Cuckfield's Christmas Street Festival is on Friday 4 December 2026 from 5.30pm on the High Street, the parish council says. Stalls, Santa's grotto, late shops.

Cuckfield’s Christmas Street Festival is on Friday 4 December 2026, starting at 5.30pm on Cuckfield High Street. That date and start time come from Cuckfield Parish Council’s own list of 2026 events, which gives “Christmas Street Festival, 4th December, 5.30pm start, Cuckfield High Street”. (Cuckfield Parish Council, Queen’s Hall Events 2026)

The council has not yet put up a 2026 event page with the finishing time, the programme or any road closure. Its online calendar on 7 November ran only to 20 November. This page will be updated when it does.

The quick answer

  • Is it on this year? Yes. The parish council lists it for Friday 4 December 2026.
  • Start: 5.30pm, confirmed.
  • Finish: not yet published. The 2024 and 2025 festivals both ran to 9pm.
  • Where: Cuckfield High Street, confirmed.
  • Cost: no charge has ever been published for entry; the council has not said anything about 2026 prices.
  • What to expect: in 2025 the council promised carol singing, Santa’s grotto, entertainment, a craft fair at the Old School, charity stalls, food and drink stalls and late-night shopping. The 2026 programme is still to come.
  • Road closures: none published yet.
  • Parking: Broad Street car park in the village is a disc car park; see below.

What the last two festivals looked like

The festival is held on the first Friday of December. The parish council’s page for 2025 says it was “held on Friday 5th December from 5.30pm - 9pm. One of the key events in the village calendar, come join us to enjoy carol singing, a Santa’s Grotto, entertainment, a craft fair at the Old School, and stalls run by local charities.” It adds food and drink stalls and “some late night shopping as well with the High Street retailers”. (Cuckfield Parish Council, Christmas Street Festival 2025)

In 2024, on Friday 6 December, the council’s countdown post listed street food, live entertainment, stalls from local businesses, Santa’s grotto, face painting, a children’s fairground ride and a snow machine on the High Street from 5.30pm to 9pm. The Christmas Gift and Craft Market ran at the Old School over the same hours, and Holy Trinity Church held its Christmas Tree Festival that day from 11.30am to 7.30pm. (Cuckfield Parish Council, December 2024)

None of that is confirmed for 2026 yet. Stallholders apply through the parish council.

Road closures

No traffic order for the festival had been published on West Sussex’s notice portal by 7 November. The only Cuckfield High Street order this autumn was for the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on 1 November. Live works across the district are on our Mid Sussex roadworks page.

Parking

Broad Street car park in Cuckfield is run by Mid Sussex District Council as a disc car park, with waiting limits of 2 hours, 4 hours or 23 hours and no return within one hour. Discs cost £1 and are sold where the signs in the car park say; set the disc to your arrival time. (Mid Sussex District Council, parking) It is small, and the High Street itself is where the festival happens, so on the night expect to park further out and walk. Car parks in the other towns are on our Mid Sussex parking page.

Other Christmas dates nearby

  • Burgess Hill Christmas Festival: switch-on Thursday 26 November, chalets to 29 November. See our Burgess Hill page.
  • Haywards Heath Christmas Festival: Saturday 28 November, lights on at 5pm. See our Haywards Heath page.
  • Lindfield Christmas Festival Night: listed by the parish council for Tuesday 8 December, times not yet published.
  • East Grinstead Christmas Market: Sunday 6 December, 11am to 3pm, run by the town council.

Every market in the district is on our Mid Sussex Christmas markets page, and the week by week listings are on What’s On in Mid Sussex.

Sources