Dartford's free carol concert is Wednesday 9 December, 6.30pm, Central Park Outdoor Theatre. Free tickets came out in early November in 2024 and 2025.

Dartford Borough Council’s Carol Concert is on Wednesday 9 December 2026, 6.30pm to 7.30pm, at the Central Park Outdoor Theatre. It is free. Dartford Concert Band, the singer Tilly Pantlin and Fleet2 Signing Choir are performing, and the council will be handing out hot chocolate. (Dartford Borough Council)

The quick answer

  • When: Wednesday 9 December 2026, 6.30pm to 7.30pm.
  • Where: Central Park Outdoor Theatre, Dartford. The council points drivers to Acacia car park, DA1 1DJ.
  • Cost: free.
  • Who: Dartford Concert Band, Tilly Pantlin and Fleet2 Signing Choir.
  • Tickets: the 2026 listing does not mention tickets yet. In 2024 and 2025 the concert needed a free ticket, released in early November. Expect the same, but it is not confirmed.

Is it on this year?

Yes. The council’s own events list carries the 2026 concert, with the date, time, venue and line-up above. Its listing reads: “We’ll be handing out hot chocolate to get everyone in the festive spirit, but don’t forget to wrap up warm.” (Dartford Borough Council)

It is an outdoor evening event in December, so dress for the cold. Nothing on the listing says what happens in bad weather; we will add it if the council does.

Tickets: what happened the last two years

The council has run the concert on the same page for at least three years, and the Internet Archive kept copies of the earlier versions.

2024 2025 2026
Date Wednesday 11 December Wednesday 10 December Wednesday 9 December
Time 6.30pm to 7.30pm 6.30pm to 7.30pm 6.30pm to 7.30pm
Gates 6pm 6pm Not yet stated
Free tickets “Released on November 5” “Available from November 10” Not yet stated
Seating First come, first served First come, first served Not yet stated

Sources: 2024 listing, archived 2 November 2024; 2025 listing, archived 9 November 2025; 2026 listing.

So if the pattern holds, free tickets will appear in the first half of November. That is our reading of the last two years, not a council announcement. The council issues free event tickets through its event ticket form, which shows only events with tickets still available; on 17 October it listed none. Last year’s seating was first come, first served even with a ticket, so arrive when the gates open if you want a seat.

Getting there and parking

The council’s listing points concert-goers to Acacia car park (DA1 1DJ), entered from Darenth Road, at the Acacia end of Central Park. It is a paid council car park with a ticketless system, so there is no ticket to display; charges and the alternatives are on our parking in Dartford page. For road and rail disruption that evening, see Dartford roadworks and travel.

More of Dartford’s Christmas

  • Big Christmas Switch On: Saturday 14 November, Brewery Square, free, with lights on at about 5pm. See our switch-on page.
  • Santa’s House and Santa on Tour: Santa’s House at Acacia from 28 November, and Santa’s fire engine round the borough from 6 to 21 December. Every stop is on our Santa in Dartford page.
  • Cinderella: the pantomime reopens the Orchard Theatre on 12 December. See our pantomime page.
  • The Ice Rink at Bluewater: open from 5 November. Prices and sessions on our ice rink page.

What we will update

  • The ticket release date and the booking link, when the council publishes them.
  • Gate times and seating, if the 2026 listing adds them.
  • Any change to the line-up or a weather cancellation.

Check the council’s listing before you set out. More in our What’s On section.