Williamsburg, VA — Christmas Town, Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s separately ticketed holiday event, fills the park’s villages with over 10 million lights from Nov. 13 to Jan. 3. Gloria!, Scrooge No More!, Christmas Town Live! and ‘Twas That Night on ice return, and the trio concert Queens of Christmas is new for 2026. The calendar below has all 49 dates and hours, and two lists sort what your ticket covers from what costs extra.
What’s new for 2026 vs. the park’s 2025 pages
- NewQueens of Christmas, a trio holiday concert on the stage at the Italy Pavilion, with songs like This Christmas and Santa Baby. The show page labels it ALL NEW, and the Oct. 29 release lists it as new for 2026. Reserved seats are $5.99.
- NewVerbolten: Forbidden Turn, the reimagined Verbolten coaster, which the event page says is ‘making its Christmas Town debut.’ Last year’s debut was The Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf’s Revenge. The ride page and the Christmas Town ride list both showed ‘Temporarily Closed’ on Nov. 7, so the page should not promise it is running.
- ChangedDates: Nov. 13 to Jan. 3, 49 operating days, open every day from Nov. 19. Last year: Nov. 14 to Jan. 4, 46 operating days on the park’s calendar for that season, with Dec. 2, 5 and 8 closed.
- ChangedChristmas Town gate price: $91.99, up from $86.99 last year.
- ChangedThe outdoor craft market in Oktoberfest is now the Christmas Town Artisan Market. Last year it was the Mistletoe Marketplace (the 2026 park map still uses the old name).
- ChangedUltimate Santa Experience: still $109.99, with a smaller photo package. 2026: two 6×8 photos, two frames and a Santa PhotoKey. 2025 also had four 4×6 prints, eight wallets and a Christmas Town PhotoKey for the day.
- ChangedChristmas Town PhotoKey: $50, down from $60.
- Not backWisemen, last year’s show with three musicians at the open-air Il Teatro di San Marco, is not on this year’s show list or in the release.
- Not backThe Christmas Town Festive Tour ($79.99 last year, a 2.5- to 3-hour guided night tour) is not on this year’s upgrades page.
- Not backThe Christmas Town Signature Tour ($164.99 last year, a 4 1/2-hour night tour the park called new) is not on this year’s tickets, tours or upgrades pages.
- Not announcedNew Year’s Eve: no 2026 celebration is announced yet. The park calendar lists Dec. 31 as a regular Christmas Town night, 2 to 10 p.m. Last year’s New Year’s Eve Celebration had fireworks at 9:15 p.m.
- Not announcedInvadR is not on this year’s Christmas Town ride list or map. Its ride page says it closes Nov. 30, and the park hasn’t said whether it runs on Christmas Town nights before then.
- ReturningChristmas Town Live! A Holiday Special in Das Festhaus (new last year), Gloria!, Scrooge No More!, ‘Twas That Night on ice (opens Nov. 27), Elmo’s Christmas Wish, the 50-foot O’Tannenbaum tree light show, Polar Pathway, Santa’s Workshop, the Christmas Town Express and Santa’s Fireside Feast (same $45 and $22 prices).
## Pick Your Night {#nights}
November 2026
December 2026
January 2027
Open. Tap a date for its hours and ticket priceChristmas Town PreviewASL SaturdayBasic Membership blocked out
Tap a date to see its hours and what’s on.
## What Your Ticket Covers, and What Costs Extra {#covers}
Your ticket covers
- Admission to Christmas Town on your ticket’s date (tickets are for ages 3 and up). Parking and taxes are extra.
- More than ten million lights across the park, the O’Tannenbaum tree light show and Polar Pathway: Spectacle of Lights.
- The shows: Queens of Christmas, Christmas Town Live! A Holiday Special, Gloria!, Scrooge No More!, ‘Twas That Night (from Nov. 27), Elmo’s Christmas Wish, the Merry Misfits and carolers. Reserved seats cost extra.
- A visit with Santa at Santa’s Workshop. Photo packages cost extra.
- Rides, including the Christmas Town Express train and the Skyride, as weather allows. The park counts over 25 attractions.
- The Christmas Town Artisan Market and the park’s shops. Purchases are extra.
- Christmas Town is included with Basic (except 16 blockout dates), Unlimited, Premier and Platinum Memberships, the College Pass and the 2026 Military Pass.
Costs extra
- Santa’s Fireside Feast (all-you-care-to-eat meal while Santa tells a Christmas story, one 6×8 photo per group, Castle O’Sullivan in Ireland), $45 ages 10+, $22 ages 3 to 9, free under 3 (reservation still required). select dates (not listed on the page). The park asks guests to arrive by 2 p.m.
