Santa for Shopping Centres

Santa for the whole season, not just opening day

A shopping centre Santa has a big job. He may be on the set for six or seven hours at a time, six or seven days a week, for several weeks. He needs to stay warm and cheerful at hour five on a hot afternoon, and still be gentle with the baby who arrives at closing time.

That is why we plan centre bookings around the roster first. We work out how many shifts you need, who covers breaks and what happens if someone is unwell. With 500 performers across Australia, we have the depth to back up a long season.

We supply performers for Santa photo seasons, Santa sets and grottos, arrival parades, community nights and special sessions. Tell us your trading hours and season dates in the quote form and we will build the roster around them.

Santa arrival parades

The arrival is often the biggest day of the season, and it sets the tone for the weeks after. Your centre arranges how Santa gets there, and our performer plays the part. Common examples include a fire truck, a float, a vintage car, a helicopter or a boat if you are near the water.

We will talk through the run sheet with you. Where Santa arrives, how he is greeted, who walks him in, how long he waves and when he settles into his set. It helps to have a centre team member as his contact on the day, plus a quiet spot for him to get ready.

Parades usually draw a crowd, so we recommend booking the performer early and confirming the date before you advertise. Santa can also be joined by Mrs Claus and elves to hand out flyers, wave to the crowd and help with the lineup afterwards.

Photo seasons, rosters and relief Santas

For a photo season, most centres run Santa on a fixed weekly pattern, with the busiest times on Saturdays and Sundays in late November and December, especially late morning to early afternoon. Those times book first.

Where we can, we keep the same Santa across your season so families see a familiar face, with relief Santas to cover meal breaks and days off. Some centres use two Santas at peak times so a break never means an empty set.

• Multi-week and multi-day rosters
• Relief Santas for breaks and days off
• Elves for queue management, keeping children calm and families moving
• Mrs Claus for story time and special sessions
• Sensitive Santa or quiet sessions, with lower noise and a slower pace for children who find crowds hard
• Pet nights, when Santa meets the dogs and the families who bring them

Planning tips for centre managers

Send us your season dates and trading hours early. Even a rough draft helps us hold performers for you while the rest is being decided.

Think about a back room for Santa to change and rest, and a spot for water. A comfortable Santa is a better Santa. If you are advertising, wait until your performers are confirmed. Once confirmed, the client portal includes free simple promotional flyers you can use.

Every performer holds a current Working With Children Check or state equivalent, such as the VIC Working with Children Check, NSW WWCC, QLD Blue Card, WA WWC Card, SA Working with Children Check, ACT WWVP registration, NT Ochre Card or TAS Registration to Work with Vulnerable People.

More Santa services

Planning something else as well?

Multi-venue programs Santa photography sessions Christmas elf hire Christmas entertainers Santa hire Melbourne Santa hire Sydney Santa hire Brisbane Santa hire Perth