What to expect at Helensburgh Winter Festival 2026

What to expect at Helensburgh Winter Festival 2026

A spectacular weekend of live entertainment, festive shopping, street food, family fun and community celebrations awaits in Colquhoun Square on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th November 2026.

Helensburgh Winter Festival is back for its 15th anniversary, promising another fantastic weekend of festive celebrations in the heart of Helensburgh.

Taking place on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th November 2026, Colquhoun Square will once again be transformed into a bustling festive hub, bringing together local businesses, talented performers, independent traders and thousands of visitors for one of the town’s most eagerly anticipated annual events.

Now celebrating 15 years, the festival has become a much-loved tradition for families and visitors from across Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute and beyond, offering a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the festive atmosphere while supporting local businesses and the wider community.

Visitors can look forward to a packed weekend of festive entertainment, shopping and family fun, with something for everyone!
🎄 A Fabulous Festive Market
Browse a fantastic selection of stalls offering unique gifts, handmade crafts, artisan products, festive treats and much more. It’s the perfect opportunity to get ahead with Christmas shopping while supporting independent traders and small businesses.
🍔 Delicious Street Food
Come hungry! A tempting selection of street food vendors will be serving up delicious dishes, sweet treats and warming refreshments throughout the weekend.
🎡 Funfair Rides for All Ages
From exciting rides to family favourites, there’ll be plenty of funfair attractions to keep visitors of all ages entertained.
🎅 Helensburgh HEART Santa Dash – Saturday 28th November
One of Saturday’s highlights will be the Helensburgh HEART Santa Dash, bringing a sea of Santas and plenty of festive cheer to the town centre!
• 12.15pm – Santa Dash warm-up
• 12.30pm – Santa Dash begins
Whether you’re taking part or cheering everyone on, it’s sure to be a fantastic spectacle and a wonderful celebration of community spirit.

A Packed Weekend of Live Entertainment

The festivities will kick off on Saturday with a Grand Opening on the Festival Stage, featuring a performance from Singer Station, followed by the stirring sounds of the Colquhoun Pipe Band – a brilliant way to launch our 15th anniversary celebrations!

Following the Santa Dash, the Festival Stage will come alive with an exciting programme of music, dance and entertainment continuing throughout the weekend. We’re delighted to welcome an incredible line-up of performers, including:

• Boogie Box Jive – bringing their infectious energy to the stage.
• The Rock Choir– filling the square with fantastic harmonies.
• HMS Neptune Volunteer Band– always a wonderful addition to our festival entertainment.
• The Dance Academy and Margaret Rose School of Dance – showcasing talented dancers with performances for the whole family.
• Charlie Ferguson – our very own local singing sensation!
• Craig & Debbz – our dynamic duo from last year’s festival, returning by popular demand!
• Blue Horizon – the seasoned blues band making a welcome return.
• The Brown Wellies – bringing some fantastic local rock and indie sounds to the celebrations.

And there’s a particularly exciting treat in store! Craig will also be performing part of his Elvis tribute act, following his viral Elvis performance at last month’s Big Beach Busk in Edinburgh. If you missed the performance that’s been getting everyone talking, here’s your chance to catch a little Elvis magic live in Helensburgh!

And that’s not all! We’re keeping a few surprises up our sleeves, with Devine Magic joining the festivities to entertain our younger visitors, along with some extra special surprises throughout the weekend. With such a varied line-up, there’s guaranteed to be something to get everyone into the festive spirit!

Celebrating 15 years of community spirit

For 15 years, Helensburgh Winter Festival has brought people together, helped showcase local talent and provided a valuable boost to town-centre businesses during the festive season.
The festival is a community-led event, and its continued success relies on the dedication of organisers, volunteers, local businesses, sponsors and supporters.
This year’s celebrations are particularly significant, as the festival has faced additional funding challenges following an unsuccessful application for financial support from Argyll and Bute Council.
The organisers are extremely grateful to Helensburgh HEART – Events Funding & Reinvestment Trust for awarding a grant towards this year’s event, providing vital support to help bring the festival to life.
However, further sponsorship and community fundraising remain essential to help cover the considerable costs involved in staging a free-to-attend event of this scale.
Local businesses and individuals who would like to support the festival are encouraged to get involved through the festival’s sponsorship and fundraising campaign.
Every contribution helps keep this much-loved community tradition alive for future generations.

Join Us for the Celebrations!

Whether you’re looking for unique Christmas gifts, delicious food, fantastic live entertainment or simply a wonderful festive day out with family and friends, Helensburgh Winter Festival 2026 promises a weekend to remember!

Dates: Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th November 2026

Location: Colquhoun Square, Helensburgh

Admission: Free entry

For the latest festival news, entertainment updates and information on supporting the event, visit:

www.helensburghwinterfestival.co.uk

Follow Helensburgh Winter Festival on Facebook for announcements and updates as the big weekend approaches.

15 Years of Festive Magic – Come and Celebrate With Us!

How Can You Help?

If you would like to help us by volunteering, sponsorship, or providing support in any other way, feel free to send us a message or email us at: media@helensburghwinterfestival.co.uk

Donations

We have an even smaller budget this year due to a lack of funding from Argyll and Bute Council, plus rising costs for insurance, road closures, etc., so any donations, no matter how small, will make a huge difference! You can donate online via our Donorbox page, via the link below 👇

📅 Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th November 2026
🕙 10am – 5pm
📍 Colquhoun Square, Helensburgh, G84

15 years of Helensburgh Winter Festival – let’s make this one to remember! 🎄✨