Memphis holiday lights 2026: Zoo Lantern Festival from Nov. 13, Starry Nights at Shelby Farms Nov. 21 to Jan. 3, Graceland from Nov. 19, and Santa visits.

Last checked Oct. 27, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Dates come from Shelby Farms Park, Graceland and the Downtown Memphis Commission. The parade and tree lighting are on our separate Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

Memphis lights up in mid-November. The Memphis Zoo’s Lantern Festival opens Friday, Nov. 13, and runs on select nights into January. Graceland turns on its Christmas decorations with a lighting ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 19, and the drive-through Starry Nights show at Shelby Farms Park opens Saturday, Nov. 21 and runs to Jan. 3, 2027. Downtown, Main Street is lit every night of the season. For city questions, call Memphis 311, 901-636-6500.

Plan ahead

Light displays at a glance

Display 2026 dates Where
Lantern Festival Select nights from Nov. 13, 5 to 9:30 p.m. Memphis Zoo
Graceland Christmas decorations and tours Nov. 19 to Dec. 23 Graceland
Starry Nights: Arctic Adventure, drive-through Nov. 21 to Jan. 3, 2027 Shelby Farms Park
Main Street lights, downtown Nightly through the season, 4 p.m. to midnight Main Street, G.E. Patterson Avenue to Butler Avenue
Downtown Holiday Tree Through the season Peabody and Main

Starry Nights at Shelby Farms Park

Starry Nights, presented by the First Horizon Foundation, is new for 2026: a drive-through holiday light show called Arctic Adventure, produced by World of Illumination, with millions of lights and more than 500 animated displays synchronized to music. It opens Nov. 21, 2026, and runs through Jan. 3, 2027, the park’s page said when we checked on Oct. 18; the page no longer shows the full run, so we will reconfirm it when tickets go on sale. Shelby Farms Park is at 6903 Great View Drive N., 901-222-7275.

Updated Oct. 27: the park’s FAQ now lists BuffaGLO night, Afterglow dates and igloo sales.

From the park’s Starry Nights FAQ:

  • Tickets are sold online only, in advance, for a set night and time slot; none are sold at the gate. Late arrivals are still honored for the night booked.
  • No Walk and Bike Night this year. The one night to walk the drive-through route is BuffaGLO, Tuesday, Nov. 24.
  • Afterglow, a walk-around area with the Glow Grove and a bar in the park’s yurt, is free with a drive-through ticket on Nov. 24, 26, 27 and 28; Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12; and every night from Dec. 18 to 26.
  • Igloo tickets, for heated domes with snacks and drinks, go on sale Monday, Nov. 2.
  • A Holiday Market is set up in the Woodland Discovery Playground parking lot.
  • If weather cancels a night, the park says it will post it on its website and social media and reschedule every ticket holder.

Lantern Festival at the Memphis Zoo

Updated Oct. 23: the zoo has posted the Lantern Festival’s nights and prices.

The Memphis Zoo’s second Lantern Festival, presented by Truist, opens Friday, Nov. 13, with more than 60 illuminated lantern displays, walk-through tunnels and a new Christmas maze. It replaces the old Zoo Lights; the ice rink and Ferris wheel are not part of it this year, the zoo says.

  • Hours: 5 to 9:30 p.m., last entry 8:30 p.m.
  • Tickets: $25, or $23 for members, for everyone 2 and older, sold online only for a set date; a $75 season pass is new this year. Parking is included. Rain or shine, no refunds.
  • Nights in 2026: Nov. 13-15 (opening weekend), Nov. 20-25 and 27-29, Dec. 3-6, 9 (Sensory Night), 10-13, 17-23 and 26-30. It continues on select weekends in January.

Christmas at Graceland

Elvis Presley put his decorations up in late November and left them up through his birthday in January, and Graceland keeps that tradition inside and outside the mansion.

  • Holiday Lighting Weekend, Nov. 19-21: a Thursday evening lighting ceremony on Nov. 19, then two days of tours, shows and events (lighting weekend).
  • Christmas tours, Nov. 19 to Dec. 23: guided tours of the decorated mansion, plus evening Ultimate VIP Christmas tours.
  • Holiday photo sessions, Nov. 23 and 24: Christmas card photos at the decorated house with a professional photographer.

Graceland lists daily hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the last mansion tour at 4 p.m.; check the ticket page for holiday-season times.

Downtown lights and the tree

The Downtown Memphis Commission says Main Street between G.E. Patterson Avenue and Butler Avenue is lit every night from 4 p.m. to midnight through the season, and the Downtown Holiday Tree stands at the corner of Peabody and Main, across from the Downtown Mobility Center (holiday happenings). The official tree lighting, the Beale Street holiday parade and free photos with Santa on Beale Street are on our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

Santa visits

The Memphis Zoo holds Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 19-23, 2026, one seating a day from 9 to 10:30 a.m., per its events calendar.

Downtown Santa schedules for 2026 were not out when we checked. In 2025 the Downtown Memphis Commission listed:

  • Storytime with Santa and Mrs. Claus, every Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Santa’s Wonderland downtown (2025 listing).
  • Fire Pit Fridays on the riverfront, first and third Fridays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., with treats, holiday music and Santa sightings (2025 listing).

We will add the 2026 dates when the organizers post them.

Christmas Day brunch

The Peabody Memphis serves Christmas Brunch in its Grand Ballroom on Friday, Dec. 25, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., a buffet with reservations taken online (Christmas Brunch).

Hanukkah

Hanukkah begins at sundown Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, and ends at nightfall Saturday, Dec. 12. We found no public menorah lighting in Memphis with a 2026 date on an organizer’s own page by Oct. 18. Congregations and community groups can send us the details.

What this means for you

  • Starry Nights is a drive-through this year: plan for a car, and watch for the presale.
  • Graceland’s lighting ceremony is Thursday, Nov. 19, a week before Thanksgiving.
  • Main Street downtown is lit from 4 p.m. nightly; the Main Street Trolley runs past it (see getting around).

Related: Christmas parade and tree lighting, Black Friday and holiday shopping and New Year’s Eve in Memphis.

Frequently asked questions

When does Starry Nights open in 2026?

Starry Nights at Shelby Farms Park opens Nov. 21, 2026, and runs through Jan. 3, 2027. This year it is a new drive-through show, Arctic Adventure, with more than 500 animated displays set to music.

When is Graceland decorated for Christmas?

Graceland’s Christmas tours run Nov. 19 to Dec. 23, 2026. Its Holiday Lighting Weekend is Nov. 19-21, starting with a Thursday evening lighting ceremony.

Where can I see Christmas lights downtown in Memphis?

The Downtown Memphis Commission lights Main Street between G.E. Patterson and Butler avenues every night from 4 p.m. to midnight through the season, and the Downtown Holiday Tree stands at Peabody and Main.

When is Hanukkah in 2026?

Hanukkah begins at sundown Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, and ends at nightfall Saturday, Dec. 12. We found no public menorah lighting in Memphis with a 2026 date when we checked.