At a glance
- When
- Tuesday 1 December to Thursday 24 December 2026, with carols on Saturday 5 December (Wyong), Sunday 6 December (Copacabana), Saturday 19 December (polytec Stadium, Gosford) and Thursday 24 December (The Entrance)
- Where
- Gosford, The Entrance, Terrigal, Toukley, Wyong, Woy Woy and Copacabana
- Cost
- The carols at Wyong, Copacabana and The Entrance, the Toukley Santa photos and the window trail are free; the Toukley craft sessions cost $5 per craft pack
- Getting there
- Love Central Coast asks visitors to travel by public transport where they can and lists the car parks for each town centre (see the parking table below)
- Who it’s for
- Families on the Central Coast who want a free Christmas night close to home, and visitors planning a December weekend
- What to do now
- Pick your carols night, book the Toukley craft session if you want one, and note that voting for the window trail opens on 1 December
- Last checked
- Saturday 31 October 2026, against the Love Central Coast Christmas on the Coast page and each event page
- Not yet confirmed
- The Wyong carols fireworks time for 2026, the street address of the Toukley Gallery Container, and the Carols in the Stadium cost and times (see our separate guide)
There are four carols nights on the Central Coast in December 2026 (Wyong on Saturday 5 December, Copacabana on Sunday 6 December, polytec Stadium on Saturday 19 December and The Entrance on Christmas Eve), plus free Santa photos in Toukley and a Christmas window trail in five town centres from Tuesday 1 December. This guide puts the dates, times, costs and parking for each one in one place.
The details come from the Love Central Coast “Christmas on the Coast” page and the individual event pages, which we read on Saturday 31 October 2026. Times are New South Wales daylight saving time (AEDT). Love Central Coast says some key roads around event locations will be affected over the Christmas and New Year period; for closures, see how to check Central Coast road closures.
Which Christmas events are on the Central Coast in December 2026?
| Date | Event | Time | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 1 December to Monday 4 January | Christmas window trail and voting | Not stated | Terrigal, Gosford, The Entrance, Wyong, Toukley (Woy Woy is named on the main page) | Free to look; vote for a chance to win a $250 gift card |
| Saturday 5 December | Wyong Community Carols | From 5.30pm | Wyong High School | Free |
| Sunday 6 December | Copa Carols on the Green | 3pm to 7pm | The Green beside Copacabana Surf Club | Free |
| Sunday 6 to Thursday 24 December | Free Santa photos, Gallery Container | 9am to 4pm | Toukley | Free |
| 9, 11, 15, 17, 21 December | Christmas Craft at Toukley Green | 5pm to 7pm | Toukley Green | $5 per craft pack; booking online |
| 9, 11, 15, 17, 21, 22 December | Santa visits for pet-friendly photos | 5pm to 7.30pm | Toukley | Free |
| Saturday 19 December | Carols in the Stadium | See our guide | polytec Stadium, Gosford | See our guide |
| Thursday 24 December | Carols in the Park, The Greens The Entrance | 6pm to 9pm | Memorial Park, Marine Parade, The Entrance | Free |
The Wyong carols (Saturday 5 December) and the Copacabana carols (Sunday 6 December) fall on consecutive days.
When are the Wyong Community Carols and is there a fireworks display?
Wyong Community Carols are on Saturday 5 December 2026 at Wyong High School, from 5.30pm, and they are free. The Christmas on the Coast page says a firework display follows the carols.
One thing to check before you go: the separate Love Central Coast event page for the Wyong carols still shows last year’s details (Saturday 6 December, with “Last date: 06 Dec 2025”). That older page says the fireworks are at 9pm, that you should bring a picnic blanket and chairs, that off-street parking is free and run by Wyong P&C volunteer parking marshalls, and that the Rotary Club of Wyong sells sausages. Because that page has not been updated, we do not know yet whether the 9pm time, the parking arrangement and the sausage sizzle carry over to 2026. The 5 December date comes from the main Christmas on the Coast page.
Where can I park for the Wyong carols?
The Christmas on the Coast page lists these Wyong parking options for the Christmas period: the Village Central Wyong carpark, and street parking on Hely Street, Alison Road and Rankens Court. The event itself is at Wyong High School on Alison Road.
What is on at Copacabana on 6 December?
Copa Carols on the Green is a free community celebration on Sunday 6 December from 3pm to 7pm, on the green beside Copacabana Surf Club (the surf club’s address is given as Del Monte Place, Copacabana). The organisers list live music, local performances and festive entertainment, with a visit from Santa.
- Kids can have free face painting.
- Tables, chairs and entertainment are provided, and the event is described as suitable for all ages.
- You bring your own food and drinks.
- Visitors can support the Copacabana Public School P&C Santa Photos fundraiser.
The event page says it is a relaxed afternoon by the beach. It does not give a parking plan.
What is on at Toukley, and what does it cost?
Toukley has three separate things, and only one of them costs money.
| What | When | Cost | Details from the official page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Santa photos at the Gallery Container | Sunday 6 to Thursday 24 December, 9am to 4pm | Free | The container becomes a Christmas wonderland with a Santa’s chair for your own do-it-yourself photos |
| Santa visits for pet-friendly photos | 5pm to 7.30pm on Wednesday 9, Friday 11, Tuesday 15, Thursday 17, Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 December | Free | You can post a letter to Santa while you wait |
| Christmas Craft at Toukley Green | 5pm to 7pm on 9, 11, 15, 17 and 21 December | $5 per craft pack | Hosted by Ladybumblebee Disability Services, a registered NDIS provider, for all abilities and ages; paint pens are available on site; book online |
The craft sessions fall on the same five evenings as five of the six Santa visits (9, 11, 15, 17 and 21 December). The Love Central Coast page for the craft sessions asks you to book online to secure your place.
