Christmas Carols and Festive Events on the Central Coast, Sydney and the Hunter

Mince pies are in the supermarket, Christmas decorations are adorning shop fronts and fir trees will soon dominate lounge rooms across the Central Coast.

If you love the merriment of the silly season, Playing in Puddles has you covered with festivities across the Central Coast, Sydney and the Hunter Valley.

This year, thanks to our Christmas feature sponsors, Mortgage Choice Central Coast – Nicole Wickham & Alisha Spanidis, we’ve been able to round up an even bigger mix of festive fun for you. From community carols and Christmas markets to Santa meets and nativity performances, there are so many ways to get your jingle on.

Central Coast Christmas Markets and Festive Events

Central Coast Road to Bethlehem, Erina

The Road to Bethlehem pageant is a drama tour portraying the story of the first Christmas. You'll see winged angels, the Three Wise Men bearing gifts, and Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in the stable. It's a really special way to share the true meaning of Christmas with your kids and to remind us all why we celebrate this day. 

The tour starts inside the Jerusalem Market where you'll find a haven of entertainment including artisan market stalls, live music, a petting zoo, kids' Christmas craft activities, camel rides, a woodwork tent, face painting, and more!

There'll be a huge range of food options at family-friendly prices including burgers, Indian curries, Mexican bowls, hot chips, cookies, donuts, and more. You can visit for the tour, you can visit for the markets, or you can do both!

When: Monday 15, Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 December 2025. The gates open from 6.15pm each night. The drama tour sessions leave every 10 minutes from 6.20pm and you need to register for a (free) ticket to attend these. Be sure to arrive early to pick up your tickets and enjoy the food, entertainment, markets, and children’s activities while you wait for your tour!
Location: Central Coast Adventist School, enter via Karalta Lane, Erina.
Tip: Parking available at Harvey Norman. Parking is also available in the surrounding streets, but not on the school grounds. 
Free entry: Donation buckets at entry.

Tickets: Online bookings for the performance will be available from 1 December 2025 or you can get tickets at the gate (be mindful these are limited to 800/night). To book online, visit the Road to Bethlehem website. Tickets are required for anyone over 2 years of age to go on the drama tour.

Tinsel Time in Toukley

Kick off the festive fun with Tinsel Time in Toukley, a joyful community event that brings The Village Green to life on Friday 5 December. Expect live entertainment (hello Reptiles on the Go!), festive markets, food trucks, a Santa meet-and-greet and the magical lighting of the Christmas tree. It’s free, family-friendly and guaranteed to get you in the holiday spirit.

Where: The Village Green (Cnr Canton Beach Rd & Ron Alt Ln), Toukley.
When: Friday 5 December.
Free entry
Learn more here

Central Coast Christmas Fair, Gosford

The Coast's BIGGEST Christmas event is back! After a year of absence, It's back and promising all the usual festivities, excitement, and merriment, symbolic of the countdown to Christmas.

The Central Coast Christmas Fair is back at Gosford Showground and is happening on Saturday 29 Nobember so that you can get Christmas-ready nice and early.

Families heading to the popular event will enjoy a fun-filled day of Christmas shopping with the opportunity to peruse more than 100 high-quality market stalls selling everything from candles and Christmas decorations to hand-crafted jewellery and kids' clothes.

There's plenty for those simply looking for a day of outdoor fun too, with live music and a whole heap of eating options from international vendors. The FREE kids' entertainment area is also a winning pull - with crafts, games and activities. You'll also find inflatable games and amusements, PLUS, Santa will be making an appearance too!

When: Saturday 29 November 2025, 9am-3pm.
Location: Gosford Showground, Showground Rd, Gosford.
Gold coin entry!

Christmas activations supported by Central Coast Council

Christmas on the Central Coast feels extra magical this year, with a brilliant line-up of community celebrations supported by Central Coast Council and Love Central Coast. From Carols in the Park and the Wyong Community Carols (see details below) to hands-on festive craft sessions, you can get your jingle on for free at a heap of festive events across the Coast.

