No switch-on is announced for Bath this year, but the Snowman opens a 12-sculpture trail at SouthGate on 19 November at 4.30pm. Checked October 2026.
No Christmas lights switch-on ceremony has been announced for Bath in 2026, and Bath BID’s lights announcement last year mentioned none either. What the city has instead: new lights from the Bath Business Improvement District, the first year of a five-year programme, and a trail of 12 giant Snowman sculptures across the city centre from 19 November 2026 to 28 January 2027. The trail starts with the Snowman himself at SouthGate on Thursday 19 November at 4.30pm.
Last checked 21 October 2026.
The quick answer
- Switch-on: none announced for 2026. Bath BID’s 4 September announcement mentions new lighting but no ceremony.
- Meet the Snowman: Thursday 19 November, 4.30pm, SouthGate Bath. Saturday 21 November, 11.30am and 12.30pm at SouthGate, 2pm and 4pm at Bath Abbey.
- Walking with The Snowman trail: 12 sculptures, free, 19 November 2026 to 28 January 2027. Locations not yet published.
- The World of The Snowman at the Victoria Art Gallery: 20 November 2026 to 28 February 2027, adults £12.
- The Snowman with Bath Philharmonia at The Forum: Saturday 19 December, 3pm to 4pm.
Is there a switch-on in 2026?
Not one that has been announced. On 4 September 2026 the Bath BID announced a five-year plan to grow the city’s Christmas lights, starting this winter, without naming a date for the lights going on or any event to mark it.
That matches last year. The BID’s 28 November 2025 post simply reported that extra lights had been installed, with no ceremony mentioned. Search engines still show a Bath BID page about a switch-on on Milsom Street at 5pm on “Thursday 25th November”. That page was published on 16 November 2021; if you see those details repeated, they are five years old.
The closest thing to a launch night this year is the first Meet the Snowman session at SouthGate on 19 November, below.
Where the lights are
The BID has not said which streets get the new lights. They come from The Festive Lighting Company, on a theme the BID calls “Understated Elegance”, meant to show off the architecture rather than cover it. Its chief executive, Allison Herbert, said the aim is to give people “more reasons to visit the city” beyond the Christmas Market.
Last winter the BID’s own list of what it lit was:
- Southgate Street and New Orchard Street, where it draped the street trees in lights
- Union Passage, Northumberland Place and North Parade Passage
- Westgate Street and Cheap Street
- Bath Abbey
Expect the lights to be up by the time the Bath Christmas Market opens on Thursday 26 November: the market’s own site gives Thursday 26 November to Sunday 13 December 2026.
Walking with The Snowman: the trail
The BID’s first sculpture trail for Christmas has 12 larger-than-life Snowman figures, based on Raymond Briggs’ book, each decorated after a verse of The Twelve Days of Christmas, from Partridge in a Pear Tree to Twelve Drummers Drumming. It runs from 19 November 2026 to 28 January 2027 and is free. The sculptures are made by Wild in Art, which says some have stood on its earlier Snowman trails.
The BID’s Welcome to Bath trail page says it is “currently deciding on the locations”, so there is no map yet.
Businesses supporting it include Bath Abbey, the Victoria Art Gallery, Thermae Bath Spa, Wylde Jewellers, SouthGate Bath, The Apex City of Bath, Visit West and the Fudge Factory, and the BID is asking shops to add Snowman window displays.
Meet the Snowman: times and places
| Day | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 19 November | 4.30pm | SouthGate Bath |
| Saturday 21 November | 11.30am and 12.30pm | SouthGate Bath |
| Saturday 21 November | 2pm and 4pm | Bath Abbey |
Times are from the BID’s trail page. No booking or charge is mentioned.
The World of The Snowman at the Victoria Art Gallery
The exhibition runs at the Victoria Art Gallery, by Pulteney Bridge, from 20 November 2026 to 28 February 2027, 10.30am to 5pm. It has the original illustrations from the 1978 book, set-ups from the animated film, artwork from The Snowman and The Snowdog, and a family activity area with a recreation of the red plane. A free guided tour is included on Thursdays, 1.30pm to 2pm.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult (19+) | £12.00 |
| Student, full time | £11.50 |
| Senior (65+) | £11.50 |
| Child (6 to 18) | £5.50 |
| Child under 6 | Free |
| Family, 2 adults and up to 4 children | £27.00 |
| Family, 1 adult and up to 4 children | £18.00 |
Those are the prices on the gallery’s exhibition page on 21 October, higher than the gallery listed in September for concessions, children and families. The gallery is council-run and its tickets page points B&NES residents to the Discovery Card scheme; check the terms for this exhibition before relying on it.
The Snowman with a live orchestra
Bath Philharmonia plays the score of The Snowman live to a screening of the film at The Forum on Saturday 19 December, 3pm to 4pm, according to the BID’s trail page, with a selection of other seasonal music. The Forum’s booking page sits behind a queue system that blocked our checks, so ticket prices are not confirmed here.
Other Christmas lights nearby
- The Roman Baths light the torches around the Great Bath at about 4pm in winter. Details on our Roman Baths at Christmas page.
- Bath on Ice in Royal Victoria Park opens on 20 November, with lights around the rink.
- Bath Abbey at Christmas: services and concerts.
- Everything else this month: what’s on in Bath.
Still to be confirmed
- Where the new lights go and the date they come on (Bath BID).
- The 12 Snowman sculpture locations and any trail map.
- Ticket prices for Bath Philharmonia’s Snowman at The Forum.
Getting in during December: parking in Bath, Christmas market parking charges and the Bath roadworks page.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Bath Christmas lights switch-on in 2026?
None has been announced. Bath BID, which runs the city centre lights, announced new lighting for 2026 on 4 September with no ceremony, and its 2025 lights announcement mentioned none. The nearest thing to a launch is Meet the Snowman at SouthGate on Thursday 19 November at 4.30pm, the day the Snowman trail starts.
When is the Snowman trail in Bath?
Walking with The Snowman runs from 19 November 2026 to 28 January 2027: 12 large Snowman sculptures across the city centre, each decorated after a verse of The Twelve Days of Christmas. It is free. Bath BID says it is still deciding where the sculptures will stand.
Where are the Christmas lights in Bath?
Bath BID has not named this year’s streets. Last year it lit Southgate Street and New Orchard Street, Union Passage, Northumberland Place, North Parade Passage, Westgate Street, Cheap Street and Bath Abbey.
Have your say