The Brighton and Hove Santa Bus has raised £481,649.51 for local charities since it began, leaving just £18,350 to reach £500,000, and Brighton & Hove Buses is asking local businesses to help it get there.
The festive tradition returns for its 23rd tour in late November, with 20 festive nights planned to raise money for 12 local charities and community organisations. Here is what is being asked of Brighton and Hove businesses, and how the appeal stands.
Source: Sussex News, reporting Brighton & Hove Buses. Photos: Sussex News @dmoonuk.
Almost at half a million
Brighton & Hove Buses says the Santa Bus has raised £481,649.51 for local charities and community organisations since it first launched 22 years ago. That leaves £18,350 to go to reach the £500,000 milestone.
The operator’s page for last year’s tour, published in November 2025, gave the total as over £453,000. The target of £500,000 was already the goal then.
Businesses asked to become collection points
Brighton & Hove Buses is encouraging shops, cafés, pubs, restaurants, offices and community venues across the city to become official Santa Bus Collection Points. The aim is to give customers, visitors and staff the chance to donate to local good causes.
Every donation collected will support charities and community organisations across the area.
What the organisers say
“The Santa Bus has become one of Brighton & Hove’s most cherished festive traditions, bringing communities together while raising vital funds for local charities.
Reaching the £500,000 mark would be a fantastic achievement and we’re encouraging businesses across the city to help make it happen.”
Matthew Ashton, Managing Director, Brighton & Hove Buses
“We’re within a snowball’s throw of something very special. Thanks to the generosity of local people, the Santa Bus has already raised an incredible £481,650.
If we can raise another £18,350 this year, together we’ll reach the magical milestone of £500,000 for local good causes. Ho Ho Ho!”
Santa Claus
When and where
The Santa Bus returns to the streets of Brighton & Hove in late November. Brighton & Hove Buses said full details of this year’s charities, routes and operating dates were due to be announced on 21 October 2026.
To give an idea of how the tour works, last year’s ran from 24 November to 23 December 2025. According to the operator’s 2025 Santa Bus page, Santa visited a different neighbourhood each evening, with runs starting between 5pm and 5.30pm and finishing between 7.30pm and 8.30pm, depending on traffic. A Santa Tracker showed the bus in real time, and a night cancelled by weather was not repeated.
Sources
More local good news is under Community and Events on ImJustBrighton.
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