If your kids love getting hands-on, Christmas Craft on the Village Green at Toukley (various dates throughout December) is a beautiful way to slow down and really soak in the season. Little makers can create wooden decorations, baubles, cards and keepsakes – all materials provided, just bring the imagination.

Across the Coast, you’ll also find free DIY Santa photos at the Toukley Gallery Container, a Christmas Window Trail through our town centres, and giant Christmas decorations in Gosford, The Entrance and Toukley.

When: Multiple dates - see website.
Where: Across the Central Coast.
Free
Learn more here

Avoca Beachside Twilight Markets

One of the Coast’s most-loved festive traditions is back! The Avoca Beachside Markets – Twilight Edition returns for one magical night only, transforming the Avoca Lagoon waterfront into a sparkling Christmas market under the stars. Now in its ninth year, this twilight celebration is the perfect place to kick off your outdoor Christmas party with family and friends.

Wander through 120+ bespoke stalls, pick up seasonal gifts, sample international food trucks, and treat the kids (and yourself!) to festive desserts and fresh produce. There’ll be licensed bar areas for the grown-ups (18+), and plenty of grassy spots to sit, snack and soak in the atmosphere.

The music lineup is huge and completely free, with live performances from Joel Leggett, Moody Tigerpants, Ethan Beckton, Pulse, and The Joy Project Choir adding all the summer-vibe energy you need for a perfect December night.

When: Saturday 6 December, 4pm-9pm.
Where: Heazlett Park Foreshore, Avoca.
Free
Learn more here

Central Coast Christmas Carols

Carols in the Stadium, Gosford

There’s a brand-new Christmas celebration lighting up the Coast this year – and it’s shaping up to be pure festive joy for families. Carols in the Stadium will turn Polytech Stadium into a twinkling Christmas arena, complete with live music, magical meet-and-greets and all the cosy, heart-warming moments we love at this time of year.

Kids will be thrilled to spot Santa, Rudolph, Olaf, elves, reindeer – and even camels – roaming the stadium! Add glow sticks , face painting, games, food trucks, festive stalls and giveaways and you’ve got the makings of a very sparkly December night.

Families can choose to sit up in the stands or spread out on the grass – whatever suits your crew. There’s also a dedicated sensory zone, offering a quieter, more comfortable space for anyone who needs it.

On stage, you’ll hear a beautiful mix of live performances, including a special set from Bella Taylor Smith, winner of The Voice Australia, along with carols from local school and community choirs. From Silent Night to Joy to the World, the whole stadium will be singing under the stars.

As the night winds down, a candlelit finale will wrap everything up with that goosebump-y, magical Christmas feeling.

It’s warm, it’s joyful, it’s community at its best – and a gorgeous new addition to the Coast’s Christmas calendar. Tickets are on sale now.

When: Saturday 20 December, 5.30pm-9pm (gates open at 4.30pm).
Where: Polytech Stadium, 14 Dane Dr, Gosford.
Tickets: Family ticket – admits 6 (2 Adults and 4 Juniors) $25 | Single tickets: $10 | Companion Card Holders free.
Brought to you by Churches of the Central Coast.
Learn more and get tickets here

Carols in the Park, The Entrance

For the ultimate Christmas Eve magic, don’t miss Carols in the Park at Memorial Park, The Entrance. This much-loved event returns on Wednesday 24 December with live performances backed by The House Band, food trucks, markets, kids’ activities, roving entertainment, a Santa visit and a spectacular fireworks finale. It’s everything we love about Christmas wrapped into one sparkling night.

When: Wednesday 24 December, 6pm-9pm.
Where: Memorial Park, The Entrance.
Free
Learn more here

Wyong Community Carols

The Wyong Community Carols will bring families together for an evening of sing-alongs, food stalls, community fun and a fireworks finale at 9pm.

When: 14 December, 5pm-9pm.
Where: Wyong High School, 53 Alison Rd, Wyong.  
Free
Learn more here

Pearl Beach Twilight Carols, Pearl Beach

Families, friends and locals are invited to the Pearl Beach Twilight Carols for a singalong with the Pearl Beach Singers and to meet Santa! The event is being put on by The Pearl Beach Progress Association. Bring a picnic and enjoy the evening.

