Burnside Village Santa 2026: Santa’s Arrival 14 and 15 November, Photo Sessions 16 November to 24 December, Free Parking (Glenside, SA)

Burnside Village opens its Santa season on the weekend of Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November 2026 with a ticketed event called An Invitation from Santa, then runs Santa photo sessions and Santa Paws pet sessions from Monday 16 November to Thursday 24 December. The centre’s undercover car park is free, and families are asked to check in at Santa’s Concierge, which the booking guide places opposite ZARA.

This guide follows the centre’s own event pages and the booking pages of Adelaide Festive Photography, the photographer named in the booking terms, all read on Saturday 31 October 2026. The pages we read do not give ticket prices, so we have not guessed any.

What is An Invitation from Santa on 14 and 15 November?

The centre’s event page lists it for Saturday 14 November to Sunday 15 November 2026, “All day”, at Burnside Village, with a “Book Tickets” button. It describes the event as the start of Christmas at the centre, with Santa Claus returning and inviting families to be among the first to celebrate.

According to the page, families who book can:

• Step into a Christmas Village to meet Santa and Mrs Claus, share their Christmas wishes and have family photographs taken
• Have snacks from Mrs Claus’ Kitchen, including an açai bowl for each child
• Decorate a Christmas Sack
• Join in balloon modelling and face painting
• Take home a gift from Santa; the page says every child receives one

The page says spaces are limited and describes the event as a morning for families. It does not give ticket prices, session start times, an age range or the number of places, so check the booking page before you plan the day.

When can you see Santa after 16 November?

The centre’s two event pages list Santa Photography Sessions and Santa Paws Photography Sessions from Monday 16 November to Thursday 24 December 2026, “All day”. The booking site publishes a full-season calendar headed “Santa’s visiting hours”. We read it from the image on the booking site and wrote it into the table below by hand.

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
16 to 22 Nov	9am-12pm, 4pm-6pm	9am-12pm, 4pm-6pm	9am-12pm, 4pm-6pm	9am-9pm	9am-5.30pm	9am-5pm	8am-5pm
23 to 29 Nov	9am-6pm	9am-6pm	9am-6pm	9am-9pm	9am-9pm	9am-5pm	8am-5pm
30 Nov to 6 Dec	9am-6pm	9am-6pm	9am-6pm	9am-9pm	9am-9pm	8am-5pm	8am-5pm
7 to 13 Dec	9am-6pm	9am-9pm	9am-9pm	8am-9pm	8am-9pm	8am-5pm	8am-5pm
14 to 20 Dec	8am-9pm	8am-9pm	8am-9pm	8am-9pm	8am-9pm	8am-6pm	8am-6pm
21 to 24 Dec	8am-9pm	8am-9pm	8am-9pm	8am-5pm (24 Dec)	–	–	–

Two things stand out in the calendar. In the first week, Monday to Wednesday (16 to 18 November) are split into a morning and an afternoon block with a gap from 12pm to 4pm. Thursday 19 November is the first long day, 9am to 9pm. These are Santa’s visiting hours as printed on the calendar. The pages we read do not say whether every hour is bookable, so the booking page is the place to see which times are open.

The calendar is for Santa’s visiting hours in general. The Santa Paws guide we read does not print separate hours for pet sessions, so choose a pet time on the booking page.

How do you book a Santa photo?

The centre’s event page sends you to a “Book Here” button, which goes to the booking site run by Adelaide Festive Photography. The booking terms on that site say:

Topic	What the terms say
Payment	Full payment by credit card confirms the booking; you receive an email confirmation and should have it ready at the Santa set
Arriving	Check in at your booking time; late arrivals may affect the chance to meet Santa; missed appointments are not refunded
Changing a booking	Use the “Reschedule or Cancel Booking” button in the confirmation email
Cancelling	Email the booking team with your booking details for a refund; a non-refundable administration fee of $5.50 applies to all cancellations
Picking up prints	Collect products from the Santa set by 4pm on Thursday 24 December 2026; otherwise ask the booking team about postage (postage fees apply)
Digital files	Download within 7 days of your session; files are high resolution (about 5808 x 3872 pixels)
Photo shape	Photos are taken in landscape; ask at check-in if you want portrait, because the camera zoom has to be adjusted
Refunds on prints	No cancellations or refunds once images are printed; you can review your photos on site before printing

The terms also say that after the session the photographer may ask you to agree to the use of images for promotion, and that no images are used without your consent. The booking team’s address, as printed on the site, is bookings@adelaidefestivephotography.com.

Where do you check in for Santa?

Santa’s Christmas Village guide says to check in at Santa’s Concierge, located opposite ZARA. A Santa Photography Ambassador checks you off the list and escorts you to Santa. The guide’s tip is to arrive a little early. The guide’s map marks the concierge on the Atrium Mall level.

