Simply Christmas

At Simply Christmas you can shop for decorations, gifts, food and drink from independent makers and retailers, and one ticket gets you into several events on the same day. Simply Christmas is a festive shopping show run by ICHF Events in Hall 11 at the NEC Birmingham, open to the public over four days in early November. The organiser, International Craft & Hobby Fair Ltd, bills it as “The Crafty Christmas Show” and pairs it with a craft and sewing show in the hall next door.

Simply Christmas 2026 and the next dates

The 2026 edition ran over four days, from Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November, with doors open at 9.30am each day and closing at 5pm from Thursday to Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday. ICHF has not announced dates for the next Birmingham show yet.

What tickets cost and covered in 2026

In 2026 you could get in from £13, and adults booking before 1 November saved £2. The NEC event page gave the overall price range as £13 to £45. The top price was the VIP package at £45, which the organiser listed as fast-track entry, a VIP lounge with unlimited hot and cold drinks, a shop and drop area for purchases, a pastry in the morning and a cake in the afternoon, and VIP-only make and take sessions. VIP tickets for 2026 sold out, and the organiser has asked visitors to look out for November 2027 VIP tickets.

A 2026 Simply Christmas ticket in Birmingham also admitted you to four sister shows, which the organiser markets as five shows for the price of one: The Creative Craft Show, Sewing for Pleasure (Winter Edition), and Cake International and Bake International. The craft and sewing shows shared the full four days in Hall 12, while the cake and bake shows opened from 6 to 8 November only, so a Thursday ticket did not include them. Our guide on what a co-located exhibition ticket actually covers explains how to read multi-show admission like this.

What you can buy

The 2026 show had almost 150 sellers, according to the organiser’s Birmingham show page, while the features page mentions more than 120 stands. Product ranges named by the organiser include handmade Christmas decorations, bespoke gifts, jewellery, clothing, ceramics, soft furnishings, glassware, art and home accessories. In the food and drink section you can taste seasonal treats and drinks before buying, with samples from several producers. The exhibitor list is posted on the organiser’s site and updated weekly in the run-up to the show.

Workshops, music and Santa

You can make your own decorations and enjoy live music.

• Christmas-themed workshops, led by tutors chosen by the organiser, where visitors make their own decorations; the organiser advises booking before the show.
• Make and take sessions, short hands-on classes with one-to-one help from a tutor.
• Live festive music from a Rock Choir group.
• Father Christmas and his sleigh at the entrance, with photos encouraged using the tag #simplychristmasshows.

Other Simply Christmas and festive shows

You can compare other festive shows. ICHF also runs Simply Christmas Glasgow at the SEC. Later in the season the NEC hosts the Festive Gift Fair from 19 November 2026, and London shoppers can compare the Ideal Christmas Show at Olympia from 26 November. More seasonal and gift events are grouped under retail and gift shows and in our list of exhibitions in Birmingham.

Selling at the show

As a maker or retailer, you can sell to four days of Christmas shoppers by applying for a stand through the Stand Enquiries page on the organiser’s website. If you are selling for the first time and working out stand costs, travel and stock, you can use our guide to building an exhibition budget.

Getting to the NEC

You can reach the halls by train, plane or car. Birmingham International railway station is a five-minute covered walk from the halls, and the train to central Birmingham takes about 10 minutes. Birmingham Airport is linked to the station by a free air-rail shuttle. If you drive, pre-paying for parking online saves you £5, and free shuttle buses run between the car parks and the halls on show days, usually from an hour before opening. The NEC has seven hotels on its campus, and cloakrooms beside the halls charge £2 per coat and £3 per bag.

Source: simplychristmasshow.co.uk, creativecraftshow.co.uk/simply-christmas-birmingham-2026-features, creativecraftshow.co.uk/simply-christmas-birmingham-2026-vip, thenec.co.uk