Fareham's Festive Thursdays, 10 and 17 December: 31 shops open to 7pm, free council parking from 4pm and free carols in the Civic Gardens 4.30pm to 6pm.

Fareham’s late-night Christmas shopping evenings are back for a second year, on Thursday 10 and Thursday 17 December 2026. Fareham Borough Council has confirmed the dates, a free programme of carols and dance in the Civic Gardens on both evenings, and free parking in all its town centre car parks from 4pm on those two days. Shops in Fareham Shopping Centre stay open until 7pm.

Everything here is from the council’s own pages, read on 20 and 27 October 2026.

The quick answer

  • When: Thursday 10 and Thursday 17 December.
  • Free parking: all town centre council car parks are free from 4pm on those two dates only.
  • Free carols: Carols in the Garden, Civic Gardens, 4.30pm to 6pm both evenings, no booking.
  • Indoor market: Flo’s Pop-Up in The Courtyard, Fareham Shopping Centre, open 9am to 7pm.
  • Late shopping: 4pm to 7pm in Fareham Shopping Centre, with 31 shops on the council’s list (three of them on 10 December only).

Updated 27 October: the council has published the 2026 late-opening hours (to 7pm, an hour earlier than last year) and the list of shops taking part.

Carols in the Garden

The council’s Carols in the Garden page sets out two free evenings in the Civic Gardens, near the library and Fareham Live, with the gardens lit up as a “Winter Light-Up Garden”. Entry is free and there is no booking. Refreshments come from Fareham Live and the Fareham Library cafe.

Time Thursday 10 December Thursday 17 December
4.30pm to 5pm Stagecoach Fareham (dance troupe) Fareham Live Elite Dancers (dance troupe)
5pm to 5.30pm Silhouette Show (vintage Christmas classics duet) Tutti Flutti (flute ensemble)
5.30pm to 6pm Fareham Philharmonic Choir Nathan Cannon

The programme is dance, music and singing, with traditional carols and Christmas favourites. It is outdoors, so dress for a December evening.

Free parking from 4pm

The same page states: “there’s free parking in all town centre Council car parks from 4pm! (Free parking only on 10 and 17 December).”

On a normal weekday the council’s town centre car parks charge until 6pm and are free after that, so this takes the last two charged hours off. It covers the council’s car parks only. On-street bays run by Hampshire County Council and privately run car parks set their own rules. Tariffs, and which car parks are the council’s, are on our parking in Fareham page.

Last year the free parking started at 5pm (Fareham Borough Council, 19 November 2025), so 2026 starts an hour earlier.

Flo’s Pop-Up in The Courtyard

The council’s markets page lists both Thursdays in the trading calendar for Flo’s Pop-Up @ The Courtyard, the indoor makers’ market in a former shop unit in Fareham Shopping Centre, with Festive Thursday hours of 9am to 7pm. The market also trades every weekend from 7 November to 20 December; every date is on our Christmas markets page.

Late shopping: 4pm to 7pm, 31 shops

The council’s Festive Thursdays page, now updated for 2026, runs both evenings 4pm to 7pm in Fareham Shopping Centre, with “many of the shopping centre shops staying open until 7pm”. That is an hour earlier finish than 2025, when shops stayed open until 8pm. Its 26 October announcement adds free children’s activities, festive performers and the indoor Christmas market.

The retailers the council lists as opening late:

  • Both Thursdays: Boots, The Fragrance Shop, Amy Nails, Waterstones, Next, Cards Direct, David Christopher, Bonmarche, Shoe Zone, Savers, Card Factory, Ernest Jones, Fone World, Fone Centre, GDK, Grape Tree, B&M, Age UK, Kem Pres T-Shirts, Shakeaway, The Works, Utopia Desserts, Glamour Girl, Salt & Sage Bistro, New Look, Peacocks, Cafe Nero and CeX.
  • 10 December only: Clintons, Roman and Costa.

TK Maxx and Superdrug, both on last year’s list, are not on this one. The council has not yet named the 2026 children’s activities. In 2025 they were free mini golf at the Ping Pong Parlour, festive storytelling at Santa’s grotto, a children’s entertainer and magician, face painting and glitter tattoos, and an elf workshop.

Getting there

Fareham Bus Station is next to Market Quay car park, a short walk from the shopping centre and the Civic Gardens, and Fareham station is about ten minutes on foot, according to the council’s switch-on travel notes. Check our roadworks and travel page before you drive in, and allow extra time on a late-shopping evening in the week before Christmas.

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Sources