Rugby council car parks are free all day on the five weekends from 21 November and on 21 to 24 December, but not North Street or Chestnut Fields on switch-on day.
Updated 28 October: on Saturday 21 November, the lights switch-on day, North Street and Chestnut Fields car parks will not be available, because they host part of the celebrations. The council said so in its switch-on release of 27 October. The other council car parks are free that day. The full switch-on programme, including the £5 drone shows at 5pm and 7pm, is on our Christmas lights page.
Parking in all ten of Rugby Borough Council’s town centre car parks will be free all day on every weekend from Saturday 21 November until Christmas. It will also be free on the last four shopping days, Monday 21 to Thursday 24 December.
The council announced the offer in a news release on 23 October. It starts on the day of the Christmas lights switch-on.
The free days
The council’s free festive parking page and leaflet list 14 days:
- Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November
- Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November
- Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December
- Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December
- Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 December
- Monday 21, Tuesday 22, Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 December
Which car parks
All ten council car parks are included: North Street, Little Church Street, Railway Terrace, Old Market Place, John Barford, Newbold Road, Town Hall (Evreux Way), Gas Street, Chestnut Fields and Westway. Between them they have just over 1,000 spaces.
The offer does not cover private car parks. Nor does it cover Warwickshire County Council’s on-street bays, which charge as normal.
What it saves
On a Sunday, five of the ten car parks are already free, so the saving is mostly on the Saturdays and the four weekdays before Christmas. These are the normal all-day prices, from each car park’s page on the council’s parking charges listing:
| Car park | Spaces | Normal price, up to 11 hours |
|---|---|---|
| John Barford | 411 | £5 |
| Westway | 91 | £5 |
| Newbold Road | 209 | £10 weekdays, £3 on Saturday |
| Railway Terrace | 60 | £10 |
| Gas Street | 53 | £10 |
| Old Market Place | 39 | £10 |
The other four, North Street, Chestnut Fields, Little Church Street and the Town Hall, are short stay, normally £1.30 for up to three hours. The council says parking is free “all day” but does not say whether the three-hour limit at those four is lifted. Until it does, treat the time limit as still applying there.
John Barford is still only open from 5am to 7pm, so it is no good for an evening visit.
How it compares with last year
The 2026 offer is a different shape from 2025’s. Last year, according to the council’s archived festive parking page:
- it ran from 15 November 2025 to 5 January 2026, so it covered the January sales
- Westway was free seven days a week
- John Barford was free at weekends and stayed open until 11pm Thursday to Sunday
- the other car parks charged as normal
This year every council car park is free at weekends, which is more generous on a Saturday. But there is no free weekday parking until 21 December, and the offer ends on Christmas Eve. Nothing has been said about later opening at John Barford.
What else is on
The council’s release lists three town centre dates that fall on free days:
- Saturday 21 November: the Christmas lights switch-on celebration
- Saturday 28 November: a Christmas market
- Saturday 19 December: a lantern parade
The council published the full programme on 27 October: the switch-on runs 3pm to 8pm with drone shows at 5pm and 7pm, and the 28 November market runs 2pm to 8pm. We have the details so far on our Christmas lights switch-on, Christmas markets and Santa’s grotto pages.
The council leader, Councillor Louise Robinson, said every town centre event this year had increased visitor numbers “by up to 20 per cent” on the same event last year. The council has not published the figures behind that.
What it means for you
- Check the machine. The council has not said whether you need a free ticket. In 2024, John Barford’s free weekend parking needed one from the machine.
- On-street bays are not free. If you park on the street, pay as normal.
- For a long stay, Railway Terrace, Gas Street and Old Market Place are the biggest saving: £10 on a normal Saturday.
- After Christmas Eve, normal charges apply. Every tariff, the Sunday rules and season tickets are on our parking in Rugby page. Christmas trains and travel are on our Christmas trains page.
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