Quick answer: UK Christmas competitions cluster in the 24 days before Christmas. Advent calendar competitions open a new prize each day from 1 December, and 12 days of Christmas giveaways offer a prize a day for 12 days. Genuine ones name the promoter, publish full terms and a closing date, and never charge winners to claim.
Key takeaways
- Advent calendar and 12 days of Christmas competitions usually open around 1 December, and each day is often a separate draw with its own closing time.
- Brands, public bodies, tourism boards, radio stations and magazines all run festive giveaways. The promoter's name, terms and closing date should be one click away.
- A paid prize draw in Great Britain must offer a genuinely free entry route, usually by post, and must treat free entries exactly like paid ones.
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When do Christmas competitions start in the UK?
UK Christmas competitions usually open in late November or on 1 December and close between Christmas Eve and mid-January. Last season, Dr. Oetker's advent calendar competition closed at 23:59 on 24 December 2025, Visit Belfast ran its 12 Days of Christmas giveaway from 1 to 12 December, and Forestry England's Christmas competition closed on 11 January 2026.
Dates change each year, so treat these as a guide. This page is refreshed every autumn.
A simple way to plan the season:
- From late November: watch brand, retailer, radio and tourism board pages for announcements.
- 1 to 24 December: enter the daily advent doors and 12 days draws for prizes you would actually use.
- Into January: look for longer-running Christmas draws, like Forestry England's, that close after the big day.
What is an advent calendar competition?
An advent calendar competition hides a different prize behind each day's door, usually from 1 to 24 December. You open that day's door on the promoter's website or social page and enter for that prize. Most treat each day as a separate draw with its own closing time, so missing a day means missing that prize.
Entry is usually a short web form asking for your name and email. Some promoters also use their calendar to grow a newsletter list, so read the tick boxes before you submit and only opt in to marketing you actually want.
Before you enter, check the terms for three things: the closing time for each door, the entry limit (per day or for the whole calendar), and eligibility, such as age limits and which parts of the UK can enter.
How do 12 days of Christmas competitions work?
A 12 days of Christmas competition gives away one prize a day for 12 days, usually in early December. Visit Belfast's version, for example, ran from 1 to 12 December, with a new daily prize such as a hotel stay, shopping vouchers or event tickets. Each day normally has its own entry form and closing time.
The format suits promoters because it brings people back every day. For you, it means 12 separate chances, each with its own pool of entrants. Promoters rarely publish how many entries each day receives, so enter for the prizes you would genuinely use rather than chasing every one.
Where can you find Christmas competitions in the UK?
Look in five places: brand websites and social pages, public bodies and tourism boards, commercial radio, magazines and newspapers, and retailers' Christmas pages. Competition directories and comping forums gather many of these into one list, which saves time, but always enter on the promoter's own page, never through a copy.
| Where to look | Typical prizes | Usual way to enter |
|---|---|---|
| Food, drink and consumer brands | Hampers, products, kitchen kit | Web form, often with an optional newsletter sign-up |
| Public bodies and charities | Experiences, memberships, stays | Web form, often one entry per person |
| Tourism boards and city guides | Hotel stays, vouchers, event tickets | Daily web form during December |
| Commercial radio | Cash, tech, holidays | On air, online or by text; some take paid entries with a free postal route |
| Magazines and newspapers | Hampers, beauty, books | Reader competition pages, sometimes by post |
| Retailers | Gift cards, vouchers, products | Apps, social pages and in-store promotions |
Examples we checked from last season: Dr. Oetker's daily advent calendar, Forestry England's forest cabin stay, and Visit Belfast's prize-a-day 12 days giveaway. On the radio side, Heart's competitions run through Global's WIN site, which lists paid entries alongside a free postal entry route.
How do you enter Christmas competitions efficiently?
Set up a simple routine: one dedicated email address, a short list of trusted sources, and a daily reminder for advent and 12 days draws. Read the key terms once per promoter (entry limit, closing time, eligibility), enter only on the official page, and check your spam folder, because winners are usually contacted by email or phone.