- Christmas Town Ultimate Santa Experience (VIP entry for up to six people to meet Santa, two 6×8 photos, two frames, single-day Santa PhotoKey), $109.99 per reservation. by date and time slot
- Christmas Town PhotoKey (digital photos for one day, including Santa and Santa’s Fireside Feast photos), $50. any one day, expires Jan. 3, 2027
- Christmas Town Scenic Pass (Rhine River Christmas Cruise of about 30 minutes with a cup of hot chocolate, plus one-time Quick Queue on the Christmas Town Express and the Skyride), $49.99 ages 3+, free under 3 (reservation still required). by date and time
- Gloria! Insider Tour (VIP seats near the stage and a meet and greet with the cast, Abbey Stone Theatre), $24.99. by date and time
- Scrooge No More! Insider Tour (VIP seats near the stage and a meet and greet with the cast, Globe Theatre), $24.99. by date and time
- Christmas Town Live! A Holiday Special reserved seating, $9.99. one show on the date booked
- Queens of Christmas reserved seating, $5.99. one show on the date booked
- Gloria! reserved seating, $5.99. one show on the date booked
- Scrooge No More! reserved seating, $5.99. one show on the date booked
- ‘Twas That Night reserved seating, $5.99. one show on the date booked (the show opens Nov. 27)
- Winter Quick Queue (one-time priority access on select rides), from $29.99, varies by day. by date
- Winter Quick Queue Unlimited Plus (unlimited on select rides, plus one-time on DarKoaster and Verbolten: Forbidden Turn), from $49.99, varies by day. by date
- Christmas Town Skyride 1-Time Quick Queue (round trip, one cabin for 3 adults or 4 guests if one is under 56 inches, boards at the France station), $30 per cabin. by date
- Christmas Town Express 1-Time Quick Queue, $14.99 ages 3+. by date
- All-Day Dining added to a Christmas Town ticket (one entree, one dessert and one non-alcoholic fountain drink every 90 minutes), $45 added to a ticket. the ticket’s date
- Wine tastings at La Belle Maison (France), Pottery Porch (New France), German Gifts (Germany) and Bella Casa (Italy), not posted (an additional fee, paid in the park). during Christmas Town
- Parking, from $35 General, $44 Preferred, $55 VIP prepaid online, and prices vary by day. per day
- Elite VIP Tour (personal guide, meals and snacks, priority access to all attractions, reserved show seating), $450 per person, minimum 2. Booking within three days of your visit, by phone or email, adds a $50 late fee
Verbolten: Forbidden Turn is billed for its Christmas Town debut, but its ride page read Temporarily Closed on Nov. 8.
## Things to Do at Christmas Town {#todo}
Queens of Christmas
A trio sings holiday songs like This Christmas and Santa Baby in a concert of harmonies and big vocals.
Italy Pavilion stage, Italy
Christmas Town Live! A Holiday Special
A show set during a 1960s holiday TV special, with classic carols and medleys.
Das Festhaus, Oktoberfest (indoor)
Gloria!
A retelling of the story of the first Christmas with contemporary and traditional music, costumes and sets. Doors close at showtime.
Abbey Stone Theatre, Ireland (indoor)
Scrooge No More!
A live musical in which the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future teach Scrooge the importance of family and friends.
Globe Theatre, England (indoor)
‘Twas That Night
A full-scale ice-skating show built on the poem A Visit From St. Nicholas. Opens Nov. 27.
Royal Palace Theatre, France
Elmo’s Christmas Wish
Cookie Monster, Rosita, Grover and Zoe help Elmo find his Christmas wish. A different version runs Mondays and Wednesdays.
Sesame Street Forest of Fun outdoor stage
Merry Misfits and the carolers
The Merry Misfits play upbeat versions of holiday hits, and carolers sing in England, through the day and into the night.
Merry Misfits in France, carolers in England
Celebration of Lights at O’Tannenbaum
A multi-colored light show on a 50-foot Christmas tree, set to a holiday score.
Oktoberfest
Polar Pathway: Spectacle of Lights
Over a million LED lights choreographed to music.
next to Sesame Street Forest of Fun, per the park map
Ten million lights
More than ten million lights cover the park’s villages, by the park’s count.
park-wide
Santa’s Workshop
Santa and his elves greet guests, who can tell him their Christmas wish. Photo packages cost extra.
the Wilkommenhaus, in the area the park map labels North Pole (Germany)
Christmas Town Express
A train ride around the park’s lights with holiday music, sold as a sing-along train ride.
station in New France (round trip only)
Verbolten: Forbidden Turn
The reimagined launched coaster through the Black Forest, billed for its first Christmas Town. Its ride page showed ‘Temporarily Closed’ on Nov. 7.
Germany
Holiday Hills rides
Family rides with holiday names for the season: Reindeer Run, Snowman Summit and Peppermint Twist.
Holiday Hills
Skyride over the lights
Skyride cabins travel 80 feet in the air over the lights. A round-trip Quick Queue cabin is sold separately.
stations in England, France and Germany
Rhine River Christmas Cruise
A boat ride of about 30 minutes with hot chocolate, sold only as part of the Christmas Town Scenic Pass.
Rhine River docks (steep stairs, not wheelchair accessible)
Santa’s Fireside Feast
An all-you-care-to-eat meal while Santa reads a Christmas story and Mrs. Claus visits the room.
