Once the Christmas festivities have passed, the presents are unwrapped and the leftovers are in the fridge, there’s a tantalising pocket of time to spend continuing the fun before the promise and excitement of a new year sets in. On the Suffolk Coast there are plenty of post Christmas events and activities which will lead you through 'Betwixtmas' and into 2026.
Get outside and stroll on the beach
You won’t be short of places for a bracing walk along The Suffolk Coast, from the pebbly beach at Aldeburgh with its wide skies and gently shelving shingle, to the far reaching sandy shoreline at Southwold and Walberswick. Lowestoft is perfect for families and dog walkers with it's wide sandy beach (dogs are allowed on the beach in the winter months), or stroll along Felixstowe's beach-hut lined promenade.
Wrap up warm, bring the dog and burn off some energy in the post Christmas slump as you follow the water’s edge and breathe in the fresh sea air. Afterwards, why not head into the town's where you can choose from a range of delightful cafes and eateries for a well-deserved cuppa and a bite to eat.
Pay a visit to the animals at Africa Alive
A perfect activity to get the whole family out and about and to switch up the usual betwixtmas slump; Africa Alive in Kessingland is open throughout the winter season apart from Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Home to giraffes, lions, rhinos, meerkats and more, the park offers wide open spaces to explore and regular keeper talks, making it an easy way to enjoy the fresh air while learning more about endangered species.
It's Panto Season!
Both the Spa Pavilion in Felixstowe and The Marina Theatre in Lowestoft are cherished local venues that bring the beloved British tradition of pantomime to life each festive season. At the Spa Pavilion, the long-running annual family panto—this year Jack & The Beanstalk—has been delighting audiences for decades with its mix of slapstick humour, sing-along songs, colourful costumes and audience participation, making it a highlight of the Christmas and New Year calendar for families across Suffolk.
Meanwhile at the Marina Theatre, the professional pantomime Sleeping Beauty offers a similarly magical treat with spectacular sets, lively dance numbers and a cast that includes familiar faces from stage and screen alongside local favourites; it’s part of the venue’s annual winter tradition of festive entertainment designed to enchant both children and adults alike.
Explore the wild landscape of Dunwich Heath
For an invigorating walk to refresh the whole family, head to
Dunwich Heath and Beach; one of the largest remaining areas of coastal lowland heath on the Suffolk Coast. The heathland is a rare habitat of heather, gorse and grassland that sits above the beach, offering views over the sea and out to the
RSPB Reserve at Minsmere, once you’ve taken in the winter light, stop in at the Coastguard Cottages Tea Rooms for hot chocolate, snacks or a light meal, and shelter from the breeze with a warming drink as you watch the waves roll in. The tearoom sits in the old coastguard buildings and serves drinks, cakes and light bites, making it a lovely way to round off the day.
Solve a mystery at the Suffolk Escape Room
If you have had enough of competitive family games during the festivities, get everyone together for some much needed teamwork.
Suffolk Escape Room is set in the unique location of original wartime Nissen huts in the Suffolk countryside, adding atmosphere before the game even begins. In The Hideout, your group must work together to uncover clues, solve puzzles and piece together a story inspired by the area’s wartime history, all against the clock
Step back in time at Sutton Hoo
National Trust Sutton Hoo, with its world famous Anglo Saxon burial site and ship burial, is open between Christmas and New Year and is a particularly peaceful time to explore the estate. Archaeologically, Sutton Hoo is one of the most important early medieval sites in Europe, transforming our understanding of Anglo Saxon England when the burial of an East Anglian king was uncovered in 1939.
Be sure to visit the exhibition hall to see the remarkable treasures recovered from the burial, including the iconic helmet, weaponry and finely worked metalwork, which offer extraordinary insight into craftsmanship and belief at the time. Before you leave, pay a visit to the secondhand bookshop on site to pick up a thoughtful new year read.
Go down the rabbit hole at the Avenue Theatre
Red Rose Chain are well known for their bold, playful and highly visual style of theatre, often combining music, physical performance and strong, whimsical storytelling to appeal to audiences of all ages. This year they invite you to follow the White Rabbit at the Avenue Theatre in Ipswich in their production of
Alice in Wonderland, a colourful and imaginative retelling filled with eccentric characters, inventive staging and plenty of humour for the whole family.
Discover Minsmere in winter
While many might think that nature reserves are best seen in spring and summer, the winter months offer a chance to see the landscape and wildlife at a different stage. A visit to RSPB Minsmere in winter is quieter and more contemplative, with the chance to spot wintering birds such as geese, ducks and waders across the lagoons, as well as deer moving through the reedbeds.
Take a peaceful trip away from the post Christmas chaos and enjoy the stillness of the reserve, where frosty mornings and low winter light reveal a very different side to this coastal landscape. Why not take your camera or even just use your phone and see if you can capture some beautiful images of the winter landscape.
Take the plunge at Beccles Lido
Beccles Lido, an open-air swimming pool on the banks of the River Waveney, stays open throughout the winter season and unlike many outdoor pools that close for the year, the Lido offers winter lane swims in water heated to around 15°C, giving you a bracing but safe way to keep active in the quieter weeks after Christmas.
Sessions can be booked online or on the gate, and alongside the swim sessions there are also shared sauna sessions available in the Lido’s sauna cabin, ideal for warming up afterwards and easing tired muscles