Where can I park in Toukley?
Love Central Coast lists three Toukley car parks: Yaralla Road, Victoria Avenue and Summerside Street. The street address of the Gallery Container is not on the Christmas on the Coast page, so we have not named a closest car park.
What time are Carols in the Park at The Entrance on Christmas Eve?
Carols in the Park, presented by The Greens The Entrance, is on Thursday 24 December 2026 from 6pm to 9pm at Memorial Park, Marine Parade, The Entrance. Entry is free. The event is organised by JC Entertainment & Events and supported by Central Coast Council, Hit 101.3 Central Coast and Lakeside Shopping Centre.
The organiser’s program lists:
- live Christmas carols from local performers, accompanied by The House Band
- special appearances from Santa and festive guests
- food trucks and festive treats
- market stalls
- activities for kids
- a fireworks finale to close the night
The organiser suggests bringing a picnic rug or a camp chair. Memorial Park is also where Light Up the Lake is held on Saturday 7 November. Our Light Up the Lake guide covers the park, times and parking.
Where can I park at The Entrance?
Love Central Coast lists the Marine Parade carpark, the Coral Street multi-storey carpark and the north side of The Entrance bridge.
How does the Christmas window trail work?
Local businesses in town centres decorate their shop windows, and visitors can vote for a favourite. The Christmas window trail page says the trail runs from 1 December 2026 to 4 January 2027 across Terrigal, Gosford, The Entrance, Wyong and Toukley. You vote by following the link on the page or by scanning the QR code at a participating business, and the prize is a $250 gift card. Voting closes on Monday 4 January 2027.
The main Christmas on the Coast page gives a slightly different end date for decorating (1 January 2027) and names Woy Woy among the town centres. We use the window trail page’s own dates (1 December to 4 January) for the trail and voting and we note the difference. The main page says voting opens from 1 December 2026.
What Christmas decorations are planned?
The Christmas on the Coast page says that throughout December, Gosford, Terrigal, Toukley, The Entrance and Wyong will have Christmas decorations. It lists larger-than-life Christmas trees in Gosford, The Entrance and Toukley, wreath installations, photo moment installations, and decorations in Wyong and Terrigal. It does not give the exact tree sites or a lighting date, so we have not listed them.
Where can I park in each town centre?
| Town centre | Car parks named by Love Central Coast |
|---|---|
| Gosford | Gosford City Car Park (the page warns that current remediation works may affect availability), Gosford Imperial Centre carpark, Gosford Station carpark |
| Terrigal | Wilson Road multi-storey carpark, Terrigal foreshore and the Haven |
| The Entrance | Marine Parade Carpark, Coral Street multi-storey carpark, north side of The Entrance bridge |
| Toukley | Yaralla Road carpark, Victoria Avenue carpark, Summerside Street carpark |
| Woy Woy | Peninsula Plaza carpark, Deepwater Plaza carpark, Lions Park carpark, James Browne Oval carpark |
| Wyong | Village Central Wyong carpark; street parking on Hely Street, Alison Road and Rankens Court |
For Gosford fees and hours, see Gosford City Car Park fees and hours. If you are coming from Sydney by train, see Sydney to Central Coast train fares with Opal.
What about Carols in the Stadium on 19 December?
Carols in the Stadium returns to polytec Stadium on Saturday 19 December. Love Central Coast describes it as the Central Coast’s biggest Christmas celebration, with live carols, festive entertainment, family fun, lights and a fireworks finale from the stadium pitch. We have a separate guide with the times, tickets and getting there: Carols in the Stadium at polytec Stadium.
Quick plan
- Saturday 5 December: Wyong carols from 5.30pm at Wyong High School. The 2026 fireworks time is not yet confirmed.
- Sunday 6 December: Copa Carols on the Green, 3pm to 7pm. Bring your own food and drinks.
- Any evening on 9, 11, 15, 17 or 21 December: Toukley craft (book first) and Santa visits.
- Saturday 19 December: Carols in the Stadium (read our separate guide for times and tickets).
- Thursday 24 December: Carols in the Park at Memorial Park, The Entrance, 6pm to 9pm.
- From Tuesday 1 December: look at the windows and vote for a chance to win a $250 gift card.
Sources
- Love Central Coast — Christmas on the Coast (checked 31 October 2026)
- Love Central Coast — Central Coast Christmas Window Trail (checked 31 October 2026)
- Love Central Coast — Wyong Community Christmas Carols (event page still shows 2025 details; checked 31 October 2026)
- Love Central Coast — Copa Carols on the Green (checked 31 October 2026)
- Love Central Coast — Christmas Craft at Toukley Green (checked 31 October 2026)
- Love Central Coast — Carols in the Park presented by The Greens The Entrance (checked 31 October 2026)
- Love Central Coast — Carols in the Stadium (checked 31 October 2026)
- Central Coast Council — Road closures
Featured image: Gosford waterfront at dusk facing the city centre (photo: Frazerater / CC BY 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Love Central Coast, Central Coast Council, JC Entertainment & Events, The Greens The Entrance, Ladybumblebee Disability Services or polytec Stadium. Dates, times and bookings can change; check the official pages above before you go.