Festive opening times at Highcross

Highcross Leicester has confirmed its opening hours for the festive season, helping shoppers plan ahead for gift buying, Christmas meet-ups and seasonal days out at the centre.

The centre will follow its standard core trading hours up to and including Friday, 12 December. From Saturday 13 December, opening times will be as follows*:

Saturday 13 December: 9am – 8pm

Sunday 14 December: 11am – 5pm

Monday 15 - Friday 19 December: 9.30am – 8pm

Saturday 20 December: 9am – 8pm

Sunday 21 December: 11am – 5pm

Monday 22 - Tuesday 23 December: 9.30am – 8pm

Christmas Eve (Wednesday 24 December): 9am – 5pm

Christmas Day (Thursday 25 December): Closed

Boxing Day (Friday 26 December): 10am – 6pm

Saturday 27 December: 9am – 7pm

Sunday 28 December: 11am – 5pm

Monday 29 - Tuesday 30 December: 9.30am – 8pm

New Year’s Eve (Wednesday 31 December): 9am – 5pm

New Year’s Day (Thursday 1 January): Closed (some restaurants and Showcase Cinema de Lux will open)

Friday 2 January: Return to normal core trading hours

*Individual store times may vary and visitors are encouraged to check retailer websites before travelling.

Alongside festive shopping, visitors can also continue to enjoy performances of The Candy Cane Factory - Highcross’ first-ever pop-up pantomime - which runs every Saturday, with one final performance on Tuesday 23 December.

The free, 20-minute show, situated on the upper mall next to River Island and Next, is available to drop-in, with no booking required. As the centrepiece of Highcross’ festive celebrations, the panto invites families to join Santa’s elves on a mission to fix a candy cane mix-up and save Christmas cheer. Shows run twice every hour, with SENS-friendly performances taking place 11am – 12pm on the first three Saturdays in December.

Speaking about the season so far, Michelle Menezes, Centre Director at Highcross, said:

“Christmas is always a magical time at Highcross, but this year has been particularly special because of the experiences we’ve been able to unveil. Our brand-new pop-up panto has been a real highlight, with hundreds joining in since we opened just a few weeks ago, with families leaving grinning ear-to-ear.

“We’ve also been delighted by the reaction to t our new candy canethemed decorations, which have made shoppers stop in their tracks to take pictures, and grab festive family photos around the centre.

Visitors coming into the centre from our multi-storey car park can also ‘follow the yellow brick road’ – it has been a joy to see people of all ages dancing, skipping and filming themselves as they make their way along the festive yellow brick road.

Moments like these really sum up what this time of year means to us all - community, celebration and creating special memories.

“With the panto, our Festive Food Fayre and a brilliant programme of live performances from local choir groups, we’re ending 2025 on a real high. We’re excited to welcome even more visitors over the Christmas period, where they can dine, shop and spend time all under one roof. From all of us here at Highcross, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!”

Highcross’ Festive Food Fayre in St Peter’s Square continues throughout the month, serving seasonal treats and Christmas favourites for shoppers to enjoy.

For further information about Highcross Leicester, visit the centre’s website or follow its social media channels - Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X.