At a glance
- Entries open
- 9am Monday 9 November 2026 (Adelaide time)
- Entries close
- 5pm Friday 4 December 2026; winners announced Friday 11 December
- Cost
- No registration fee
- Prizes
- Westfield gift cards in three tiers: $250 for best display, $150 for runner up and $100 for an honourable mention
- Who it’s for
- Residents of the City of Tea Tree Gully who decorate their home for Christmas
- What to do now
- Read the terms and conditions, plan a landscape twilight photo of your display and wait for the form to open on 9 November
- Last checked
- Thursday 29 October 2026, against the City of Tea Tree Gully trail page and its terms and conditions
- Not yet confirmed
- The judging criteria, the judging date, and whether there will be a public map of entries
The City of Tea Tree Gully’s 2026 Christmas lights trail competition opens for entries at 9am on Monday 9 November 2026 and closes at 5pm on Friday 4 December. Entry is free and open to residents of the council area. The best display wins a $250 Westfield gift card, the runner-up wins a $150 Westfield gift card and an honourable mention wins a $100 Westfield gift card. Winners announced on Friday 11 December.
This guide follows the City of Tea Tree Gully Christmas lights trail page and its terms and conditions, both read on Thursday 29 October 2026. South Australia is on daylight saving (UTC+10:30), so every time below is Adelaide time. When we read the page it said entries were opening soon, so the entry form itself was not yet live.
What is the Christmas lights trail, and when can I enter?
The City describes the trail as a chance to “showcase your festive spirit” and put your creativity to the test. It is a competition for home displays. The page sets out three dates, and the terms and conditions repeat them.
| Step | Date and time |
|---|---|
| Entries open | 9am Monday 9 November 2026 |
| Entries close | 5pm Friday 4 December 2026 |
| Winners announced | Friday 11 December 2026 |
The terms say winners are notified by email by 4:30pm on Friday 11 December.
Who can enter?
The terms say the competition is open to all residents of the City of Tea Tree Gully, and the page says your display must be located within the council area. It excludes Council employees, Elected Members, their immediate families, and anyone associated with planning the competition and their immediate families, unless otherwise specified.
One entry per household applies unless the City states otherwise. The terms give no way in for people who live outside the council area.
What does it cost, and what can I win?
The terms say there is no registration fee. They add that any other expenses you have to take part, such as buying lights, are your own responsibility. The prizes are all Westfield gift cards:
| Prize | Amount |
|---|---|
| Best display winner | $250 Westfield gift card |
| Runner up | $150 Westfield gift card |
| Honourable mention | $100 Westfield gift card |
According to the terms, prizes are non-transferable, there is no cash alternative, and the Council can swap a prize for another of equal or greater value without notice. If a winner has not claimed a prize within two months of being notified, the Council can forfeit it and redraw.
What rules does my display have to follow?
By entering, the terms say you agree to three things:
- Keep your lighting display confined to your own property. You must not use the footpath, electrical poles or any property outside your boundary.
- Have your light display lit between 8pm and 10:30pm throughout the period of the competition, which the terms define as 9 November to 4 December.
- Let the Council put your property address on the City of Tea Tree Gully website and in related promotional material.
The third point is the one to think about before you enter. Your street address can appear publicly. The terms say the information you submit is handled under the Australian Privacy Act 1988, but they also say the address can go on the website and in promotions.
How do I enter, and what do I upload?
The City says to review the terms and conditions before you apply. Entries must be completed and submitted through the online form by 5pm on Friday 4 December, and only completed entries are in the prize draw. You need to upload a photo of your Christmas light display and give your address and contact details. The terms add that the Council takes no responsibility for lost, late or misdirected entries.
Check the City’s page on 9 November for the link, because we could not see the form when we read the page. We have not seen an official statement of the file size or type the form accepts, so do not assume one.
What photo tips does the City give?
The City’s page lists these tips for a good entry photo:
- Take the photo in landscape orientation. The page repeats this for smartphones.
- A smartphone or basic digital camera is enough.
- Photograph around twilight or dusk, because for a short period the light complements the twinkling lights.
- Plan your shot ahead of time and take several images.
- Leave the flash off, because it can interfere with how the colour of the lights appears.
- Use a tripod if you have one, or rest the camera on a fence or rubbish bin, because a longer exposure needs a still camera.
The terms require the lights to be on between 8pm and 10:30pm, and the City suggests twilight for the photo. The City does not say what time twilight falls, so check a sunset time for your suburb.
How is the winner chosen?
The terms say an anonymous panel of Council staff judges the entries “based on specific criteria”, and the time and date of judging is at the judges’ discretion. The criteria are not listed on the page or in the terms, so we cannot say whether brightness, creativity, theme or neighbourhood effect counts for most. The Council also says its decisions are final and it will not enter into further correspondence.
The terms also say the Council can void any entrant it believes has breached the terms, and can extend, change or end the competition at any time and for any reason. Check the City’s page before you spend money on a new display.
What happens to my photo?
The terms say all images submitted remain the property of the Council, which may use them for promotional purposes at its complete discretion. The Council may also edit, reproduce, enhance or modify the images without reference back to you. If you would rather not have a photo reused, think about which image you upload, because the terms give you no way to take it back.
Can I go and see the lights?
The page calls the competition a “trail”, and the terms say the Council may publish entrants’ addresses on its website. Neither page says that a public map or driving route will be released, or when. We therefore cannot say whether you will be able to follow a list of entries around the suburbs. If you want to look at displays, watch the City’s page and its Facebook page, which it points to for announcements, and do not assume any house is open to visitors. Entrants are asked to keep displays on their own property, so view them from the public street without going onto anyone’s land.
What do the official pages not say?
As of 29 October 2026 these points are not covered by the City’s page or the terms:
- The judging criteria and the date judging happens.
- Whether a public map, list or driving route of entries will be published.
- The file size and type the entry form accepts.
- Whether the lights have to be on after 4 December.
Sources
- City of Tea Tree Gully: Christmas lights trail (dates, prizes, how to register, photo tips; read 29 October 2026)
- City of Tea Tree Gully: Terms and conditions, Christmas lights trail competition (eligibility, lighting hours, address, judging, images; read 29 October 2026)
Featured image: Golden Grove Road, Modbury, in the City of Tea Tree Gully, photographed in August 2023; the street is not part of the competition (photo: RegionVisitor90 / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the City of Tea Tree Gully or Westfield. Dates and rules can change; check the City’s page before you enter.