Christmas shows Cumbria 2026
There are loads of great Family pantomimes and other shows in the Lake District this Christmas. Below you’ll find all the Christmas shows Cumbria 2026. This post is part of a series of posts on Christmas shows North West England.
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I have done my best to make sure this post is up to date and accurate but please check the organiser’s website before travelling as events may be cancelled at short notice, details might be changed and mistakes happen. I have included links to the event organisers so you can check the up to date details and terms and conditions. Most of the events need pre-booking.
If you have an event you want to be added, drop me an email at – info@northwestforkids.co.uk
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A Christmas Carol at Theatre by the Lake – book now for 2026
Where: Theatre by the Lake, Lakeside, Keswick CA12 5DJ
When: 13th November 2026 – 3rd January 2027
Cost: Tickets £12,
Summary: It’s midnight on Christmas Eve, join us for a haunted Carol service as a spooky choir and the spirits of Christmas race to save the soul of Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge is a hard-nosed Victorian businessman from Keswick who has made his fortune in the big city, but is without a song in his heart. Scrooge hates Christmas and everything about it, but things are about to change when his business partner Jacob Marley returns from the grave.
Told in Theatre by the Lake’s signature magical Christmas style, and brought to you by Goblin, the makers of our acclaimed 2023 co-production The Lost Spells, this vibrant new adaptation is great fun for all the family with original songs and music performed live by a cast of talented actor-musicians.
Suitable for children aged 6 and over
Book here – A Christmas Carol – Theatre by the Lake
A Town Called Christmas – Theatre by the Lake – book now for 2026
Where: Theatre by the Lake, Lakeside, Keswick CA12 5DJ
When: 8th – 27th December 2026
Cost: Tickets from £16
Summary: Clementine dreams of a place where gingerbread houses glow under twinkling fairy-lights, and chocolate coins are currency. Where the streets are filled with snow-ball fights, and laughter hangs like baubles in the air! The happiest place on Earth.
Or at least it used to be…
Buckle in for a rollercoaster of magic, music and mayhem as our hero crash-lands in a crumbling town where only the long-forgotten fables, a cantankerous caretaker and a glitching robot remain. Can they save the day, and the town called Christmas?
Suitable for children aged 3 +
Book here – A Town Called Christmas – Theatre by the Lake
Pinocchio – Theatre by the Lake – book now for 2026
Where: Theatre by the Lake, Lakeside, Keswick CA12 5DJ
When: 28th December 2026 – 3rd January 2027
Cost: Tickets from £12
Summary: Steve Tiplady, as Geppetto, uses the objects of a carpenter’s workshop to tell the tale of the puppet that wants to be a real boy, and the puppet-maker who wants to be a real father.
Pinocchio is carved on stage, brushes become a fox and the shadow of two saws transforms into a giant shark. An element of improvisation makes each performance unique to its audience.
Puppetry, shadows, illusion and especially composed music combine to create a show with something for all ages; it’s inventive, visually and verbally witty with a big heart.
Suitable for children aged 4 +
Book here – Pinocchio – Theatre by the Lake
, Green room Theatre, Carlisle – no details yet for 2026
Where: West Walls Theatre, West Walls, Carlisle, CA3 8UB
When: 27th November – 6th December 2025
Cost: TBC
Summary: Come and enjoy our traditional festive pantomime, following on from 2024’s Hansel & Gretel, our 2025 pantomine is sure to be a classic show of laughs, songs, slapstick, and audience participation.
Book here – Little Red Riding Hood – Carlisle Green Room Theatre
The Elves & The Shoemaker, Brewery Arts, Kendal – book now for 2025
Where: Brewery Arts, 122A Highgate, Kendal, LA9 4HE
When: 19th – 28th December 2026
Cost: £15.50 per ticket
Summary: In the nooks and crannies of the old Shoemaker’s shop live the Elves. These cheeky stowaways live off the odds and ends left behind at the end of the day; shoelaces, scraps of leather and sandwich crumbs. They stay hidden from the big world–that’s just how they like it. But this Christmas, all is not well in the Shoe Shop. Sales are dwindling, and customers are looking for shoes elsewhere. When it looks like the shop might get closed for good, it’s time for the Elves and the Shoemaker to work together and save their home!
PaddleBoat Theatre Company bring their trademark inventive style to this highly interactive 50-minute adventure, full of clowning, puppetry and a magical miniature world. A perfect introduction to theatre for children aged 3 and up.
Book here – The Elves & The Shoemaker – Brewery Arts – Kendal
The Gingerbread Boy – The old Laundry Theatre – book now for 2026
Where: The Old Laundry Theatre, The World of Beatrix Potter.
When: 19th – 24th December 2026
Cost: Child (1-16 years) £10, adults £12
Summary: Deep in Fairy-tale Forest lives a remarkable boy made entirely of gingerbread! His lonely world is changed forever when Blake, a young lad from a nearby village, stumbles upon his incredible cookie cottage. Together, the two boys embark on a madcap journey of discovery…
And it’s Christmas Eve too … another surprise visitor is on his way!
Full of heart, laughter and song – and a healthy helping of cake – The Gingerbread Boy is a brand-new Christmas story about friendship and celebrating our differences.
Suitable for aged 3 years +
Book here – World of Beatrix Potter Attraction
Tomte’s Yuletide Tale, The old Laundry Theatre – book now for 2026
Where: The Old Laundry Theatre, The World of Beatrix Potter.
When: 28th December 2026 – 2nd January 2027
Cost: Child (1-16 years) £10, adults £12
Summary: Step into a snowy Nordic night with this enchanting theatre adventure inspired by Scandinavian winter folklore. Blending playful puppetry with shadow play and tactile paper craft, this festive adventure invites young audiences to solve problems, discover Nordic traditions, and help find a very lost Yuletide Goat.
Suitable for children aged 3-10 years
Book here – World of Beatrix Potter Attraction
Sleeping Beauty, The Forum – book now for 2026
Where: The Forum, Town Hall, Duke Street, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 2LD
When: 17th December 2026 – 2nd January 2027
Cost: from £13.50
Summary: Get ready, Barrow! As this Christmas, your fairy tale pantomime adventure returns as Sleeping Beauty arrives at Barrow Town Hall, bringing a burst of magic, mischief, and full-on pantomime chaos.
Once upon a time (not so far from Walney), Princess Aurora is celebrating her 21st birthday… until her wicked Uncle Caraboose crashes the party with a sinister plan. One prick of a finger on an enchanted spinning wheel sends Aurora into a deep slumber… a full 100 years asleep!
Book here – Sleeping Beauty
More Christmas events Cumbria
If you’ve started planning for the festive season too then you need these guides to Cumbria and the Lake District.
Find out where to see Santa here – Where to visit Santa Cumbria.
If you would like to enjoy a special breakfast with Santa, find out where you can here – Breakfast with Santa Cumbria.
Find all the Christmas events Cumbria here.
Find out Where to buy a real Christmas tree Cumbria here.
