tuesday 6 January 2027, alongside the town centre's Christmas lights and Christmas tree in the market place.
Entertainment on the live stage
There will be entertainment on the live stage in Hinckley Marketplace with Fosse 107 from 4pm to 7pm on Friday, along with further music at Argents Mead's bandstand until 7.30pm.
Check our social media platforms nearer the time for the full line-up:
Late night opening
Many of the shops in the town centre will stay open until 8pm for the Christmas Lights Switch-on. A list of shops that will stay open will be published here nearer the time. Please contact us using our Town Centre contact form to be added to this list.
Apply for a stall
Applications for stall holders will be open from mid-September, the deadline for applications will be Friday 9th October 2026.
Last updated: 19/08/2026 09:45