Castle O’Sullivan, Ireland
Hot chocolates and deep-dish cookies
Flavored hot chocolates and deep-dish cookies, which the park says are exclusive to Christmas Town.
around the park
Twinkle Tree Cafe
Holiday mocktails and cocktails.
not stated on the dining page
Christmas Town Artisan Market
An outdoor market of handmade gifts from local craft vendors.
Oktoberfest
Holiday shops
Christmas Town Shoppe in England, Ornament World in Oktoberfest, the Rudolph Shop and German Gifts in Germany, plus other shops across the park.
across the villages
Wine tastings
Tastings led by the park’s wine experts, for an extra fee.
La Belle Maison, Pottery Porch, German Gifts, Bella Casa
## Holiday Food and Drinks {#food}
## Tickets and Memberships {#tickets}
Single-day tickets online run $31.99 to $54.99 by date (ages 3 and up, before tax). The calendar shows each date’s price.
| Ticket | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Single-Day Ticket (ages 3+), priced by date | from $31.99 online | one visit on the date chosen, Nov. 13 to Jan. 3, 2027 |
| Christmas Town gate price | $91.99 | the park’s posted gate admission for Christmas Town dates |
| Single-Day Ticket + All-Day Dining (ages 3+) | from $76.99 | the date chosen |
| Ultimate Bundle: ticket, All-Day Dining and one-time Winter Quick Queue (ages 3+) | from $149.99 | the date chosen |
| Christmas Town Any Day Ticket (ages 3+) | $56.99 ($101.99 with All-Day Dining) | any one day, Nov. 13 to Jan. 3, 2027 |
| Christmas Town Fun Card (ages 3+) | $89.99 | unlimited visits on operating days, Nov. 13 to Jan. 3, 2027 |
| Christmas Bounce Ticket: Christmas Town plus Colonial Williamsburg, three consecutive days, general parking at Busch Gardens included | $112.05 ages 13+, $95.05 ages 6 to 12, ages 0 to 5 free | first use Nov. 11 to Jan. 3, 2027 |
| Basic Membership (includes Christmas Town, blocked out Nov. 21, 22, 28, 29 and Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 to 26) | $174 a year or $14.50 a month (sale price shown Nov. 7) | 12 months |
| Unlimited Membership (includes Christmas Town, no blockouts) | $225 a year or $18.75 a month (sale price shown Nov. 7) | 12 months |
| Premier Membership (includes Christmas Town, no blockouts) | $279 a year or $23.25 a month (sale price shown Nov. 7) | 12 months |
| 11-Park Platinum Membership (includes Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg) | $342 a year or $28.50 a month (sale price shown Nov. 7) | 12 months |
| 2027 Fun Card | does not include Christmas Town | Busch Gardens Feb. 12 to Sept. 6, 2027 |
| Legacy Annual Pass (sold before Feb. 2018) | no free Christmas Town admission | n/a |
## Photos {#photos}
## Christmas Town FAQ {#faq}
When does Busch Gardens Christmas Town start and end in 2026?
Christmas Town opens Nov. 13, 2026, at 5 p.m. The park calendar labels Nov. 13 to 15 ‘Christmas Town Preview,’ closes Nov. 16 to 18, then is open every day from Nov. 19 through Jan. 3, 2027.
Is Busch Gardens Williamsburg open on Christmas Day?
Yes. Christmas Town is open Dec. 25 from 3 to 10 p.m., and on Christmas Eve from 2 to 10 p.m. The park says Christmas Town is one of the few places with restaurants open on Christmas.
What are Busch Gardens Christmas Town hours?
Hours change by date: the park opens between noon and 5 p.m. and closes at 9 or 10 p.m. Most Monday to Thursday nights through Dec. 10 run 4 to 9 p.m., and Saturdays through Dec. 26 run noon to 10 p.m. From Dec. 21 to Jan. 1 the park closes at 10 p.m. every night.
How much are Christmas Town tickets?
Single-day tickets start at $31.99 online and are priced by date, against a $91.99 gate price. A Christmas Town Any Day Ticket is $56.99, and the Christmas Town Fun Card, good on every date through Jan. 3, is $89.99. Tickets are for ages 3 and up, and parking and tax are extra.
Is Christmas Town included with a Busch Gardens membership or Fun Card?
Basic, Unlimited, Premier and Platinum Memberships include Christmas Town, as do the College Pass and the 2026 Military Pass. Basic Members are blocked out on 16 dates: Nov. 21, 22, 28 and 29, and Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13 and 19 through 26. The 2027 Fun Card does not include Christmas Town. The separate Christmas Town Fun Card is $89.99.
Is there a New Year’s Eve event at Christmas Town in 2026?
None is announced yet. The 2026 calendar shows Dec. 31 as a regular Christmas Town night, 2 to 10 p.m. Last year the park held a New Year’s Eve Celebration with fireworks at 9:15 p.m.
Christmas Town runs Nov. 13, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027, at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. For tickets and hours, visit buschgardens.com. The park’s Halloween event is in my Williamsburg Howl-O-Scream guide.
## More Holiday Events