What are the rules for Santa Paws pet photos?

The Santa Paws guide sets out its rules clearly, and they are the part families most often miss:

• Each pet has 5 minutes for the photo with Santa, and you should arrive 5 minutes before your booking time.
• Only domestic cats, dogs, rabbits and guinea pigs are eligible. Centre management can refuse entry or remove any animal.
• Pets must be on a leash or in a secure carrier at all times in the centre, and they cannot stay in the centre after the photo.
• Owners must bring waste bags and take pet waste with them; the guide says not to use the centre’s bins for it.
• Aggressive or disruptive animals are asked to leave at once.

Pets use a different way in. The guide says access is through the Portrush Road, Ralph Lauren entrance, where owners wait outside until their booking time and a Santa Photography Ambassador escorts them to the set. Entry to Santa for pets is through Santa’s Workshop direct door, and the guide says entry through Santa’s Christmas Village is not permitted. The guide also warns that delays can happen if the previous session runs over.

Where should you park?

The centre’s parking page says Burnside Village offers free undercover parking all year, with the main entrances on Portrush Road and Sydney Street, and the car park available daily. The clearance height is 2 metres. Car park hours on the page:

Area	Weekdays	Saturday	Sunday
Basement 1, sections B to F	6.45am-9.30pm	6.45am-6pm	8.30am-6pm
Basement 1 and 2, sections A and H	8am-11pm	8am-11pm	8.30am-10pm

Santa’s guide to parking names the spots closest to Santa’s Village:

• Basement 1, Blue, Yellow and Green zones, using the lifts, stairs or travelator to reach the Ground Floor.
• The “No-Fuss Route”, described as ideal for prams, little legs and easy access.
• Basement 2, the Aqua car park, entered via Portrush Road, or via Sydney Street through Basement 1, with lifts or travelator to the Ground Floor.
• Basement 1, the Pink zone, with lifts or a travelator to the Ground Floor.

The parking page adds that a light system shows which bays are free: green for available, blue for accessible, pink for parents with prams and red for occupied. One detail is worth noting for early Sunday slots. The Santa calendar lists Sundays from 8am, while the parking page lists Sunday opening at 8.30am for both car park areas. The pages do not explain the half hour, so check with the centre if you are booked for 8am on a Sunday.

The parking page also says the centre is part of the RAA charging network, with the first hour of charging free at all 7 electric vehicle stations in Basement 1 and standard fees after that. They are in section D near the Coles travelator and section B near the Sydney Street entrance, and RAA members get 10% off charging fees through Chargefox.

How do you get there by bus or taxi?

The getting-here page gives the address as 447 Portrush Road, Glenside 5065, about 5 kilometres from the Adelaide CBD, 10 minutes from the city by car and 20 minutes from Adelaide Airport by car. It says public transport is easy to reach from Greenhill Road and describes a bus ride from the city of about 20 minutes. The routes it lists:

Adelaide Metro route	Runs between
820, 820A and 821	City, Burnside Village and Aldgate, and back
140 and 144	City, Burnside Village, ending at the corner of Portrush Road and Glen Osmond Road, and back
147	City, Burnside Village and Beaumont, and back

The page links to the Adelaide Metro 820 timetable and suggests Google Maps for other suburbs. It does not give stop names for the centre, so check your trip in the Adelaide Metro planner. The Concierge desk can book a taxi at any time during trading hours.

What has not been confirmed?

• Ticket prices and session times for An Invitation from Santa on 14 and 15 November.
• Photo package prices for Santa and Santa Paws. The pages we read do not print them; the booking site shows what is on offer when you book.
• Separate Santa Paws hours. The calendar we read is for Santa’s visiting hours only.
• The centre’s trading hours for the Christmas period. The opening hours page loads them from the centre’s system, and we did not find a printed list for the weeks in this guide.

We will update this guide if the centre adds details. Check the event pages again before you go, because the centre can change times and bookings.

Sources

• Burnside Village — An Invitation from Santa at Burnside Village (14 and 15 November, inclusions)
• Burnside Village — Santa Photography Sessions (16 November to 24 December)
• Burnside Village — Santa Paws Photography Sessions (pet sessions)
• Adelaide Festive Photography — Santa packages and Terms and Conditions (booking, cancellation, collection)
• Adelaide Festive Photography — Santa’s visiting hours calendar, Santa Photography Guide and Santa Paws Photography Guide (hours, check-in, parking, pet rules)
• Burnside Village — Parking (free parking, hours, EV charging)
• Burnside Village — Getting here (address, bus routes, taxi)

Featured image: Burnside Village shopping centre (photo: Burnside Village Pty Ltd / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Burnside Village, Adelaide Festive Photography or Adelaide Metro. Event details can change; check the Burnside Village website before you go.