Between Thursday 7th-10th December, we are expecting record crowds and visitors from across the world.
Beating some of the biggest festive markets in major cities around the country to top National Geographic’s 11 “best Christmas markets in the UK” list, the countdown is on to this year’s Padstow Christmas Festival!
In addition to an unmatched line-up of celebrity and local chefs, a huge Christmas market showcasing over 100 traders, heartwarming community events, live music, fireworks and carols – to name just a little of the weekends’ festive activities – new announcements are being made to make a visit to Padstow Christmas Festival an absolute must this December.
A particular Festival highlight for many of our visitors, and for the chefs themselves, is our Chef Forum happening on Saturday 9th at 12 noon, in the Sharp’s Chefs Theatre. We’re delighted to announce that this year’s forum subject is ‘Hospitality is well known for being a vocation and not an easy option, but it’s a great choice for the next generation’. Members of the forum this year discussing this topic will be Rick Stein, Matthew Fort, Valentine Warner and Tracy Hart from The Prince’s Trust. It’s set to be a fantastic subject to explore and will be very popular with visitors.
Our 2023 Padstow Christmas Festival has attracted worldwide attention, making appearances in ‘Best Christmas Market’ lists in the UK and internationally, including Lonely Planet, TimeOut, Daily Express, Sunday Times and Conde Nast Traveller.
Generating around £5 million for Padstow’s economy every year, several local businesses report bumper takings during the festival, often outstripping what they earn during the height of the summer season.
We’re very proud that the Padstow Christmas Festival supports Cornish tourism, encouraging visitors to come to our region during the winter, contributing to our local economy and supporting jobs – it really has become an essential out-of-season event. With worldwide coverage and a real buzz in both the town and across Cornwall, it really does feel like all eyes will be on Padstow this December.
Further announcements about this year’s event include British actor Alistair Petrie, known for his roles in Star Wars, Sex Education and Cloud Atlas, will be appearing alongside Jack Stein in his Chef Demonstration on Sunday 10th December at 1pm.
We are expecting around 50,000 people to join us in Padstow for what is going to be a long weekend of once-in-a-lifetime moments and memories. As a not-for-profit event, the Padstow Christmas Festival is run by volunteers and continues to be financed by sponsorship, plus revenue raised from events held during the Festival. To have this much support and attention means so much to our community.
Our Chef line-up includes Rick Stein, Paul Ainsworth, Michael Caines, Valentine Warner, Jack Stein, Emily Scott, Matt Tebbutt, Jude Kereama, Rick Toogood, Alex Hollywood and many more, all of whom volunteer their time and efforts. The Padstow Christmas Festival is built around the love of food, with the Chefs all giving up their time freely to attend – they’re all there because they want to share their passion and be part of our remarkable Cornish festival!
Sharp’s Brewery is the headline sponsor of the festival for 2023, and will be bringing their immersive and innovative Silent Bistro to this year’s event. A beer, food and music experience like no other, guests will wear headphones to watch the culinary crème de la crème at work, as they cook up a storm during live demonstrations while Ed Hughes, Sharp’s expert Beer Sommelier, pairs the dishes with their award-winning portfolio of beers.