- Keep a short list of each promoter, prize, closing date and entry limit. A notes app is enough.
- Respect entry limits. Forestry England's 2025 terms accepted one entry per person and refused entries made through agents or third parties, so skip auto-entry tools.
- Post early. Use first or second class post and send it well before the closing date. Many terms, including ours, say proof of posting is not proof of entry.
- Set a budget before December starts if any competition is paid.
How do you avoid Christmas competition scams?
Fake giveaways copy a real brand's name and photos, then message "winners" asking for a delivery fee, card details or a login code. A genuine promoter never charges you to claim a prize: the CAP Code bans falsely telling people they have won when they must pay to claim. Enter only through the brand's official website or verified account.
Red flags include a new account with a slightly different name from the real brand, "comment and share to win" posts with no terms, and a direct message saying you have won with a link to "confirm your details". If something feels off, find the brand's website yourself and look for the competition there. Forward suspicious emails to [email protected] and scam texts to 7726. If you have lost money, call your bank, then report it to Report Fraud (0300 123 2040) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or to Police Scotland on 101. Our checklist on how to spot a legit prize competition goes into more detail.
How do festive prize draws and instant wins work with a free entry route?
In Great Britain, a paid prize draw decided by chance avoids being an unlicensed lottery by offering a free way to enter, usually a letter by first or second class post. The Gambling Act 2005 says the free route must be publicised, and the prize system must not treat free and paid entries differently.
The Gambling Commission adds that the free route must be no more expensive and no less convenient than paying. Our guide to free postal entry competitions walks through how to send one properly, and the same route applies to bigger prizes, as our guide to winning a car for free explains.
MrRaffle's instant win games work this way. Each game has a fixed number of tickets and a fixed prize list set before it opens, with the odds for each prize tier shown as "1 in X", and outcomes are allocated at random. A free postal entrant is allocated an entry number by random number generator; the postal details are in our competition terms. Not all tickets win a prize.
Frequently asked questions
What are the current UK holiday competitions?
Festive competitions change every year, so no list stays current for long. From late November, check brand and retailer Christmas pages, radio station competition pages, tourism board advent calendars and trusted comping directories. Enter only on the promoter's official page, and check the closing date and eligibility in the terms before you do.
Do I have to pay to enter a Christmas competition?
Most brand advent calendars and 12 days giveaways are free to enter. Paid prize draws in Great Britain must offer a free entry route, usually by post, that is treated exactly like a paid entry. If anyone asks you to pay to claim a prize you have supposedly already won, treat it as a scam.
Can I enter an advent calendar competition every day?
Usually yes, because each day is normally a separate draw. Check the terms first: some allow one entry per person per day, others one entry for the whole calendar. Entering more often than allowed, or through third-party entry services, can get all of your entries disqualified.
How will I know if I have won?
The terms should say how and when winners are contacted, usually by email, phone or a message from the brand's verified account. Under the CAP Code, promoters must also publish or make available the surname and county of major winners. Be wary of messages from unverified accounts that ask you to click a link.
Can I win a prize in time for Christmas?
Only if the draw closes early enough. The CAP Code says prizes should normally be awarded within 30 days, and promoters must say if delivery will take longer. For a gift you need by 25 December, choose competitions that close in early December and check the stated delivery time or any cash alternative.
Sources
- Dr. Oetker advent calendar competition 2025, accessed 24 September 2026
- Forestry England Christmas competition and terms, accessed 24 September 2026
- Visit Belfast 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway, accessed 24 September 2026
- Global WIN (Heart) competition page showing paid and postal entry, accessed 24 September 2026
- Gambling Act 2005, Schedule 2 (payment to enter and free entry), accessed 24 September 2026
- Gambling Commission: Free draws and prize competitions, accessed 24 September 2026
- CAP Code Section 8: Promotional marketing (rules 8.15.1, 8.21.1, 8.28.5), accessed 24 September 2026
- NCSC: Report a scam email, accessed 24 September 2026
- NCSC: Report a scam text, accessed 24 September 2026
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