Norad Santa Tracker 2025 – Norad Santa Tracker live: Follow Santa Claus and his reindeer as they deliver gifts around the globe. Santa Claus and his reindeer are once again racing around the world on Christmas Eve, delivering billions of presents in less than 24 hours. Having departed from the North Pole earlier today, Father Christmas is now travelling westward through Asia, Africa and Europe before heading across the Atlantic. Millions of families in the UK are watching his progress in real time using the official NORAD Santa Tracker, one of the most beloved Christmas traditions in the world.
The tracker is operated by NORAD — the North American Aerospace Defense Command — a joint US-Canadian military organisation responsible for monitoring airspace across North America. Every year on 24 December, it temporarily shifts part of its high-tech surveillance systems to follow Santa’s sleigh as it flies around the globe, The WP Times reports.
When will Santa reach London and the UK
Based on NORAD’s live route data and historical flight patterns, Santa is expected to reach the United Kingdom between 22:00 and 23:30 GMT on Christmas Eve.
- London is usually among Santa’s first major UK stops, typically shortly after 22:00 GMT.
- Scotland, particularly cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, usually follows between 22:30 and 23:45 GMT as Santa moves north before heading across the Atlantic.
NORAD emphasises that Santa does not visit houses where children are still awake. If a home is still lit and children are not asleep, he moves on and returns later — always ensuring no child misses out.
How NORAD tracks Santa
NORAD uses three military-grade systems to track Santa’s sleigh in real time:
1. Arctic radar network
NORAD’s North Warning System, a chain of 49 long-range radar stations across Canada and Alaska, is used to detect Santa’s departure from the North Pole and monitor his progress across the Arctic.
2. Infrared satellites
Satellites in geosynchronous orbit, 22,300 miles above Earth, detect heat signatures in the atmosphere. According to NORAD, Rudolph’s glowing red nose emits an infrared signal similar to a missile launch, making Santa surprisingly easy to follow.
3. Fighter jet escorts
When Santa reaches North America, NORAD fighter pilots in CF-18s, F-15s, F-16s and F-22s fly alongside his sleigh, welcoming him to the skies over Canada and the United States.
Despite flying faster than any military jet, Santa slows down briefly so pilots can safely escort him.
Why NORAD started tracking Santa
The NORAD Santa Tracker began in 1955, after a simple printing mistake turned into one of the most enduring Christmas traditions in the world. A US department store advert invited children to call Santa — but the number accidentally connected them to a top-secret military command centre in Colorado.
Instead of hanging up, a duty officer answered the calls and told the children where Santa was flying. Word spread quickly, and by the end of the night the military was receiving thousands of calls asking about Santa’s location. What started as a small act of kindness became an annual mission.
Today, more than 100,000 children call NORAD every Christmas Eve, while millions more track Santa online in nine languages via live maps, videos and satellite feeds. The tradition has now been running for 70 years, making it one of the longest-standing global Christmas broadcasts.
How many gifts has Santa delivered so far
By mid-evening GMT on 24 December, Santa had already delivered more than two billion presents, according to NORAD’s live counter. His route has taken him through India, Siberia, Tibet, China, Madagascar and southern oceans before turning toward Europe and the UK.
NORAD Santa Tracker 2025 – when Santa arrives
(Christmas Eve, 24 December 2025)
| Country | City / Region | Date | Expected time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane | 24 Dec 2025 | 10:30 – 13:30 AEST |
| Australia | Perth | 24 Dec 2025 | 08:30 – 10:00 AWST |
| Switzerland | Zurich, Basel, Geneva | 24 Dec 2025 | 20:30 – 22:00 CET |
| Switzerland | Alps & rural areas | 24 Dec 2025 | 20:45 – 22:30 CET |
| United Kingdom | London | 24 Dec 2025 | 22:00 – 23:15 GMT |
| United Kingdom | England (rest) | 24 Dec 2025 | 22:00 – 23:30 GMT |
| United Kingdom | Scotland | 24 Dec 2025 | 22:30 – 23:45 GMT |
| United Kingdom | Northern Ireland | 24 Dec 2025 | 23:00 – 00:15 GMT |
How to track Santa in the UK
British families can follow Santa live via:
- The NORAD Santa Tracker app
- Social media updates from NORAD
The tracker updates every few seconds, showing Santa’s current location, speed, altitude and number of presents delivered.
After leaving the UK and Ireland, Santa will head west across the Atlantic to Canada, the United States, Mexico and South America, finishing his journey in the Pacific before returning to the North Pole just before sunrise. For millions of children in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and beyond, that means one thing: if they fall asleep soon, Santa is already on his way.
Read about the life of Westminster and Pimlico district, London and the world. 24/7 news with fresh and useful updates on culture, business, technology and city life: Royal Mail confirms delivery delays across 28 UK postcode areas, including London, as Christmas pressure peaks