Redbridge's Santa's Christmas Workshop runs 19 to 24 December after Elf Jr at Redbridge Drama Centre, £26.50 a child. Switch-ons start on 20 November.

The borough’s own Santa visit this year is Santa’s Christmas Workshop at Redbridge Drama Centre in South Woodford, from 19 to 24 December, and it has changed shape. Last year it was a stand-alone grotto. This year Vision Redbridge sells it as an add-on after its youth theatre’s Christmas musical, Elf Jr: see the show, then meet Santa.

Tickets are already on sale. Everything below is from Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure’s own listings and the council’s Christmas programme, checked on 25 September 2026.

The quick answer

Santa’s Christmas Workshop runs 19 to 24 December at Redbridge Drama Centre, Churchfields, South Woodford, E18 2RB, after performances of Elf Jr. A show ticket with the workshop is £26.50 for a child and £23 for an adult; the show alone is £18, or £16.50 for children and concessions.

Before that, the borough’s Christmas lights switch-ons run from 20 to 27 November, all free, and the Pop-Up Panto plays South Woodford on 28 and 29 November and the Kenneth More Theatre foyer on 12 and 13 December.

Santa’s Christmas Workshop and Elf Jr

The Elf Jr listing describes the Santa add-on as a 45 to 60 minute visit after the show: “Buddy’s Hot Chocolate”, a Christmas craft to take home, a programme signed by the cast, and a meeting with Santa with a gift. It is “available 19-24 December”. Latecomers are not admitted to the show.

Performance Times
Friday 18 December 7pm (show only; the workshop starts on the 19th)
Saturday 19 December 11am, 2.30pm
Sunday 20 December 11am, 2.30pm
Tuesday 22 December 11am, 2.30pm
Wednesday 23 December 11am, 2.30pm
Thursday 24 December 11am
Ticket Price
Child ticket and Santa Workshop £26.50
Adult ticket and Santa Workshop £23.00
Show only, full price £18.00
Show only, child or concession £16.50
Show only, family of four £66.00

The show prices include Vision’s £1.50 theatre maintenance levy. Elf Jr is an amateur production by the Redbridge Creates Youth Theatre Company.

How it compares with last year. In 2025 the workshop was a separate booking on 13, 14 and 20 to 23 December, at £15 a child and £7 an adult, according to the council’s Christmas 2025 programme. This year there is no stand-alone workshop ticket listed, and a child’s visit now comes with a show. If a Santa-only ticket appears, we will add it here.

Other Christmas dates already confirmed

Date What Where Price
Fri 20 Nov to Fri 27 Nov Christmas lights switch-ons, 4pm to 6pm Six locations, below Free
Sat 21 Nov Christmas inIlford: switch-on, market and fireworks Ilford town centre Free
Sat 28 and Sun 29 Nov, 10am to 4pm Foxburrows Barn Market Hainault Forest Free entry
Sat 28 and Sun 29 Nov Pop-Up Panto, Jack and the Beanstalk, 11am, 1pm, 3pm Redbridge Drama Centre See our panto page
Sun 6 Dec, 2.30pm and 6pm Celtic Christmas, carols on traditional instruments Redbridge Drama Centre £19.50
Fri 11 and Sat 12 Dec, 7.30pm The Story of the Nativity Redbridge Drama Centre £14
Sat 12 and Sun 13 Dec Pop-Up Panto, 11am, 1pm, 3pm Kenneth More Theatre foyer See our panto page

The lights switch-on dates, all 4pm to 6pm on Vision’s listing:

  • Friday 20 November: George Green, Wanstead
  • Saturday 21 November: Redbridge Town Hall, Ilford (the big one; full detail on our Ilford Christmas lights page)
  • Sunday 22 November: Valentines Mansion and Gardens
  • Tuesday 24 November: Hainault Library
  • Thursday 26 November: Ken Aston Square, Barkingside
  • Friday 27 November: Seven Kings Library

The panto’s times and prices are on our Ilford pantomime page.

What last year had that 2026 has not announced yet

From the council’s 2025 programme and Vision’s 2025 Christmas page:

  • Letter to Santa at the 1856 Café in Hainault Forest and at Owls Play Centre, Fairlop: £5, with a personalised reply, a gingerbread man and a hot chocolate. It ran from late November to 21 December.
  • Christmas at Valentines Mansion, a free open day with carols, craft stalls and the artists’ open studios, on Sunday 7 December 2025. See our Valentines Mansion winter page.
  • Hainault Forest Christmas Market, free, 29 and 30 November 2025. This year’s Foxburrows Barn Market sits on the same weekend.
  • A Christmas wreath workshop at Valentines Mansion (£65) and library craft sessions.

The council published last year’s programme on 18 November. We expect the rest of this year’s in mid November and will update this page then.

Getting there

Redbridge Drama Centre is on Churchfields, South Woodford, E18 2RB. The weekend of 28 and 29 November has no Elizabeth line through Ilford; see Ilford Christmas trains. Parking in Ilford town centre is on parking in Ilford.

Sources