Bluewater Christmas Opening Hours: 9am to 10pm From 14 Dec

Bluewater has published 18 days of special Christmas opening hours for 2026: 9am to 10pm from Monday 14 to Wednesday 23 December (except Sunday 20), 9am to 5pm on Christmas Eve, closed on Christmas Day and 10am to 7pm on Boxing Day. The first change comes earlier, with 9am to 9pm on Black Friday, 27 November. Parking is free all day.

These are Bluewater’s core hours, from the special hours list on its own opening hours page. Bluewater says restaurants, bars and leisure places keep their own times and many stay open later, so check the shop or restaurant you are going to. Last checked 14 November 2026.

Overview

• Black Friday, 27 November: 9am to 9pm.
• 14 to 23 December: 9am to 10pm, every day except Sunday 20 December.
• Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December: 9am to 5pm.
• Christmas Day, Friday 25 December: closed.
• Boxing Day, Saturday 26 December: 10am to 7pm.
• 28 to 30 December: 9am to 9pm.
• New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day: 10am to 6pm both days.
• Parking: free, all day, with 13,000 spaces.

Bluewater opening hours, day by day

Bluewater’s special hours list has no entry for Sunday 20 or Sunday 27 December, so the table gives its normal Sunday hours for those two days.

Because Boxing Day falls on a Saturday this year, the Boxing Day bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December (GOV.UK).

Normal opening hours

Outside the dates above, Bluewater’s core hours are: (Bluewater)

• Monday to Friday: 10am to 9pm.
• Saturday: 9am to 9pm.
• Sunday: 11am to 5pm.

So the Christmas change adds an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening on weekdays from 14 December, and an extra hour on Saturday 19 December.

Parking and getting there

Parking at Bluewater is free all day, every day, across 13,000 spaces, with accessible bays by every entrance and parent and child bays in each car park. If you need Shopmobility, park in the Yellow car park (Bluewater). Our parking in Dartford page covers the town centre car parks and the Bluewater car park rules.

For road closures and rail engineering work before a trip, see Dartford roadworks and travel. There are no trains on Christmas Day, and Southeastern’s plans for the rest of the Christmas week are on our Christmas trains page.

Also at Bluewater this Christmas

• The ice rink outside The Village is open every day except Christmas Day until 3 January, with tickets from £13. Times and prices are on our Bluewater ice rink page.
• Winterland, the funfair outside The Village, opens daily from 5 December, 12pm to 9pm at weekends and from 19 December, with £3 entry. See our Winterland page.

Both keep their own hours, separate from the shops’. For the rest of the season, from the lights to the pantomime, see Christmas in Dartford.

Sources

• Bluewater: opening hours
• Bluewater: parking
• GOV.UK: bank holidays

Frequently asked questions

Is Bluewater open on Christmas Day 2026?

No. Bluewater lists Friday 25 December 2026 as closed.

What time does Bluewater close on Christmas Eve?

5pm. Bluewater opens 9am to 5pm on Thursday 24 December 2026.

What are Bluewater’s Boxing Day hours?

10am to 7pm on Saturday 26 December 2026.

Is Bluewater open on New Year’s Day?

Yes, 10am to 6pm on Friday 1 January 2027, the same hours as New Year’s Eve.