Sydney’s most beloved – and biggest! – Christmas festival is back and bigger than ever! After a five-year break since their sell-out 2019 event, the Sydney Santa Spectacular is returning for its sixth year, bringing the magic of the North Pole to the Blacktown Showgrounds from 12-26 December 2024.
Led by Australia’s own Mr and Mrs Claus – Jade and Josh Evans – and their dedicated team of ‘Santa’s Helpers’ including their six children, Sydney Santa Spectacular has become a Christmas institution, delivering a dazzling holiday wonderland that delights families from across Australia. This year, the festival returns with brand-new attractions, expanded festivities, and an all-new location at Blacktown Showgrounds.
“After a five year hiatus, we are thrilled to finally bring the Sydney Santa Spectacular back to our community. Covid stopped us in our tracks and then as events started to come back we staged smaller Christmas Fun Fair events – but this year feels right for Christmas to come back in a big way with the Sydney Santa Spectacular. We will once again stage Australia’s biggest – and best – Christmas festival. We know it’s been a tough time for festivals but we’re hoping everyone will get behind us and embrace the fun we’ll bring to Sydney this December. Since our first event in 2014 we’ve welcomed more than 400,000 people through our doors and this year we’ve pulled out all the stops – a brand-new circus show, a 300-tree enchanted forest, and so much more! We have kept prices down despite rising costs so families can attend a one price inclusive event. We can’t wait for everyone to come and experience the magic,” said Jade Evans, Founder and Director of Sydney Santa Spectacular. “
The 2024 Sydney Santa Spectacular promises a jam-packed holiday experience featuring three hours of unlimited rides and activities with every ticket. Highlights include:
- A whimsical enchanted forest with 300 twinkling Christmas trees that have been personally decorated, complete with falling snow every hour for an authentic North Pole experience. Bringing a cool white-Christmas experience to the hot Aussie summer.
- Australia’s only double-decker carousel, a host of other family-friendly carnival rides, as well as Rudolph’s Santa Train, Mrs. Claus’s festive bumper cars, toboggan rides and a new Circus Carnival walk through pop up.
- The all-new Rudolph’s Stables petting zoo, where children can meet and interact with adorable animals.
- An immersive live circus show under the big top, showcasing thrilling acts to wow audiences of all ages.
- Festive meet-and-greets with Santa and his team of elves, with every child receiving free reindeer food at Santa’s workshop.
- A special offering of Christmas themed foods including the families renowned dagwood dogs and more will be served from shiny silver Air-stream custom built food trucks.
The Evans family first introduced the dagwood dog to Australia in the early 1930s.
“We’re still hand making our Dagwood dogs using the recipe my Grandparents bought back from an American fair, along with Australia’s first food trucks,” said Josh Evans.
The Sydney Santa Spectacular has always been about more than just Christmas fun – it’s also about giving back to the community. This year, festival-goers are invited to bring a gift to place under the event’s towering Christmas ‘giving tree’, with all donations going to the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. Over the years, the Sydney Santa Spectacular team has hand-delivered more than 15,000 presents to children in need, as well as welcoming sick children and their families to the event for a special free pre-opening night that brings much needed Christmas cheer.
“The spirit of giving is at the heart of what we do,” said Jade Evans. “Josh and I have six beautiful children of our own, and seeing the smiles on children’s faces when we take Santa and the festive elves and sparkling Christmas fairies to deliver the gifts is incredibly rewarding. We’re so grateful to everyone who helps make it possible to create magical moments that last forever. Our eldest child Austin spent time in the children’s hospital after a horrific accident and what they did for him and us was incredible – and in more recent years our youngest River has been hospitalized multiple times with lung issues. We understand how hard it is to be in hospital at Christmas time when your child is sick – and this is just a small way we can give back for the help our family received, and also bring joy to families who are doing it tough. This year we hope to donate 10,000 gifts from our festival-goers.”
“Our families have been involved with major show events for close to 100 years – and now our kids are also involved in all we do, including being our ‘market research’ and inspiration for the Sydney Santa Spectacular. We have always been Christmas obsessed – we’ve travelled the world to some of the big international Christmas festivals and love bringing the best ideas to Sydney. Our seventeen-year-old daughter Ava will have her own air stream food truck that she saved up to buy at the event and our eighteen-year-old son Austin will also be running a food truck,” said Josh Evans.
Rounding out the family fun at the Sydney Santa Spectacular will be the Evans’ eleven-year-old twin daughters Willow and Faith and young elves Sparrow and River.
With past years’ events selling out, the 2024 Sydney Santa Spectacular is expected to be no different, so families are encouraged to book early. The Sydney Santa Spectacular is perfect for kids, parents, and even grandparents who want to experience the joy of Christmas in a vibrant, interactive setting.
Whether it’s taking a spin on Australia’s only double-decker carousel, visiting Santa’s Village, or singing along with the magical elves, this is one Christmas event that’s not to be missed!
For those eager to secure their spot, VIP ‘Early Elf’ tickets are available now with discounts of up to 50% off using the code FESTIVE. Early Elf tickets start at just $35 for a limited time, ending at midnight on Sunday. Don’t miss out on this fantastic offer – book now before they’re gone!
What: Sydney Santa Spectacular at Blacktown Showgrounds
Where: Blacktown Showgrounds, Blacktown, NSW
When: 12-26 December 2024 – Session times vary, check online for details
How Much: Early Elf tickets start at $35 per person with code FESTIVE (ends Sunday at midnight)
Tickets and information: www.sydneysantaspectacular.com
Social Media: Follow us at @SydneySantaSpectacular on Facebook and Instagram
