Battersea Arts Centre's grotto runs 4 to 24 December at £15 a child. Brixton Windmill's is Sunday 6 December at £5. Brixton Village's Black Santa is TBC.

Two Santa’s grottos near Clapham have published their 2026 dates: Battersea Arts Centre, for three weeks before Christmas, and Brixton Windmill, for one afternoon. Brixton Village’s Black Santa, the other local favourite, has not been announced yet.

The quick answer

  • Battersea Arts Centre: Friday 4 to Thursday 24 December, 9.30am to 5.30pm. £15 a child, plus a £2 fee per order. Book a time slot in advance.
  • Brixton Windmill: Sunday 6 December, Santa from 1pm to 3pm at the Festive Fair. £5 a child.
  • Brixton Village Black Santa: not yet announced for 2026. In 2025 he appeared on Saturday 29 November, 1pm to 5pm.

Battersea Arts Centre, 4 to 24 December

The Battersea Arts Centre on Lavender Hill, a short walk from Clapham Junction, sets up a grotto in its building every day from 4 to 24 December. Children tell Santa what they want, are added to the nice list and get a gift from him.

Detail What BAC says
Dates 4 to 24 December 2026
Times 9.30am to 5.30pm, in booked time slots
Price £15 per child, plus a £2 transaction fee on each order
Ages All ages
Access Ground floor, step-free; a Relaxed event

Arrive on time. BAC says it cannot guarantee a visit if you miss your slot, and that you may still queue for a short while before you meet Santa. The grotto involves contact with performers. The price shown is a suggested price; you can pay more to support the centre’s access work.

BAC has two other Christmas shows for young children in the same weeks: Dear Santa, a stage version of the book by the author of Dear Zoo, for ages two and up, from 28 November to 24 December, and a Festive Soft Play for ages 0 to 5 from 1 to 24 December.

Brixton Windmill, Sunday 6 December

The Friends of Windmill Gardens hold their Santa’s Grotto & Festive Fair at the windmill off Blenheim Gardens, SW2 5DA, on Sunday 6 December, noon to 3.30pm.

  • Santa’s grotto, 1pm to 3pm. Santa greets each child with a small wrapped gift and families can take a photo. £5 a child.
  • Free arts and crafts for children in the Green Hut all afternoon.
  • Festive wreath workshops for adults at 12.30pm and 2pm, £16 plus a booking fee, for ages 14 and over, booked through Eventbrite.
  • Christmas choirs and music, with mulled wine, hot drinks and snacks from the cafe and the windmill shop open.

It is a small community event run by volunteers, and the grotto is inside a working windmill, so expect a queue.

Brixton Village: Black Santa, to be confirmed

Brixton Village has not published a 2026 Christmas programme; its 2026 Christmas page does not exist yet. In 2025 its programme brought Noir Kringle, its Black Santa, to Market Row on Saturday 29 November, 1pm to 5pm, for family photos. Our Christmas markets page will carry the 2026 programme when it is out.

One page to ignore

Active Lambeth still has a “Santa’s Grotto on Tour” page listing visits to Streatham, Clapham, West Norwood and Brixton leisure centres in mid-December. Its images were uploaded in December 2024 and it names no year, so it describes a past season. Do not plan around it until Active Lambeth publishes 2026 dates.

Getting there

Battersea Arts Centre is on Lavender Hill, up the hill from Clapham Junction station. Brixton Windmill is a walk from Brixton station up Brixton Hill. Neither venue has parking for visitors: our parking in Clapham page covers the controlled zones, and the roadworks and travel page carries closures in force that week.

More for Christmas in Clapham

Frequently asked questions

How much is Santa’s grotto at Battersea Arts Centre?

£15 per child, plus a £2 transaction fee on each order, for a booked time slot between 9.30am and 5.30pm from 4 to 24 December.

Is there a free Santa’s grotto near Clapham?

None has been announced for 2026. The cheapest is Brixton Windmill’s on Sunday 6 December at £5 a child, and its fair and children’s crafts are free.

Is Brixton Village’s Black Santa back in 2026?

Not announced yet. Last year he came on the opening Saturday of the Christmas programme, 29 November.

Sources