At a glance
- When
- Sunday 20 December 2026, 5pm to 9pm
- Where
- Lambton Oval, Lambton Park, Elder Street and Morehead Street, Lambton NSW 2299
- Cost
- Free; food, drink and amusements are sold separately
- Program
- 5pm family carnival with food trucks, activities and amusements; 7pm carols on stage; around 9pm fireworks for roughly 15 minutes
- Run by
- Hunter Bible Church, as an independently run community event
- Who it’s for
- Families and neighbours who want a free, picnic-rug carols night with fireworks at the end
- What to do now
- Put 20 December in the diary, plan to arrive early for a street park, and follow the event website and social pages on the day for any weather update
- Last checked
- Sunday 8 November 2026, against the Lambton Park Carols website and its FAQ page
- Not yet confirmed
- The 2026 food and drink vendors, which the organiser says it will post once they are finalised; no shuttle, road closure or public transport notice has been published
Lambton Park Carols 2026 is free and runs on Sunday 20 December at Lambton Oval in Lambton Park, with a family carnival from 5pm, carols on stage at 7pm and a fireworks display around 9pm that lasts roughly 15 minutes. Hunter Bible Church runs it, and volunteers from the church perform the carols from the stage.
This guide uses the event’s own website and its FAQ page, both read on 8 November 2026. The council rules on alcohol and smoking quoted below are the ones the organiser says it follows. Nothing here is from last year’s event.
What time does Lambton Park Carols start and finish?
| Time | What the organiser lists |
|---|---|
| 5pm | Christmas family carnival: food trucks, activities and amusements |
| 7pm | Carols kick off on stage: a mix of traditional and contemporary favourites |
| Around 9pm | Fireworks display to finish; the FAQ says it lasts roughly 15 minutes |
The website describes the event as 5pm to 9pm. In December, Newcastle is on daylight saving time (AEDT, UTC+11), and the organiser does not give a finish time for the fireworks beyond “around 9pm”.
Where is it, and where do I park?
The carols are on Lambton Oval at Lambton Park, with the address on the event page given as Elder Street and Morehead Street, Lambton NSW 2299. The organiser publishes a park map showing the stage, food trucks, amusements, toilets and fireworks area, so you can pick a picnic spot before you arrive.
The FAQ says there is on-street parking around Lambton Park and asks people to come early for a good spot. It also asks visitors to be mindful of the neighbourhood: do not block driveways, laneways or access to private residences. The organiser has not published a shuttle, a road closure plan or a public transport notice for 2026, so check the event website and social pages closer to the date.
Does it cost anything?
Entry is free. The FAQ says the event is brought to you by Hunter Bible Church in collaboration with sponsors, and that the food, drink and amusement vendors are paid options. The organiser says it will post an update on the FAQ page once its 2026 vendors are finalised, so the list of food trucks and rides is not known yet.
What should I bring?
The FAQ answer is “whatever you would normally bring to a picnic”: a picnic rug, your own seating if you need it, and any food and drink. Vendors will be selling food, and no alcohol will be served on site.
Is alcohol or smoking allowed?
The organiser quotes the City of Newcastle guidelines. The council permits alcohol consumption in most parks between 8am and 8pm only, and all alcohol must be consumed from cans or plastic cups; bottled wine must be poured into disposable cups, although single-use plastic cups are discouraged. Smoking is prohibited in all parks. With the carols starting at 7pm and the fireworks near 9pm, the 8pm alcohol cut-off falls in the middle of the program.
Is it child-friendly, and what about pets?
- Children: the FAQ says yes, but asks parents to watch their children closely in a large crowd. A Hunter Bible Church info tent will be set up centrally where lost children can gather, and the organiser suggests telling children about it in advance and keeping your phone number on your child.
- Pets: allowed if they are on a leash and well behaved, with a reminder that loud fireworks will be nearby.
- Toilets: temporary portaloos will be set up around Lambton Oval in addition to the existing park amenities, and a wheelchair-accessible public toilet is on Morehead Street.
- Language and hearing: the organiser offers a live transcript of the show through a link on its FAQ page.
What happens if it rains?
The organiser says the event depends on good weather because it is held in the open air. If there is heavy rain it will be called off, and the organiser says it will post announcements and weather updates on its website and social media pages. The FAQ does not describe a postponement date, so there is no rain date to plan around.
Who performs and who do I contact?
Volunteers from Hunter Bible Church perform the carols from the stage, and the church runs the event as an independent community event. Questions that are not in the FAQ can be sent to carols@hunterbiblechurch.org. The event also has a songbook page on its website for people who want to sing along.
Sources
- Lambton Park Carols — event website (date, program, location; read 8 November 2026)
- Lambton Park Carols — FAQ (parking, cost, alcohol and smoking rules, weather, toilets, contact)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Hunter Bible Church, the Lambton Park Carols organisers or the City of Newcastle. Times and arrangements can change; check the event website before you go.
Featured image: Lambton Park, Lambton (photo: Adamdaley / CC BY-SA 3.0, taken April 2011) (text added)