Food and drinks also available to purchase.

When: Tuesday 23rd December 2025 5:30pm-7.30pm. Santa will arrive at 6.30pm.
Where: Pearl Beach Arboretum, 71 Crystal Ave, Pearl Beach (access via Tourmaline & Tennis Courts).
Free
Learn more here  

Terrigal CI Church Christmas Carols

It’s on again, the annual Terrigal CIC Christmas Carols! Join an evening of carols under the stars in celebration of the birth of Jesus .

All are welcome and all activities and refreshments are provided free of charge as their Christmas gift to the local community.

When: November 30, 2025. 7pm.
Where: Terrigal Christian Israelite Church
Free
Learn more here

Christmas events in the Hunter Valley – well worth a visit

Christmas Lights Spectacular, Hunter Valley Gardens

If you’re looking for a truly magical way to celebrate Christmas, get tickets to the Hunter Valley Gardens’ Christmas Lights Spectacular! This event is pure festive wonder – and it’s become a must-do tradition for our Playing in Puddles family.

There are over 4.5 million lights – the largest display in the southern hemisphere – creating a spellbinding sight. But it’s not just the scale that wows: it’s the craftsmanship and storytelling woven through every display that makes it unforgettable. You can walk through a twinkling gingerbread house surrounded by giant liquorice allsorts, lollypops and jelly beans; sit on Santa's reindeer-led; and dance to your favourite carols with beat-synchronised Christmas trees.

The lights are the pièce de résistance, but this is a full-blown Christmas festival, so there's far more too! Take a spin on the Ferris wheel or carousel, whoosh down the giant slide, watch the Nutcracker Story Time Experience stage show, sing carols along with a live four-piece band and soak up the festive cheer.

This year, they've extended the glow even further, with lights being erected in the Italian Grotto Garden for the first time. There’s also a range of dazzling new sculptures – from glowing poinsettias and mistletoe to garden elves, a festive HVG Day Test Match scene and a towering Christmas tree.

This event is so special. The size and scope and beauty of it can really only be appreciated once you've experienced it. We highly recommend you add a visit to your Christmas list. 

Playing in Puddles visited! Check out our review here.

When: Friday 7 November 2025 – Monday 26 January 2026 (closed 25 December 2025). Gardens open daily 9am-4.30pm; lights open 5.30pm-10.30pm (last entry 9.30pm). Rides are open 6pm-10pm.
Location: The Hunter Valley Gardens, 2090 Broke Road, Pokolbin.
Tickets and more info: Click here.
Price: Christmas Lights Spectacular Entry Adult $41 | Child (4-15 yrs) $31 | Children 3 and under Free | Companion Card holders free | Family Pass (1 Adult + 2 Children) $96 | Family Pass (2 Adults + 1 Child) $102 | Family Pass (2 Adults + 2 Children) $126 | Rides can be purchased at the venue for $6/ride or $30 for 6 rides.
Accommodation + Christmas Light Spectacular Entry Packages You can easily attend the Christmas Lights Spectacular from the Central Coast without the need for accommodation, but it also makes for a super lovely excuse for a night away. You can get accommodation/entry packages at Mercure Hunter Valley and Harrigan's Hunter Valley.

Christmas events and Christmas lights in Sydney – well worth a visit

Sydney City's Christmas Lights and Festivities

In the weeks before Christmas, a wander through Sydney's CBD is a beautiful way to celebrate the festive season. We recommend you spend a night touring the city's lights.

Here's a walking tour we've created so you can see Sydney City's main Christmas Light sites:

1) Start at Town Hall. Get to the street level and see the Woolworths building projections.
2) Cross over to the QVB and walk through the QVB to see their HUGE Christmas Tree.
3) Walk up George Street to The Strand Arcade – walk through the arcade to Pitt Street Mall.
4) Walk down Pitt Street Mall to Myer and visit Santaland Myer for a spin on their Christmas train and visit with Saint Nick.
5) Walk up Market Street to David Jones – look at their Christmas windows and do a walk through the ground level to see their performances and pianist. A visit to their incredible toy section on level 9 is also a treat: take a selfie with their life-sized LEGO Mickey, sit beside Winnie The Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood or take a virtual flight around the galaxy in the Millennium Falcon cockpit.
6) Cut through Hyde Park to St Mary's Cathedral to watch the projections.
7) Walk up Elizabeth Street to Martin Place to view the Christmas Tree.

