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.

Bluey is coming to Eastgate! 💙

 

We are thrilled to welcome the Aussie Heeler pup, Bluey to Eastgate Shopping Centre on Saturday 10th May!

Bluey will be making personal appearances at intervals from 10am – 3pm, so be sure to pop down and say hello.

There will be opportunities to take photos, so don’t forget to bring your camera!

It’s the perfect family day out – come and join the fun.

Join us on 11am-3pm Thursday 17th, Friday 18th & Saturday 19th April for a fun-filled Easter experience in the heart of Eastgate.

Join us at Eastgate Shopping Centre for our exciting Pumpkin Patch event this Halloween! 🎃

On Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th October, bring the whole family to our ground floor event space (in front of the hoardings) for a fun-filled day of pumpkin picking and decorating.

Choose your perfect pumpkin from our patch, snap some pics at our festive selfie spot 📸, and get creative at our arts and crafts station where you can decorate your pumpkin to take home! 🎃✨

Important Info:

• This is a FREE event but to ensure everyone has a great time and it doesn’t get too crowded, you’ll need to book a 30-minute time slot in advance.
• Each child can be accompanied by 1 adult max, so please keep this in mind when booking.

Secure your spot now by heading to our ticket page and get ready for some spooky Halloween fun at Eastgate!

Book Your Tickets Here

We can’t wait to see you there! 🧡

AUGUST EVENT SCHEDULE at Eastgate Shopping Centre! 🌟

We’ve got an exciting line-up of FREE events every weekend in August in our Ground Floor Event Space! Here’s what you can look forward to:

 

Friday 2nd August: Family Fun Day with Vue Cinema and Basildon Council
– Time: 11am-4pm
– Highlights: Dinosaur Takeover, character meet-and-greets, and more family fun activities.

Saturday 10th August: Olympic Arts and Crafts
– Time: 11am-3pm
– Highlights: Get creative with Olympic-themed arts and crafts sessions for all ages.

Saturday 17th August: Golf Simulator in the Centre
– Time: 11am-4pm
– Highlights: Try your hand at our golf simulator and compete with friends and family.

Saturday 24th August: Jamie Knight Football Freestyler
– Time: 11am-3pm
– Highlights: Watch incredible football freestyle performances and join in on workshops every hour.

 

Bonus Activity: 
– Olympic-Themed Badminton Court
– Dates: Available for free play on the days between these weekend events.
– Location: Ground Floor Event Space, outside Starbucks.

Don’t miss out on a fun-filled August at Eastgate! Bring your family and friends to enjoy a month of exciting activities and events. We can’t wait to see you there! 🎉

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