This February, Eastgate Shopping Centre is giving you the chance to share the love — and win £200 to spend in-centre.

This festive season, Eastgate Shopping Centre is giving you the chance to win your Christmas Wishlist!🎄✨

What’s On at Eastgate – Christmas 2025 🎄

All activities are FREE to enjoy. Dates, times, and details below. (Some activities are first-come, first-served while stocks last.)

Sat 1 Nov – Win Your Wishlist launches 🎁

• Runs 1 Nov – 15 Dec

• One winner every week, chosen each Monday (starting 10 Nov)

• Pick 3 items from Eastgate stores and you could have them delivered to your door!

• 👉 Full details & entry form

Sat 15 Nov – Grotto Grand Opening + Christmas Fun Day 🎅

10am-4pm | Ground Floor (Event Space & mall)

• Official Grotto opening

• Letters to Santa writing station

Sat 22 Nov – Candy Cane Stilt Walkers 🍬

Catch them across the mall at these times:

• 11:00-11:40

• 12:30-13:10

• 14:20-15:00

Sat 29 Nov – Elf Academy 🧝

10am-4pm | Event Space

• Kids dress up as elves, learn elf skills, and complete craft activities

• Take-home certificate for new recruits!

Sat 6 Dec – VR Sleigh Ride 🛷

10am-4pm | Event Space

• Hop on our virtual sleigh for a magical ride through the skies

Mon 8-Tue 16 Dec – School Choir Week 🎶

In partnership with local schools & St Luke’s charity

• Daily performances spreading festive cheer around the centre

Sat 13 Dec – The Grinch is Back 💚

10am-3pm | Mall walkabouts & photo moments

• Mischief, meet & greets, and plenty of Grinchy selfies

Also Sat 13 Dec – Trinity Dance School Pop-Up Shows 💃

11am-5pm | Shows on the hour, every hour

• High-energy festive routines for all the family

Sat 20 & Sun 21 Dec – Snow Globe Ball Pit Challenge ❄️

All day | Event Space

• You’ve got 5 minutes to find 5 candy canes hidden in the ball pit

• Fun challenge + perfect photo op

Tue 23 Dec – Free Hot Chocolate & Mulled Wine ☕🍷

From 11am (while stocks last)

• First-come, first-served to fuel your last-minute shopping!

 

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Good to know

• All activities are FREE OF CHARGE.

• Some experiences are first-come, first-served and may pause during changeovers or performer breaks.

• Children must be supervised by a parent/guardian at all times.

• Activities and timings may be subject to change. Check back here or our socials for updates.

We can’t wait to spend the festive season with you at Eastgate! ✨

• Available the first three weekends of November: 1st & 2nd / 8th & 9th / 15th & 16th.
• OPEN DAILY from 20th November to 24th December.

• It’s FREE to visit the grotto, but booking is essential.
• Optional purchases like photographs, key rings, snow globes, and more are available to capture the magic. See below for prices!

• Single Photo Frame: £8.00
• Keyring: £7.50
• Bauble: £9.50
• Snow Globe: £12.00
• Glitter Frame: £15.00
• Two Photo Frames: £12.50

• Silver Package: £16.00
  Includes: Bauble and Keyring.
• Gold Package: £18.00
  Includes: Snow Globe and Keyring, plus two Photo Frames.
• Platinum Package: £20.00
  Includes: Bauble, Glitter Frame, two Photo Frames, and a Keyring.

 

 

Family Fun Day 2025 🦖

• Friday 29 August | 10am–4pm

• Free Event

• East Square & inside Eastgate at our Ground Floor Event Space

Join us for Basildon’s ultimate family day out – back by popular demand!

We’re teaming up with Basildon Borough Council, Creative Basildon, and Vue once again to bring you a Jurassic-sized day of fun across East Square and inside Eastgate Shopping Centre. Expect dinosaurs, drama, and dino-sized memories…

What’s On in East Square:

🦕 Roaming Dinosaurs – from Spinosaurus and Dilophosaurus to newborn dino babies

🦺 Dino Basecamp & Ranger Training Workshop – register as a Trainee Ranger, learn how to handle a dino emergency, and meet the Chief Ranger!

🎪 Circus Skills Workshop – balance, spin and juggle like a pro

🎨 Join Mike from Family Scribbles for a themed scribbles drawing activity

🎬 Celebrate Vue’s First Birthday with £1 film screenings – choose from Madagascar, Bluey Let’s Play Chef, CBeebies Musical: The Great Ice Cream Hunt, or The Dark Knight (available to book from 22 August via Vue Basildon’s website – first come, first served)

🎉 …and more surprises on the day!

What’s On At Eastgate:

🚙 Jurassic Jeep Wrangler Photo Op – snap a pic with our iconic 1994 Jeep parked outside by East Square

📸 Jurassic Selfie Spot – big, bold and perfect for family pics

🧢 Palaeontology Workshop – kids can dress like explorers, join dino school, make their own clay fossil and earn a certificate

🧸 Dino Plush Stall – take home your very own prehistoric pal

🎁 Look out for retailer pop-ups, special discounts and offers too!

🦖 It’s all completely FREE – no tickets, no bookings, just turn up and dive into the fun.

Rainforest Rescue at Eastgate! 🌿

 

• 31st July – 2nd August

• 10am–3pm daily

• Ground Floor, Event Space

Step into the jungle this summer at Eastgate with Rainforest Rescue – a FREE three-day family event packed with fun, colour, and conservation!

🌳 Explore a fully themed rainforest zone filled with vibrant props, from hanging chimps to tropical parrots.
🎨 Enjoy hands-on craft workshops inspired by Amazon wildlife – decorate and take home your creations!
📸 Snap a photo in our lush jungle selfie spot, complete with flowers, leaves, and our giant peacock chair.
🐆 Learn about endangered animals with fun fact stations dotted around the space – including the sloth, river dolphin, and jaguar.

Whether you’re here to craft, explore, or just soak up the immersive experience, this event offers a fun and educational day out for the whole family.

No booking required – just turn up and enjoy!
Let your little explorers go wild for wildlife this summer at Eastgate.

Win a £100 Entertainer Gift Card!

We’re giving one lucky winner the chance to enjoy a £100 shopping spree at The Entertainer here at Eastgate – perfect for picking up the latest toys, games, and gifts!

To enter, simply:

• Like our giveaway post on Facebook

• Follow Eastgate on Facebook

• Tag 2 friends in the comments

💡 Want a bonus entry? Follow us on Instagram too!

📅 Entries close Thursday 18th July
📍 The prize must be collected from Eastgate Shopping Centre

Good luck!

T&Cs apply. One winner will be selected at random. This competition is not affiliated with Facebook or Instagram.