Santa Bus returns to Brighton & Hove – Track the magic live!

We are thrilled to announce the return of our beloved Santa Bus, bringing festive cheer to communities across the city from Monday 24 November to Tuesday 23 December. Now in its 22nd year, the Santa Bus will light up the streets nightly, delighting families and raising funds for local charities. 

This year, Santa Claus will be aboard his specially decorated bus, visiting a different neighbourhood each evening. You can follow his journey in real-time using the Santa Tracker, available here.

The Santa Bus will begin its route each night between 5:00pm and 5:30pm, finishing between 7:30pm and 8:30pm, depending on traffic. In the rare event of cancellation due to adverse weather, the route will not be repeated – though this has only occurred three times in the past two decades! 

The Santa Bus is more than just a festive spectacle – it’s a charitable initiative that has raised over £453,000 since its inception. This year, we are hoping to hit that milestone of £500,000! Donations will support 12 local charities and organisations, including the Mayor’s Charities. 

Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Councillor Amanda Grimshaw BEM said:

“I'm thrilled that this year’s Santa Bus will be supporting the Mayor’s Charities - Allsorts, Brighton Women’s Centre, Hove and Adur Sea Cadets, and Rockinghorse - alongside eleven other fantastic local organisations. This much-loved festive tradition brings joy to the streets of Brighton & Hove while shining a light on the vital work our charities do every day. I’m really looking forward to joining Santa, the charity teams, and the amazing volunteers to help spread cheer and raise much-needed funds for our community.” 

We encourage families to come out to give Santa a wave and donate to the causes. Businesses can also get involved by signing up as official Santa Bus Collection Points, helping to spread joy and support vital community work. 

Ed Wills, Managing Director of Brighton & Hove Buses said:

“Getting Santa out into our communities each year is one of the highlights of our calendar. The Santa Bus brings joy to thousands of people across the city and helps raise vital funds for local charities doing incredible work. We’re proud to continue this much-loved tradition and hope to reach our £500,000 fundraising milestone this year. It’s a magical way to celebrate the season together.” 

For full route maps, live tracking, and donation details, click here. And to watch the Santa Bus launch film click on this link.