Christmas gift ideas and places to eat on the Plymouth Barbican

Fall in love with the Barbican this Christmas.

Christmas is in the air and the Barbican is filled with Festive cheer this December. Local trades pulled out all the stops to enrich their busy shop windows with beautiful lights and decorations, the smell of mulled wine and gingerbread is in the air making your hunt for those perfect Christmas gifts a rather pleasant one.

Barbican Christmas Lights Switch-on – Saturday 19th November 2022

Join us for Christmas on the Plymouth Barbican – 2022

This Christmas join the independent traders across the Plymouth Barbican and Sutton Harbour to celebrate Christmas in style! We have a huge line up of events to enjoy along with local businesses tempting you with a host of offers and gift ideas to make your Christmas an enjoyable one!

When it comes to Christmas be sure to visit the Plymouth Barbican!

The Plymouth Barbican is filled with Shops staffed by friendly traders who are more than happy to help. Not sure what to buy the parents? Run out of ideas what to buy your partner? How about something unique?! With a huge wide range of Shops to choose from a brisk walk around the historic Barbican harbour will give you plenty of ideas to choose from.

After picking up a few items don’t forget there are also plenty of places to put your feet up for a coffee or a bite to eat. Check out our extensive range of Cafes, Restaurants and Take Away options.

Or alternatively after a successful shopping trip why not pop into one of the Pubs / Bars along the Plymouth Barbican Waterfront and celebrate with a cool drink and check out the local vibrate night life.

Yes, you could go online, you could pop into a major retailer and grab what everyone is grabbing or you can take a stroll on the Plymouth Barbican. Pick up a few items from a local Plymouth trader and follow this with a rest up in a Cafe / Restaurant / Pub before heading home…

Give it a try. You’ll be surprised what you may find!

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SWITCH-ON 2022
Saturday 19th November 2022

The wonderful Christmas lights switch-on, brought to you by the Plymouth Waterfront Partnership and sponsored by PL1 Events Limited. It will be an afternoon of festive family fun with free activities, rides and entertainment from 12pm to 6pm.

Children can visit Santa in his grotto from 12pm to 4.30pm, after he arrives from across the water on the RNLI boat, following his waterfront tour, playing Christmas music from 4pm on the RNLI boat. Families can soak up the festive joy of the amazing local choirs and dance groups as they perform on The Parade and Southside Street throughout the afternoon.

There will be Christmas themed street performers and stilt walkers, including a very cute baby reindeer and the mischievous Grinch! Children can enjoy the Christmas Fairy’s storytelling with hot chocolate at The Maritime Inn at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm, plus free face painting and rides to have a go on too, including the snow globe and rodeo reindeer. There will be a selection of stalls on The Parade selling some delicious festive refreshments and gifts.

Look out for festive bus on Southside Street (by The Navy), which will be hosting the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Santa and the nominated community hero, who will be switching on the awesome sparkly Christmas lights, at approximately 5.30pm.

Santa will then take a trip on the festive bus around the waterfront, spreading his Christmas cheer.

Please note there will be road closures in place on The Parade and Basket Ope from 10am to 7pm and Southside Street from 11am to 7pm on Saturday 19 November.

Plymouth Waterfront Partnership would like to thank its sponsors and partners, PL1 Events, Plymouth Citybus, The Maritime Inn and the Plymouth RNLI.

#ChristmasInPlymouth

And don’t forget to visit the wonderful selection of shops and galleries, with friendly Barbican traders helping you to find that perfect Christmas gift, or maybe some tasty festive treats!

The Barbican Light Switch on is an annual event organised by the Plymouth Waterfront Partnership on behalf of Waterfront businesses.

Santa Waterfront Bus Tour – New for 2022

Give Santa a wave as he travels on the bus following the Barbican & Sutton Harbour Light Switch on Saturday 19th November.

Santa will be starting his travels on Southside Street, departing at approximately 6pm and finishing finish on The Parade at approximately 6.30pm.