Stafford Borough Council has not published a 2026 switch-on date. Stone's is confirmed for Thursday 19 November, 5pm, lights on at 7pm on the High Street.

Two switch-ons matter in this borough, and as of 5 September 2026 only one of them has a date.

Stone’s is confirmed: Thursday 19 November 2026, the event opening at 5pm with the lights switched on at 7pm, on the High Street. That comes from Stone Town Council’s own published events calendar for 2026, which lists it as a town council event.

Stafford’s has not been announced. Stafford Borough Council’s events calendar for November 2026 lists four things and no switch-on: the Stone farmers’ market on 7 November, the Remembrance Day service and parade on Sunday 8 November, the Two Minutes Silence campaign on 11 November and the Stafford Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market on Saturday 14 November. The council’s news page has published nothing about Christmas either, the most recent item being 4 September.

When the Stafford date is likely to appear

Last year the council announced it on 28 October, three and a half weeks before the event. If it repeats that timing, the 2026 date should be published in the last week of October. This page will be updated the day it is.

Do not trust the dates circulating on aggregator sites. Several of them are showing “Thursday 19 November” against Stafford, which is Stone’s date, taken from Stone Town Council’s calendar and relabelled.

What Stafford’s switch-on looked like in 2025

Everything below is from the borough council’s own coverage and describes last year’s event, not this year’s. It is the best guide to what to expect.

The council’s preview, published 28 October 2025, put the 2025 event on Saturday 22 November, with the lights coming on at 5pm in Market Square. On the bill were Britain’s Got Talent magician Jack Rhodes, the Mayor of Stafford Borough, Councillor Jenny Barron, Father Christmas and cast members from the Gatehouse panto, then Sleeping Beauty. Live music and street entertainment ran through the afternoon, and a firework display followed the switch-on.

The practical details from the same piece:

  • A 40ft decorated Christmas tree in the square, with a giant video screen so the crowd at the back could see
  • Market Square’s main area closed from 4.45pm for safety
  • Vibe 1 providing commentary from the stage
  • Organisers advising people to arrive early

They were right to. The council’s follow-up on 22 November 2025 put the crowd at around 10,000 people.

What Stone’s switch-on looked like in 2025

Stone’s 2026 date is fixed but its programme is not published yet. In 2025 the town council ran it on Thursday 20 November, opening at 5pm with the lights on at 7pm, and the write-up lists what filled the two hours in between:

  • Alleynes Drama Society performing scenes from their Christmas pantomime
  • A combined schools’ choir led by Mr Harrison of Christchurch Academy
  • Warwick’s Funfair on Market Square and down the High Street
  • Food, trade and charity stalls
  • The lights switched on by the Town Mayor and Father Christmas, with the winners of the Mayor’s Christmas card competition

The 2026 timings, 5pm open and 7pm switch-on, are the same as 2025, so the shape of the evening is unlikely to change much.

Parking and road closures

Neither council has published road closures for 2026 yet. What is known is that in 2025 the main area of Stafford’s Market Square shut from 4.45pm, and Stone’s funfair occupies Market Square and part of the High Street, which in practice takes the High Street out of use for the evening.

Both events are early evening on a weekday or a Saturday, so the car park tariff matters. Our parking guide covers what a full day costs in both towns, including Stone’s two hours free, and the roadworks and travel page tracks live closures on the approach roads.

The rest of the festive calendar, so far

Three dates in the borough are already fixed and published:

  • Stone Christmas market, Saturday 28 November, 10am to 3pm, High Street
  • Stafford Christmas Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market, Saturday 12 December, 9am to 3pm, Market Square
  • Borough Carol Service, Sunday 20 December, 6.30pm to 8.30pm

Aladdin, the Gatehouse pantomime, opens on Friday 4 December and runs to Sunday 3 January.