QVB Christmas Tree and Woolworths Building LED Light show

We recommend you walk through the QVB building to witness their stunning Christmas decorations and central Christmas Tree. Stop near Queen Victoria's statue to watch the Woolworths building across from Sydney Town Hall get draped in an LED light show.

Lights in Pitt Street Mall, Sydney

Pitt Street Mall is being transformed into a canopy of suspended lights, featuring 80,000 LEDs and ten stunning two-metre-high stars.

Dates: Every day - 6pm to 11.55pm. Friday 28 November to Friday 2 January 2026.

Other merriment across the Sydney CBD

Christmas trees will be erected at Barangaroo, Sydney Town Hall, Customs House Square (31 Alfred St, Sydney) and St Mary’s Cathedral Forecourt.

Christmas at the Cathedral, St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney

We're very excited to share that the St Mary's Cathedral Christmas projections are back in 2025! Held each evening in the days leading up to Christmas, a visit here is a very cherished annual tradition for many families. This year there will be food stalls, Christmas gift stalls and live Christmas performances every night on the Cathedral steps.

Pack a picnic or enjoy crepes, pizza from Rosso Pepe, popcorn, churros and more.

Dates: 17-25 December 2025. 5:30pm till 10:30pm every night. Light show starts at 8.30pm.

Martin Place Christmas tree and fairy lights

The Martin Place Christmas Tree takes the prize for being the tallest Christmas tree in New South Wales and it's quite the sight to behold. Its 800 branches are decorated in more than 110,000 LED lights, a 3.4-metre colour-changing star, 330 specially created glossy baubles and 15000 flowers! There are nine Australian flowers featured – banksia, waratah, bottlebrush, wattle, eucalyptus gum flower, kangaroo paw, flannel flower, pink wax flower and white wax flower: see if you can spy them all.

As well as the tree, there are 8000 icicle fairy lights and 6 large stars spanning Martin Place.

Dates: Thursday 27 November 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026. Decorative light show every 15 minutes from 8pm to 11.55pm.

The Strand Arcade's Christmas Decorations

The Strand Arcade is a stunning shopping precinct to walk through any day of the year, but it reaches next-level grandeur at Christmas. This year they've adorned the arcade in a specially commissioned installation of native flowers. The beautiful, oversized, eucalyptus branches and blossoms float from the ornate ceiling and are illuminated in 3500 twinkling lights. The striking centrepieces is accompanied by 27,500 individual lights that will adorn the installations themselves and the ornate balustrades.  

Where: The Strand Arcade, 412-414 George St, Sydney.

Dates: Live throughout November and December 2025.

Martin Place Christmas Markets

Experience global food, live music, visits from Santa, and market stalls that sell everything from fashion and Christmas goods to candles and jewellery.

Dates: 28th, 29th, 30th November. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20 December. 11am-9.30pm.

Choirs in the City, Martin Place and Customs House

Enjoy live choirs singing Christmas carols such as "Jingle Bells", "Silent Night", "Good King Wenceslas" and more under the Martin Place Christmas Tree and Customs House Christmas Tree in December (6pm to 8pm).

