Step into Perth, Perthshire and Kinross-shire this year, and discover big events, a great choice of quality, independent shops and a whole area brimming with fun for all the family!
Back for 2024, a procession of festive cabins will offer up gifts and goodies from a host of your favourite local traders.
This trail of gorgeous wooden cabins will showcase some of the best of Perth’s independent retailers and local, quality artisans.
Running each day from 22nd November to 19th December, you can expect to find plenty of inspiration for gifts, treats for yourself, and a warm, Perth city welcome.
Stalls change over the period; here's a little flavour of what to expect:
This wonderful Christmas Show is recieving rave reviews.
it follows the story of a young novice nun Maria, whose free spirit has trouble fitting in with the regulations of the convent.
She leaves to be a governess to seven motherless children, while contemplating whether to commit to life as a nun.
Maria transforms the von Trapp family home from a place of strict rules to one filled with joy, laughter, and music.
In the process, she falls in love with the children, capturing their hearts and finding herself drawn to their widower father, Captain von Trapp.
Everyone's favourite sing along story.
Accessible Performances - Audio Described: 14 Dec 2pm, BSL: 15 Dec 2pm, Captioned: 11 Dec 2pm, Relaxed and Dementia Friendly: 12 Dec 2pm.
Price: £16 - £33
Location: Main House, Perth Theatre
Everyone’s favourite Christmas night out, the 2024 Panto at Perth Theatre is the wonderful tale of Mother Goose.
This year’s colourful characters include Mother Gabi Goose, Greta Garbage, and Grayson, Mother Goose's bird-daft, Springwatch obsessed son. You can expect lots of panto themed nonsense, a vibrant and colourful show, and a whole heap of Christmas spirit to carry you through the season… OH YES YOU CAN!
Relaxed performances: Sun 15 Dec: 13:00 + Fri 27 Dec: 14:00
The Perthshire Artisans Winter Exhibition features work from many local creatives and artists.
With a selection of original and beautifully made work from glass and mosaic artists, jewellers, painters, illustrators, textile artists, ceramicists and more, here you will find inspiring ideas for gifts, special occasions or even a treat for yourself.
From original framed paintings to mounted prints, centrepiece ceramics for everyday use and enjoyment, eye-catching glass art and mosaics, and unusual and unique jewellery pieces, you can enjoy the diversity of the region’s creative talent all under one roof.
Join Scone Palace for theirCandlelit Tours and experience the stunning staterooms decorated for Christmas. Guided Christmas Tours will run twice a day at 11.30am and 1.30pm on selected dates throughout December. Tour tickets are cost £22 per person.
See the grand State Rooms adorned with magical decorations, sparkling candles, shiny baubles, and magnificent Christmas trees.
You can also pick up some unique Christmas gifts and treats from the Palace shop before relaxing in The Coffee Shop with a hot drink and home-baked festive treats.
The Black Watch Castle and Museum run a varied and exciting calendar of events for adults, children and families throughout the Christmas period. Our advice is to book early!
Dec 5th - Carols with Perth Choral Society, featuring an festive afternoon tea paired with carol singing from the Perth Choral Society.
Dec 7th - Winter Festival complete with a Santa Tour, storytelling, elf training workshops, and much more.
Dec 12th - Christmas at the Castle including a festive evening of songs and carols by the Police Community Choir, cooking demonstrations, welcome drink and a two-course Christmas dinner.
Dec 15th - Breakfast with Santa featuring a festive breakfast and a special visit from Santa.
Dec 20th - Afternoon Tea with Santa where families can enjoy a festive afternoon tea and meet Santa.
Dec 21st - Christmas Sing-Along and Xmas Lunch with Michael Ellacott with a sing-along and 2 course festive lunch.
For the energetic revellers, all the fun of the Santa Run returns to Perth city once again.
After a good warm up, and a lot of ho-ho-ho-ing, this 5k for all the family starts at Horsecross Plaza on Mill Street before heading over both bridges to finish at the North Inch.
This race is both family and dog friendly.
Entry price includes Santa suit, goodie bag and finishers medal.
Even if running isn't for you, pop along to appreciate the spectacle that is hundreds of Santas pounding the pavements of Perth!
Come along and enjoy all things Christmassy in the beautiful Village of Kenmore between 2pm and 6pm. With market stalls, a bouncy castle, a magical walk, Pipers and a Mr and Mrs Claus Grotto, there reallyis something for the whole family.
