The Shuttleworth Christmas market is 5 and 6 December, the lights trail runs four weekends from 4 December. Stall list, opening times, tickets and parking.
Shuttleworth in Lights, the winter light trail through the Swiss Garden and the aircraft hangars at Old Warden, runs on four weekends: 4 to 6, 11 to 13 and 18 to 20 December 2026, and 1 to 3 January 2027. Tickets start at £17 for adults and £11 for children aged three and over. The same winter season brings a free Christmas market in Shuttleworth House on 5 and 6 December.
Updated 7 November: Fireworks Night on 7 November is sold out and the Trust says there will be no gate sales. Light trail session times are still shown only at booking.
Overview
- Shuttleworth in Lights: 4-6, 11-13 and 18-20 December 2026, and 1-3 January 2027. Adults from £17, children 3+ £11, under-3s free.
- Christmas Market at Shuttleworth House: Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December, 10am to 4pm, free entry, over 45 stalls.
- Fireworks Night: Saturday 7 November is sold out, with no tickets on the gate.
Shuttleworth in Lights
The Shuttleworth Trust describes the trail as its own take on a winter light trail, produced in-house by staff and volunteers. It lights up the listed features of the Swiss Garden and the aircraft, vehicles and machines in the Collection hangars, and the Trust says it deliberately does not use a Christmas theme.
| Weekend | Dates |
|---|---|
| 1 | Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December 2026 |
| 2 | Friday 11 to Sunday 13 December 2026 |
| 3 | Friday 18 to Sunday 20 December 2026 |
| 4 | Friday 1 to Sunday 3 January 2027 |
Tickets are from £17 for adults and £11 for children aged 3 and over; children aged 2 and under go free, and there is a group rate. The Trust’s own answers to common questions, from its Shuttleworth in Lights FAQs:
- How long it takes: the trail is about a mile and takes 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Dogs: welcome on Fridays only, on a lead.
- Getting in: event visitors use the Alder Drive entrance, SG18 9DT.
- Your normal ticket does not cover it: Shuttleworth’s 30-day daily admission ticket is not valid; you need a separate event ticket.
- Access: generally accessible, but it is an evening walk round a Grade II* listed site with many level changes, and some areas may not suit wheelchairs or mobility scooters. Staff can suggest alternative routes.
- Food and payment: the Runway Café is free to enter. The site prefers cards and mobile payments and cannot guarantee change for cash.
It is an outdoor event, so the Trust recommends warm, waterproof clothing and footwear. A route map comes by email before your visit.
Shuttleworth Christmas Market 2026: 5 and 6 December, free
The Shuttleworth Christmas Market 2026 is on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December, 10am to 4pm, and entry is free. The Christmas market fills the rooms of Shuttleworth House, the Trust’s Jacobean-style mansion, with more than 45 craft and gift stalls and, new this year, a marquee outside for extra traders and caterers. Parking is free but limited, and on grass. Buggies are not allowed inside the house.
It falls on the first Shuttleworth in Lights weekend, so the market by day and the trail after dark can be one trip.
Who is selling, and where
The Trust has published its trader list and caterer list, split by where each stall stands:
- In the house: most of the craft stalls, among them 96 Jewellery Design, Black Barn Ceramics and Glass, James Cook Wood Turner, Darren Harbar Photography and Gifts, The Crocheted Peacock and Willow Hill Scents.
- Garden Suite: Bags & Bangles, Studio 38 Candles, The Crafty Git and Diamond Stars Glass, plus Patisserie Sherrie. The Garden Suite bar serves mulled wine and Baileys hot chocolate; indoor seating is limited.
- Grand marquee: traders including Apotheka Botanica, Helen Claire Ceramics, Fighting High Books and Rustic Wreaths & Berry Nice Gifts, with food from Le Mare Chocolat, A Good Egg, Charlies Sweet Treats, Trickle Treat and the Bedford Cheese Company.
- Forecourt food: Bedfordshire Event Catering, Curly Sisters Catering and Churroz Boys. Mischievous Wines, Replete Flatbreads and the Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association are inside the house.
The Footlights Quartet plays Christmas songs during the market.
Before you go
- Expect a queue: the Trust says its seasonal markets are very popular, and bags are checked on the way in.
- Dogs: only assistance dogs are allowed inside the house.
- Wheelchairs: follow signs to house reception and ring the number on the sign for step-free access. Manual and lightweight powered chairs only; the chairlifts cannot take heavy powered chairs.
- Buggies stay outside if dry, or in the front hall if wet.
Fireworks Night, Saturday 7 November
Shuttleworth has added a fireworks night for 2026, which it calls a new event:
- Gates, funfair and hangars open: 5pm
- Fireworks: 7pm to 7.15pm, with the hangars lit up behind
- Hangars close 8.30pm; funfair closes 8.55pm; the event ends at 9pm
- Tickets: sold out. The Trust said on 7 November that there will be no availability on the gate.
Bedford itself has no council fireworks display: see our Bedford fireworks page for the Bedford Blues display and what else is known.
Other Christmas events at Shuttleworth House
The Trust’s Christmas at Shuttleworth House programme also has, for adults:
- Murder Mystery: Christmas Special on Friday 4 and Friday 18 December, 7pm to 11pm, over-18s only, with a two-course dinner and a pantomime-themed plot. Both nights were shown as sold out on 12 October.
- Christmas Casino Night on Saturday 28 November.
Still to be confirmed
- Shuttleworth in Lights session times for each evening: still shown only when booking, as of 7 November.
- Festive closures of the Collection and Swiss Garden by day: the Trust’s opening times calendar, read on 24 October, shows it closed for its festive break from Monday 21 December, with no opening hours listed again until Friday 1 January 2027, 10am to 4pm. In December it opens 10am to 4pm on weekdays and 9am to 4pm at weekends, last entry 3.30pm.
Closer to home in December: the Bedford Santa Run on 13 December, the Corn Exchange pantomime from 19 December, and the Christmas lights switch-on.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Shuttleworth Christmas Market 2026?
Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December 2026, 10am to 4pm, in and around Shuttleworth House at Old Warden, SG18 9DT.
Is the Shuttleworth Christmas Market free?
Yes. Entry and parking are both free. Parking is on grass and spaces are limited.
Do I need a Shuttleworth in Lights ticket for the market?
No. The market is a free daytime event. The light trail on the same weekend is a separate evening event with its own tickets, from £17 for adults.
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