Bournemouth Christmas story competition for children
Bournemouth Christmas story competition: primary-age children across BCP can enter, and two winners join Santa on the market stage while he reads their stories.
On this page
The Bournemouth Christmas story competition is open to children of primary school age across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, and the two winners will stand on the stage at the Christmas market while Santa reads their stories aloud. It is run by Christmas in Bournemouth, the organisers of the market, trail and ice rink, with Bournemouth Writing Festival, according to the organisers' competition page, read on 19 October 2026. The season opens on Thursday 12 November.
Who can enter?
The competition is for primary school age children across the BCP area: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. The child writes the story; a parent, carer or teacher submits it online through the organisers' page. That makes it as suitable for a class project as for a child writing at home.
The page we read does not give a word limit, a theme beyond Christmas, a format, or rules on illustrations. Read the entry form in full before your child starts, so the story fits whatever the organisers ask for.
What do the winners get?
The organisers say there will be two winning stories. Their young authors join Santa on the stage in the market, in Bournemouth Square next to the Alpine Lodge, while he reads the stories to the crowd.
Prizes beyond that moment on stage are not listed on the page we read. Nor is the date of the reading, or how the winners will be chosen and told. We will update this piece if the organisers publish more.
What is the deadline?
Not yet published on the page we read. Because the reading takes place during the season, which runs from 12 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with the market stalls closing on 31 December, it is reasonable to expect a closing date some time before Christmas. That is our inference, not an announcement: check the competition page and submit early.
Where will the stories be read?
On the stage in Bournemouth Square, next to the Alpine Lodge, the same stage where Santa tells his free 5.30pm story and where choirs and bands perform through the season. Our piece on Santa in Bournemouth Square covers the stage appearances, and the carols schedule lists the acts published so far. The market is free to enter, so family and friends can come and watch.
For schools
Teachers can submit on behalf of pupils. The organisers also run a Love Local programme looking for school choirs, musicians and other local performers for the same stage, and for groups to host events such as book readings and workshops in Santa's Workshop. A class that enters the competition might also want to sing; details are on the organisers' Love Local page.
Other things for young readers and writers
- Story Time with Santa, a booked 30-minute family session in Santa's Workshop in the Lower Gardens.
- The Bournemouth Christmas kids trail, a booklet of puzzles, jokes and clues across the market and gardens.
- The Bournemouth Guide's Bournemouth with kids page and its Christmas guide for the rest of the season.
What it means for families
For local families, this is a competition with an unusual reward: a child's own story read out by Santa in front of the market crowd. For families coming from elsewhere in the BCP area, it is worth watching for the reading date once it is announced, as it gives a fixed reason to be in the Square that day. The Lower Gardens and the Festive Trail are a few minutes' walk below the stage.
Staying nearby
Flexiestays' hotels are on the West Cliff, about ten minutes on foot from Bournemouth Square, for grandparents or family coming in for the reading. Self check-in means arrival is not tied to a reception desk, and booking direct on Short-Term Rentals in Bournemouth - Weekend & Business Stays is cheaper than the big platforms.
Frequently asked questions
Children of primary school age across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, the organisers say. The entry is submitted online by a parent, carer or teacher rather than by the child.
The organisers say there will be two winning stories, and their authors join Santa on the stage in the Christmas market while he reads them. Any prizes beyond that are not listed on the page we read, so check the competition page.
The deadline was not on the organisers' competition page when we read it on 19 October 2026. Check the page before your child starts writing, and submit well ahead of any date they give.
