Santa and his elves are returning to Volk's Electric Railway on Brighton seafront on Monday 21, Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 December 2026. Tickets for the Santa Express are on sale now, Brighton and Hove City Council has announced.
The council says there are six sessions each day. New this year, people can also buy a ticket for the festive train ride on its own, without booking the full Santa experience.
What happens at the Santa Express
This year's experience is a shared group session. Families are met by an elf at Aquarium Station and taken through to Santa's Reading Room, where Santa reads a Christmas story to the children and adults.
There is then time for photos with Santa, and each child with a ticket gets a Christmas gift.
After that, everyone boards one of the railway's heritage trains for a ride along the seafront, with Santa sitting up front.
Dates, times and prices
These details are from the Volk's Railway booking page:
- Dates: 21, 22 and 23 December 2026
- Where: Aquarium Station, Madeira Drive
- Santa Express Experience, one child and one adult: £20, plus booking fee
- Additional adult or senior: £8
- Adult Santa Express Experience, for adults who want their own photo and gift: £12
- Recommended age: 2 to 10 years
Sessions start from 9.20am and must be booked in advance. Tickets are sold in two child age groups, 0 to 2 years and 3 years and over, and the railway says gifts cannot be exchanged, so it is worth picking the right one.
Train ride only
The train-only option does not include meeting Santa, a gift or the story session. The railway lists departures at 10am, 11am, 12 noon, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm on all three days.
Tickets are £7 per child and £8 per adult or senior. They are sold on the day, subject to availability.
Good to know before you book
- Arrive on time. The railway says late arrivals may miss part of the experience.
- Adults must stay on site with the children in their care.
- Pushchairs and prams need to be folded and taken on board.
- Payment is by card only, and American Express is not accepted.
- Standard family tickets, discounts and concessions are not valid for the Santa Express.
What the council says
Councillor David McGregor, Cabinet Member for Economy, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, said: “Santa's making a special stop in Brighton again this Christmas, swapping his sleigh for a ride on the Volks Railway!”
He added: “The Santa Express is always popular, and I'm really pleased that this year even more people can join in the fun, with the option to enjoy a festive train ride without booking the full Santa experience.”
How to book
Tickets and full details are on the Volk's Railway what's on page.
The railway opened in 1883 and the council describes it as the world's oldest operating electric railway. You can read more in our history of Volk's Electric Railway.
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