The Royal Pavilion closes at 2.30pm on Christmas Eve, and reopens on 27 December, according to Brighton and Hove Museums. The museums sent their Christmas closing dates to partners on 28 October 2026.
Royal Pavilion. Closes at 2.30pm on 24 December. Closed 25 and 26 December. Reopens 27 December. Closed 1 January and reopens 2 January.
Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. Closed on 24 December and reopens on 29 December. Closed 1 January.
Preston Manor. Closed from 1 December, and open only for Santa Grotto days from 19 to 24 December.
Before Christmas. The Royal Pavilion is also closed all day on 18 November for a private event, says the museums’ plan your visit page.
Christmas closures at a glance
The Royal Pavilion’s opening hours from October to March are 10am to 5.15pm, with last admission at 4.30pm, according to the museums’ plan your visit page.
ImJustBrighton note. Father Christmas sessions at the Royal Pavilion run daily from 18 to 24 December, and the Pavilion closes at 2.30pm on Christmas Eve, so Christmas Eve visits need to fit in before then.
Christmas at the Royal Pavilion
The winter display, A Fairy Tale of Frost and Fire, runs from 21 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. The museums say it is free with Royal Pavilion admission, and free for members.
On Wednesday 2 December, Christmas Shopping with Roebuck Estates runs from 5pm to 7pm for over 18s. It costs £26 and includes after-hours access, a glass of Roebuck Estates sparkling wine and 15 per cent off in the Pavilion shop.
The Carol Concert is on Wednesday 16 December, with doors at 7pm and the concert from 7.30pm to 9.30pm in the Music Room. Tickets are £38, and include a mince pie and a glass of prosecco in the Banqueting Room.
Christmas Regency Cream Teas are on Tuesday 15 and Tuesday 22 December, with sittings at 2pm and 4pm in the King William IV Room. They cost £32 including Royal Pavilion admission, and the room is reached by stairs only.
The Christmas Banquets are on Thursday 17, Friday 18 and Saturday 19 December, from 6.30pm to 11pm. They cost £195 per person, or £175 for members, for over 18s only, and include a welcome drink, a carol concert and a three-course Indian-inspired dinner in the Banqueting Room.
Father Christmas and Storytime
Father Christmas at the Royal Pavilion runs on 4 to 6 December, 11 to 13 December and then daily from 18 to 24 December, from 10am in time slots, in the Adelaide Suite upstairs. The museums list one child at £21, two at £42 and three at £63, with adults at £7 and member adults free.
Each child gets a private five-minute audience and a gift, and entry to the Pavilion and the winter display is included. A professional photo is bought on site. The Pavilion closes to the public at 5.15pm, and the museums say anyone arriving after 4.30pm goes straight to the Grotto without time to explore.
Storytime with Father Christmas is in the Red Drawing Room on 5, 6, 12 and 13 December and then daily from 19 to 24 December, from 10.15am. It costs £10 per child and £8 per adult, is recommended for ages 2 to 8, lasts about 45 minutes and allows two adults per child.
Brighton Museum & Art Gallery
The museum is closed on 24 December and reopens on 29 December. It is also closed on 1 January, according to the museums’ email.
The Biba Look: Photography and Fashion runs from 3 October 2026 to 21 March 2027. The museums say it shows original photographs from Barbara Hulanicki’s archive, many never displayed publicly, and one garment from each of the six Biba catalogues.
Making The Masked Singer opened on 24 October and runs to 6 June 2027. It shows 24 costumes and seven character heads from seven seasons of the TV show, made by Sussex-based Plunge Creations.
Magic Place, an interactive digital artwork by Genetic Moo, opened on 24 October and runs until 21 February 2027. From 24 November to 21 January 2027, We’re Going on a Mouse Hunt in the Central Gallery sends families hunting for mice preparing for a secret winter ball.
The museums say all four are free with Brighton Museum admission, and free for members. They can be seen before 24 December or from 29 December.
Preston Manor
Preston Manor’s 2026 season runs from 14 March to 30 November, open Friday to Monday from 10am to 5pm with admission, according to the museums’ season page.
The museums’ email says the manor is closed from 1 December and opens only for Santa Grotto days from 19 to 24 December.
How to plan your Christmas visit
Tickets for the Royal Pavilion events, Father Christmas, Storytime and the Biba exhibition are booked on the Brighton and Hove Museums website. The museums say membership gives free access to all five of its sites.
For more on what is happening in the city this winter, see ImJustBrighton’s November and December events guide.
Sources. Brighton and Hove Museums partner email of 28 October 2026; Brighton and Hove Museums event and plan your visit pages.
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