At Derry-Londonderry · Derry-Londonderry, County Derry
Only the published dates are confirmed for this programme.
Derry’s Christmas lights switch on takes place on Friday, 20 November 2026, when Santa leads a festive procession through the city streets.
Santa heads the procession through Derry city centre, with characters accompanying him and the Christmas lights switching on progressively as it passes, marking the start of the city’s festive season.
The event takes place in Derry-Londonderry city centre, County Derry. By car it is about 1 hour 15 minutes from Belfast on the upgraded A6, or around 3 hours from Dublin via the A5 through Tyrone. Translink’s Goldline 212 runs from Belfast roughly half-hourly, NI Railways runs from Belfast Lanyon Place to the Waterside station in around 2 hours 15 minutes, and Bus Éireann’s Expressway services connect from Dublin in around 4 hours. City of Derry Airport, 11 km north-east of the city, has flights to Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and London.
Derry is Northern Ireland’s only complete walled city: 1.5 km of 17th-century stone, built 1613-1619 and never breached in four sieges, walkable in a 25-minute loop from Magazine Gate. The Guildhall, an 1890 sandstone landmark by the Diamond, and the Tower Museum on the walls are both close to the city-centre route if the procession leaves an evening to fill before or after. The Diamond, where the four main streets inside the walls meet, is a good vantage point for catching the procession as it passes. Peadar O’Donnell’s on Waterloo Street runs trad sessions most nights, for anyone staying on after the lights go up. More on Derry and the rest of Co. Derry.
Heading to Derry-Londonderry in Derry? Derry has plenty more to see. Read the Derry area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.
We do not yet have a suitable Derry tour in our reviewed collection that starts locally. Use the IrelandMe tour finder to compare bookable experiences for the rest of your trip.