The Christmas Lights switch on is at 4.30pm and live music and performances by Aberfeldy Gaelic Choir and Kenmore Primary School will take place throughout the day.
Come and join in two days of spectacular Christmas fun on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December from 10am to 4pm in the big tattie sheds at Old Fargie Farm (just five minutes from Arngask).
There will be shopping galore from a huge number of small businesses ranging from food, drink, gifts and more. This is the ideal opportunity to get some Christmas shopping done or treat yourself to some goodies. There will also be an excellent opportunity to grab some Christmas food for the freezer, with a real focus on farm produce.
Choose from a massive range of Christmas experiences – including Santa's grotto, arts and crafts for the kids, cookery demos, agricultural experiences for kids including seeing some animals, 'Christmas tales', photography sessions, art for adults and so much more.
Free entry with a donation pot for parking.
Join the Murthly Community as they raise funds for Murthly Primary School, at Uisage Bar and Restaurant between 12 and 4pm and get a great start to the festive season by gathering up some Christmas goodies!
There will be a variety of stalls on offer, run by local crafters, jewellers, jam makers, candle makers and more! Free entry.
Celebrate Midwinter together, when we look back on the year with kindness and move forward with hope. With daily crafts, delicious food, hot spiced apple juice on arrival and a puppet show pantomime every day! Open 10am with last admission 3pm. Dog friendly and Café Open daily.
Programme of Events
Dec 14th and15th - Mead, Mistletoe and Mayhem. Crannog crafts, food and mead, storytelling, puppet shows and much more.
Dec 16th and 17th - Decorating for Yule. Making posies, bunting, garlands and all sorts of Yule-inspired crafts to decorate your home and our site.
Wood working workshops | Creating Festiva Wooden Decorations
Dec 18th to 20th - Winter in the Wild Wood. Three days of winter crafts, making decorations for your home from natural materials.
Dec 18th and 19th - Wreath and Garland Workshops
Dec 20th - Ukrainian Cross Stitch Workshop
Dec 21st to 23rd - Meet the Green Woman. Visit our druids grove, and meet figures from Celtic Folklore, as well as puppet pantos, songs, stories, pine cone decorations and more.
Dec 27th to 30th - Hogmanay Feasting Days. Welcome the New Year with festive foods, Celtic rituals, meet the Lord of Misrule and do the first footing on our new site.
One of Scotland and the UK's most significant historical objects returns to Perthshire in over 700 years.
Visitors will be taken on a 10-minute immersive journey through the Stone's long and mysterious history before being provided with an up-close encounter with the impressive object itself.
Tickets are free and can be acquired from the Box Office.
Waters Rising explores narratives and artifacts related to flooding from Scotland and beyond, spanning biblical tales, Ancient Egypt, North America, and recent local incidents.
The exhibition addresses the escalating threat of the global climate crisis, highlighting the effects of flooding and extreme weather on communities, businesses, and infrastructure in Perth and Kinross.
It also features photographs, memories, and stories contributed by local residents.
Visit the Scottish Crannog centre this spring and enjoy hands on crafts, explore ancient history and immerse yourself in an Iron Age Village on the shores of Loch Tay.
All of the events below will run from 10am with last entry at 3pm, and the Crannog's delicious café will be open serving hot and cold drinks and homemade food. All are welcome, including the family pet.
Imbolg, 1st Feb - Celebrate the coming of Spring with a Celtic Festival of Light. Enjoy candle making, snowdrop crafts and Spring stories
Valentine’s Day, 14th Feb - A celebration of connection and affection with all our loved ones. Bring your favourite people for a special time to show how much you care.
Spring Equinox, 21st Mar - Welcome in the brighter days to come! Join us in the season of the Mad March Hare for Spring nonsense!
Curated by new Artistic Director Alan Cumming, this fantastic event offers two fully-packed days of author talks, theatre, literary lunches, morning yoga and foodie delights. Visit Pitlochry Festival Theatre's website for full details on each, and booking.
The programme of authors includes Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart, celebrated crime writer Val McDermid, Mayflies and Caledonian Road author Andrew O’Hagan and broadcaster and journalist Kirsty Wark, who will all be in conversation with Alan Cumming about their work.