Martin Place Choir schedule:

• Monday 1 December – NCE Choir
• Tuesday 2 December – Himig Sandiwa
• Wednesday 3 December – Coastal a Capella
• Thursday 4 December – Da Vinci Singers
• Friday 5 December – Australian Girls Choir
• Saturday 6 December – Soulfood a Cappella
• Sunday 7 December – Aurora Australis
• Monday 8 December – Sydney Street Choir
• Tuesday 9 December – Sydney Harmony
• Wednesday 10 December – Sydney Sakura Choir
• Thursday 11 December – Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir
• Friday 12 December – Circular Keys
• Saturday 13 December – Northern Beaches Chorus
• Sunday 14 December – Adult Glee Club
• Monday 15 December – Australian Girls Choir
• Tuesday 16 December – With One Voice
• Wednesday 17 December – Café of the Gate of Salvation
• Thursday 18 December – Soulfood a Capella
• Friday 19 December – Jingle Belles
• Saturday 20 December – Northern Beaches Chorus
• Sunday 21 December – Australian Girls Choir
• Friday 22 to 24 December – Salvation Army

Customs House choir schedule:

• Tuesday 16 December – Alouette
• Wednesday 17 December – Sydney Sakura Choir
• Thursday 18 December – Leichhardt Espresso Chorus
• Friday 19 December – Endeavour Harmony Chorus
• Saturday 20 December – Circular Keys
• Sunday 21 December – Sydney Harmony
• Monday 22 December – Sea Naturals Choir
• Tuesday 23 December – Circular Keys
• Wednesday 24 December – Sydney Sakura Choir

Central Coast Christmas events not running in 2025

Sadly, Mingara’s Christmas Under the Stars will not be going ahead this year.
Sarah Ferman General Manager Mingara Recreation Club, said, "As part of the club’s ongoing process to renew its lease for the management and operation of the Mingara Regional Athletics Centre, we recently learned that hosting an event the size of Christmas Under the Stars would exceed the allowable capacity of the facility. With this new information, it’s important that we comply with all regulations and operating requirements...

We understand how much this event means to our team and to families across the Coast. It has been a cherished tradition that brings us all together to celebrate the magic of Christmas, and we share in your disappointment."

WIN a $500 Westfield Gift Card!

Want to win a $500 Westfield Gift Card! Of course you do!

Buying a tree, juggling presents, planning holidays – December can send any family budget spinning. That’s where Nicole Wickham and Alisha Spanidis from Mortgage Choice Central Coast come in. This team of local mums understands real life (and real Christmas chaos), and they bring decades of finance experience to helping Central Coast families find practical, stress-free financial solutions that actually fit.

Chat to the team today and get your budget back on track.

And because they’re all about making Christmas a little easier, we’ve teamed up with Mortgage Choice Central Coast – Nicole Wickham & Alisha Spanidis to give one lucky reader a $500 Westfield Gift Card!

To enter, simply subscribe to our free newsletter by popping your details in below*. Already subscribed? Just add your details again so we know you want in on this fabulous comp.

*COMPETITION TERMS & CONDITIONS

PRIZE: A $500 Westfield Gift Card.
COMPETITION OPENS: 11am 14 November 2025.
COMPETITION CLOSES: Midnight 15 January 2026.

ENTRY TERMS: By entering, we’ll email future issues of Playing in Puddles’ weekly newsletter free to your inbox (you may unsubscribe at any time). Entry email addresses will be shared with Mortgage Choice Central Coast - Nicole Wickham & Alisha Spanidis and you may get future correspondence from them. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Instagram or Facebook. Click here for extended terms.

PRIZE TERMS: This prize is valid for Westfield Gift Cards to the value of $500. The Winner will be notified by email. The Winner has 5 days to reply to redeem their prize. If the winner does not reply in that time, Playing in Puddles reserves the right to choose another winner. The Winner agrees to have their name published as the Winner on Mortgage Choice Central Coast - Nicole Wickham & Alisha Spanidis and Playing in Puddles' social media platforms and websites. Prize is not redeemable for cash and not transferable. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram or Facebook.  Click here.

This Christmas Events feature was created in partnership with Mortgage Choice Central Coast – Nicole Wickham & Alisha Spanidis, proud sponsors of this year’s Playing in Puddles' Christmas guides.

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Written By: KATIE STOKES

Founder & Editor

After working in print and online media for more than a decade, Katie launched Playing in Puddles in 2017. A mum of three young boys and local of the Central Coast, Katie loves discovering and sharing all that’s happening in our region. 

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