We all know that York is extra beautiful at Christmas time – so it’s no surprise it makes the perfect setting for a festive film.
In fact, the only surprise is that there aren’t more of them!
But here are three Christmas films set in the city of York and one set in Yorkshire, capturing the beautiful landmarks and locations in all their festive glory.
And the number will raise to one more next Christmas, with the release of Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint, which was filming in the city earlier this year and stars Celebrity Traitors favourite Celia Imrie, Richard E Grant, John Bradley, Nigel Planer and Karl Pilkington.
Tinsel Town
A new one for 2025 is Tinsel Town, a Sky Cinema film about a washed-up Hollywood action star who takes a role in a small English village’s Christmas pantomime.
It stars a plethora of talent, including Kiefer Sutherland, Rebel Wilson, Danny Dyer, Lucien Laviscount, Katherine Ryan, Derek Jacobi, Meera Syal, and more.
Filming took place in various Yorkshire towns, such as Knaresborough, Wetherby, Wakefield, and Harrogate.
A couple of filming locations that can be seen in the trailer are beautiful aerial shots of the picturesque Knaresborough, and the bowling green at Knaresborough Castle that was transformed into a Christmas fair.
There’s also shots of Wetherby town hall – which stands in for the theatre in the film.
Tinsel Town is available to stream on Sky Cinema and Now TV.
Between the Lights
Adding to the Christmas-films-set-in-York repertoire is the 2023 film Between the Lights, the debut feature from filmmaking brothers Michael Groom and David Groom.
It’s a magical realism romance that was filmed in both York and the Lake District, and stars Ines De Clercq (Broadchurch) as Alice and Samuel Edward-Cook (Peaky Blinders) as Jay.
Just from the trailer, many of York’s most iconic streets and landmarks can be spotted – including the Minster, Clifford’s Tower and the Shambles.
The film has been screened at festivals all over the world, and is available to stream on Amazon and Apple TV.
My Dad’s Christmas Date
This 2020 Christmas film is directed by Mick Davis and stars Jeremy Piven, Olivia-Mai Barrett, Joely Richardson, and Roger Ashton-Griffiths.
My Dad’s Christmas Date is about dad David (Piven) and his 16-year-old daughter Jules (Barrett), struggling to reconnect after the death of their wife and mum. Jules hatches a plan to set her dad up on dates without him knowing – and that goes about as well as you expect…
The film features ten familiar York locations, including Shambles Market, York Art Gallery, The Perky Peacock cafe, and St Peter’s School.
Take a look at all the York location appearances in the film here.
My Dad’s Christmas Date is available to watch via Amazon Prime Video.
Father Christmas Is Back
Father Christmas Is Back (2021) has a star-studded cast that includes Kelsey Grammer, John Cleese, Elizabeth Hurley and Kris Marshall.
The comedy centres around the four sisters of the Christmas family who have reunited for the holiday. But it’s a holiday that’s haunted by memories as their father (Kelsey Grammer) left them on Christmas day.
Now he’s back and long-buried secrets must come to light…
It’s directed by Phillipe Martinez and Mick Davis and produced by York-based production company MSR Media.
York’s moment in the film is beautiful but brief, with just an idyllic shot of the River Ouse. However, it does feature some more stunning Yorkshire locations to enjoy – including Birdsall House, Malton and The Plough Inn, Allerthorpe.
Filming also took place at Highfield Grange Studios in Bubwith near Selby.
Father Christmas Is Back is available to watch on Netflix.
