We track 1 display in Nottingham. Every one of them is free to visit.
Displays here switch on around sunset. In Nottingham that means about 4:40 PM in early December and 4:40 PM by mid-month — the earliest sunsets of the year fall right in the middle of lights season. It is properly dark by about 5:11 PM, which is when the displays look their best. December nights in Nottingham typically drop to around 25°F.
| Date | Sunset | Fully dark |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1 | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM |
| Dec 15 | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM |
| Dec 25 | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM |
Residential displays have no facilities of their own — no parking, no toilets, nowhere to warm up — so it is worth knowing what is around. Within about three miles of the Nottingham cluster, OpenStreetMap maps 0 public car parks and 0 public toilets. Only 3 cafés or takeaways nearby, so bring a flask if you want one. Note the lack of public toilets in particular if you are taking children.
Freedrive-thru600,000+ lightsfree drive-thruovernight viewing hours
The Herr's snack food company decorates its Chester County factory campus with more than 600,000 lights that visitors can drive past for free. Unusually, the display stays lit from 5pm all the way to 7am, so early risers can see it too.
✓ Verified 2025-26
Know a display we're missing in Nottingham?Add it to the guide.