Portsmouth Christmas Day bus services will operate across the city on 25 December 2025, with Solent from First Bus and Stagecoach South running special timetables to keep residents and visitors connected during the festive period.
Portsmouth City Council has partnered with Solent from First Bus and Stagecoach South to ensure residents can reach family gatherings, festive events and essential destinations including QA Hospital. The initiative forms part of the Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), a £52 million government-funded programme delivering faster, more reliable and greener journeys.
Solent from First Bus will operate routes 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 with hourly services between 8am and 6pm. Stagecoach South will run routes 18, 20, 21, 22 and 23 according to individual route timetables, with hourly buses operating between 6am and 8pm.
Boxing Day services will also run to help residents travel around the city and attend football matches. For New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, Solent from First Bus will operate Sunday timetables, finishing early at 6pm on 31 December 2025 with limited services on 1 January 2026. Stagecoach will run Saturday timetables on New Year’s Eve and special hourly services on New Year’s Day.
Cllr Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport, said Christmas brings people together and these services make connections possible. Simon Goff, Managing Director of Solent from First Bus, expressed pleasure in keeping Portsmouth moving on Christmas Day, whilst Marc Reddy, Managing Director at Stagecoach South, highlighted how buses play a vital role in keeping communities connected during the festive season.
The Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan aligns with the government’s National Bus Strategy and aims to dramatically improve bus services. Managed through an enhanced partnership between Stagecoach South, Solent from First Bus and Portsmouth City Council, the programme has already funded early morning and late night services, tap on tap off technology, fare-free weekends and Christmas Day services.
Department for Transport figures show Portsmouth has achieved a 20% rise in bus passengers over the past year, making it the top city for bringing people back to bus travel with over 12 million journeys annually.
Further details about festive period bus travel are available at travel.portsmouth.gov.uk/public-transport/public-transport-over-christmas-2025/ and information about the Portsmouth BSIP can be found at travel.portsmouth.gov.uk/bsip/.
