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What's On

What's On in Watford

Things to do in and around Watford: events, days out and family activities, with the practical details.

Top story Santa's Grotto in Watford: Harlequin From 28 Nov, £5 a Family Santa's Christmas Emporium opens at the Harlequin on 28 November: £5 for up to five people, all of it to Watford Mencap. How booking, dog and SEND visits work. · 5 min read

Dates for the diary

  1. Tue 10 Nov Watford Open Mic 8pm · Watford Pump House · From £5
  2. Wed 11 Nov Josh Berry: Work In Progress 7.30pm · Watford Palace Theatre · From £11
  3. Thu 12 Nov Prof. Alice Roberts: From Cell to Civilisation 6.30pm · Watford Colosseum
  4. Thu 12 Nov Rennie Grove Peace Firewalk 6.30pm · Peace Hospice · From £25
  5. Fri 13 Nov ELO Again 6.30pm · Watford Colosseum
  6. Fri 13 Nov It Walks Around The House At Night 7.30pm · Watford Palace Theatre · From £13
  7. 13 to 14 Nov Instinct to Overthink: Album Listening Party JD's Events Centre · From £12.50
  8. Sat 14 Nov Cassiobury parkrun 9am · Cassiobury Park · Free
  9. Sun 15 Nov In The Room Festival 6.15pm · Watford Palace Theatre · From £33.50
  10. Wed 18 Nov Woodside Community Centre resident stakeholder group meeting 6pm · Combewood
  11. Wed 18 Nov Rhythm of the Dance Christmas Special 6.30pm · Watford Colosseum
  12. Thu 19 Nov Kilimanjaro & Me 7pm · Watford Palace Theatre · From £13

More stories

Watford Watford Santa Sleigh Routes 2026: Every Street From 1 December The Rotary Club of Watford's sleigh starts on Tuesday 1 December, 5.45pm to 8pm. All 13 street routes, the supermarket days and the Croxley and Ricky runs. · 7 min read Christmas Watford Ice Rink Tickets on Sale: Adults £12 Until 22 Nov Big Skate opens at Pondside on 5 December, with adults at £14 and children at £10, or £12 and £8 if you book before 23 November. Checked November 2026. · 7 min read Watford Ice Rinks Near Watford: 8 Places to Skate This Winter and What They Cost We checked 8 ice rinks near Watford, from Big Skate at Pondside to Planet Ice in Hemel, for 2026 dates, prices and rules. Updated November 2026. · 14 min read Christmas Christmas Shopping in Watford: From an 1876 Jeweller to the Hornets Shop We checked 14 Watford shops, from Jackson Jewellers to Millie Moo & Friends in the Harlequin, for opening hours and addresses. Updated November 2026. · 13 min read Christmas Where to Buy a Christmas Tree Near Watford, From A41 Farms to Your Door We checked 7 places to buy a real Christmas tree near Watford, from Carpenders Park to two farms off the A41, for dates and prices. Updated November 2026. · 11 min read Food & Drink Christmas Dinner in Watford 2026: Pubs With Prices Eight pubs in and around Watford with 2026 Christmas Day menus, from £49.99 to £104.95 a head, plus deposits and hygiene ratings. Checked November 2026. · 10 min read Theatre Watford Panto Bookings Ahead of Past Years, Says Its Writer Bookings for Watford Palace Theatre's A Christmas Carol panto are ahead of previous years, its writer says. Why Scrooge, the £25 seats and the access dates. · 6 min read Watford Watford Singer's Garage-Made Album: Listening Party 13 Nov Daniel Adamovic plays his garage-made debut album to a Watford crowd at JD's Events Centre on Friday 13 November. Doors 7pm, tickets £12.50, over-18s only. · 3 min read Watford Watford Santa Dash: Sun 6 Dec, Cassiobury Park, from £9.50 Watford Mencap's Santa Dash is Sunday 6 December at 10am in Cassiobury Park. Entry is now £14.50 for the 5k and £9.50 for the 1k, with four weeks left to enter. · 3 min read Watford Watford Halloween 2026: Trick or Treat Show and Haunted House Watford's 2026 Halloween ran from 26 to 31 October and ended with a free show and haunted house at Pondside. Dates for Halloween 2027 are not announced yet. · 7 min read Watford Watford Diwali 2026: Parade, Rangoli and the Palace Show Watford's 2026 Diwali ran on Sunday 1 November, with a parade to Pondside, rangoli lighting and a Palace Theatre show. Dates for 2027 are not announced yet. · 5 min read Events What's On in Watford: Lights 21 Nov, Santa From 28 Nov Watford's Christmas lights go on at Pondside at 5pm on Saturday 21 November. Santa is at the Harlequin from 28 November and the panto opens on the 29th. · 10 min read Remembrance Remembrance Sunday Watford: How the Town Marked 8 November Hundreds lined Watford town centre on 8 November for the parade and 3pm Peace Memorial service. Every 2026 service time, kept as a guide for next year. · 4 min read Christmas Hogwarts in the Snow 2026: 14 Nov to 17 Jan, from £58.50 Hogwarts in the Snow runs 14 November to 17 January at the Studio Tour in Leavesden. Adults £58.50, children £47, free shuttle from Watford Junction. · 3 min read Watford Watford Fireworks: 2026 Display Was 7 Nov, 2027 Date Not Set Watford's free 2026 fireworks were on Saturday 7 November in Cassiobury Park. The 2027 date is not out yet; here is what last year's display offered. · 6 min read Watford Watford Christmas Lights Switch-On: Parade 4pm, Lights 5pm Saturday 21 November: the parade leaves McDonald's at 4pm, Electric Umbrella play Pondside from 4.30pm and the new lights go on at 5pm. Free, with Santa due. · 6 min read Watford Watford Panto 2026: A Christmas Carol, Every Seat £25 A Christmas Carol runs at Watford Palace Theatre from 29 Nov to 3 Jan, every seat £25, with all dates and relaxed and captioned shows. Updated November 2026. · 5 min read Watford Watford Ice Rink: Big Skate, Pondside, 5 Dec to 3 Jan Big Skate is at Pondside from 5 December to 3 January, with adults at £14, children at £10 and a Quiet Skate session daily. Updated November 2026. · 6 min read