It's Christmas in Burgess Hill
Watch this space for 2024!
It’s Christmas! returns for 2023.
Join us in Church Walk, from 11am – 5:30pm, as we bring some festive cheer into the town centre!
There will be lots of amazing local performers onstage, this year. From Sussex Harmonisers, to Burgess Hill Marching Youth, there will be a whole range of exciting music on offer. The winner of Mid Sussex Search for a Star, George Stathakis, will be joining us to showcase his talents! Popular children’s performer, Tomfoolery will open the day with two children’s magic shows at 11am and 12pm.
As you listen, you can enjoy the bustle of our mini-Christmas market, and marvel at our street entertainers. With a whole host of charities, community groups and market stall holders there will be something for everyone.
Back by popular demand, the Imperial Outlanders return for 2023, with their fantastic Star Wars and Marvel cosplay. For those with SEND, quiet meet and greets are available (please call 01444 247726 and speak to a member of the Help Point team to book). The Flying Buttresses return for a second year, debuting their brand-new act ‘Present Company’, these animatronic puppet stockings are sure to wow you! As if that wasn’t enough, Dickensian Christmas Ding Dong will also be in attendance with their fabulous musical walkabout act!
Take a picture to memorialise the day, at Handmade and Hire’s caravan photobooth, situated on Church Walk. For the young, or young at heart, you can even get your face painted! Our face painter will be situated in the Help Point from 12 – 4pm.
For those that love crafts, Burgess Hill Creative Community will be running Christmas Craft sessions in the Kiln. These must be booked in advance via our Ticketsource by clicking here.
We all know that Christmas is not complete without a visit from Santa… There will be a festive Grotto for children to visit Santa and get a small present on the day! Running from 12pm – 4pm, this grotto will be supported by Central Sussex Rotary, Burgess Hill and District Rotary, Mid Sussex Round Table and Burgess Hill District Lions.
Got questions? Check out our FAQs for further information.
Don’t miss out on this amazing event, and check out our social media for regular updates about It’s Christmas!
2022
Burgess Hill Town Council’s annual It’s Christmas! event was a huge success, with massive crowds descending on Church Walk for a day of festivities!
The event, held on Saturday 19 November, brought families across Burgess Hill together for a wonderful low-cost day of entertainment and fun – getting everyone ready for the Christmas season!
Britain’s Got Talent finalist, Tom Ball, opened the event, with some wonderful ballads. Community groups and market traders lined the street, creating a magical Christmas market, whilst shoppers listened to the amazing music; including Burnside Day Centre and the Othellos who sang a moving rendition of ‘This Is Me’.
Same Sky hosted lantern workshops, where children could design their very own Christmas lantern. Children could showcase their crafts to Santa, at a fantastic Grotto, run by Central Sussex Rotary, Burgess Hill and District Rotary and Burgess Hill District Lions; and then take a snap at the free photobooth in the Town Council Help Point!
The festivities continued with walkabout entertainment from The Imperial Outlanders, Hodman and Sally, Poi Passion. Their magic and comedy brought a sparkle to the eyes of the children visiting the event!
The crowds got even larger as Church Walk was inundated with people, ready for the Christmas Lights Switch On. Winners of the Mayor’s Christmas Card Competition joined the mayor onstage to switch the lights on at 5pm. The event was then finished in style, as Horsham Boom Tribe played to the crowds to end the evening with a bang!
2021
Christmas came early to Burgess Hill with the return of It’s Christmas in Burgess Hill on Saturday 20 November.
The festive spirit was all around as the Town Centre bustled with activity, with stalls selling handmade Christmas gifts, food and drink, and running festive games and competitions. The Town Council was happy to host local Community Groups to fundraise and promote themselves, and a selection of local traders too. Santa Claus himself also made an appearance, talking to children at a mobile Santa’s Grotto, run by local charity The Budding Foundation.
For many, the highlight of the day was meeting Star Wars heroes and villains, thanks to the Imperial Outlanders, a group of passionate cosplayers who bought the characters to life. There were Troopers marching the streets of Burgess Hill, Chewbacca towered above the crowds, and there were even sightings of The Child (aka Baby Yoda) in tow with the Mandalorian. Town Centre traders were delighted as the characters made visits, spreading the cheer throughout the town. Quiet Meet and Greets were also arranged – one mother said ‘Thank you so much for arranging a meet and greet session for my autistic son. He was beside himself with happiness. The whole day was brilliant.’
The Town Council is hugely grateful to the Imperial Outlanders for spending their Saturday with us.
The event centered around the stage, with performances throughout the day from Haywards Heath College, St Paul’s Catholic College, Choir and Ko, Mid Sussex Brass Band, Rock Choir, VB Dance and Burgess Hill Academy. Local performer Tobias Alexander also took to the stage, performing a set of Christmas classics, before returning to host the switching on of the lights.
Then, to top off a brilliant day, the moment the crowd had been waiting for – the big countdown to the reveal of the Christmas Lights! The lights were jointly turned on by nominated Community Heroes, all of whom made contributions to the Burgess Hill community during 2020 and 2021 – Kieran Thompson, the Burgess Hill Spiderman, Julia Rye of Respect Youth Club, Karen Taylor of Escape Youth Club, representatives of the Burgess Hill Pantry and the Burgess Hill Community Food Bank, DJ Graham Meeres, and Ken Saunders, President of the Burgess Hill District Lions Club. Also selected as Community Heroes but unable to attend were Jackie Cooper of Burgess Hill Youth, and Martyn and Marie Jupp of Jupps Fish and Chips. The day ended with a spectacular performance from The Scarlet Elves, who put on an LED Light Show with Poi, Hula Hoops and a CYR Wheel, all choreographed to festive tunes.
Town Mayor Anne Eves said: ‘Looking down from the stage at five o’clock, all I could see was a river of people, stretching right back up to the top of Church Walk. One man who has been working in a restaurant on Church Walk for the last seven years said he had never seen such numbers. It seemed like everyone, children and adults, had their photo taken with the Outlanders (Star Wars characters): many thanks to them for interacting with so many people, inside shops and out on the street. Huge thanks to the Town Council’s officers who spend months planning these free events.’
Thank you to everyone who played a part in the day, and to everyone who attended, helping kick off the Festive Season in style.
2022
Picture of the Imperial Outlanders
Picture from Christmas Celebration in 2021
Picture from Christmas Celebration in 2021
Picture from Christmas Celebration in 2021