Former Scots Makar Liz Lochhead, the current Edinburgh Makar Michael Pedersen; Scottish Indian writer Arun Sood; Scotland’s Geographer Royal Jo Sharp; author James Jauncey in conversation with First Minister of Scotland John Swinney; the Highland Hutter Peter MacQueen as well as Fierce Salvage: Contemporary Scottish Publishing, with the award-winning independent publishing house 404 Ink and author Titilayo Farukuoye chaired by Heather Parry.
For food lovers, there are literary lunches with cuisine write and restaurateur Carina Contini, MasterChef 2022 finalist and food writer Sarah Rankin and chef and Café Canna owner Gareth Cole. Food Tourism Ambassador Ghillie Bașan will talk about food, whisky and life accompanied by whisky tastings.
Join Finlay Wilson, the author of Kilted Yoga, for a morning yoga session, or to join the runner and author Chris Carse Wilson on a 5km run with readings from his book Fray.
For theatre lovers, there is A Room of One’s Own, dramatised by Firebrand Theatres from the writings of Virginia Woolf and performed by Ellie Zeegen. The rehearsed reading The Race to 1984 by Richard Baron celebrates author George Orwell’s battle to complete his masterpiece in a Scottish hospital.
Each May, Perth Festival of the Arts becomes the gem in Scotland’s cultural calendar. From 22-31 May 2025, the 10-day arts-packed Festival is set to bring world-class artists to cultural and historic venues across the city, while promoting the best up-and-coming local and Scottish talent.
Featuring big names like Sir Lenny Henry and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, 2025’s programme celebrates a wide range of arts including classical music and opera, jazz and rock music, children’s shows, the visual arts, literature, and comedy.
Tickets are now on sale for the Festival’s first three major shows, with the rest of the programme launching in March.
Join Perth Festival of the Arts for a glorious evening of classical music’s best-loved repertoire with one of the top orchestras in the Asia-Pacific region.
The orchestra will perform two of the most popular works from the operatic and ballet repertoire including Bizet’s scintillating Carmen Suite and music from perhaps the greatest of all ballets: Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Consistently chart-topping Classic FM’s Hall of Fame,
Vaughan Williams nostalgic masterpiece The Lark Ascending continues the popular programme.
One of the most versatile cellists of the present day Wen-Sinn Yang performs Tchaikovsky’s magnificent Rococo Variations before Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 brings the concert to an energetic close.
Renowned comedian, actor, writer and Comic Relief co-founder, Sir Lenny Henry has had a vibrant career for over 50 years covering every inch of entertainment.
Rising as a cult star on children’s television to becoming one of Britain’s best known performers, Lenny has transformed from a Shakespearean Othello to a harfoot in Amazon's Lord of the Rings, a druid in The Witcher, a grocer in his acclaimed Bush Theatre play and many more.
Offstage, Lenny has become a diversity champion, successful children's author, philanthropist and knight.
In this eclectic evening, Sir Lenny Henry will triumphantly return to stand up and then dive into the details with Fred MacAulay, closing with an audience Q&A.
Over a decade since Lenny's last stand up tour, don't miss this rare chance to see Sir Lenny Henry live!
Join Mike Lovatt's Brass Pack and special guest singer Anna-Jane Casey for a spectacular Perth Festival concert of big band swing, featuring iconic songs from much-loved MGM Musicals and Hollywood's biggest movies.
This extraordinary, hand-picked Brass Orchestra, formed by virtuoso trumpeter Mike Lovatt, explodes with fresh new arrangements and exciting compositions by Colin Skinner.
Packed with orchestral colour, the group features highly acclaimed vocalists, swinging French horns, jazz rhythms section, an array of Latin percussion, timpani, harp, and tubas.
More details to follow on all of these great events!
Chinese New Year Event in Perth City Centre - Saturday 25th January
The following venues offer a year round selection of events, shows, and days and nights out.
If you're travelling from further afield, why not make a short break or holiday of it and book into one of our fantastic hotels, guest houses or glamping pods!
Check out more ideas for a fantastic Perthshire break here:
- Quirky Accommodation in Perthshire >
- Spa Breaks and Hot Tub Hideaways >
- City Centre Restaurants >
- Think Big Perthshire Activities >
Keep an eye on our Facebook page for full updates on all of the events and festivals listed below, and the new ones yet to come.