The Call the Midwife Christmas Special 2026 consists of two 60-minute episodes (a change from the traditional 90-minute single special), aired on BBC One on 25 December 2026 (Part 1) and 26 December 2026 (Part 2).

Set in Christmas 1970, this is the most ambitious special in the show’s history, splitting the story between snowy Poplar, London, and a humanitarian crisis in Hong Kong. It weaves together classic British Christmas traditions, Hanukkah celebrations in the Jewish community, and Chinese culture in Hong Kong.

Part 1: The Mercy Mission Begins

The episode opens with a festive but anxious Nonnatus House. Snow blankets Poplar, carols ring out, and the midwives are preparing for Christmas, but the future of home births is under threat as more women are being sent to hospitals under the changing NHS.

Fred and Violet Buckle travel to Hong Kong to visit Violet’s son, only to arrive just as a catastrophic building collapse destroys the Mother House of the Order of St Raymond Nonnatus, killing nuns, orphans, and staff. A desperate telegram reaches Poplar.

Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter), facing the possible end of Nonnatus House, makes a bold decision: she leads a mercy mission to Hong Kong. She is joined by Sister Veronica, Nurse Phyllis Crane, Dr Patrick Turner, and Shelagh Turner. For the first time ever, core characters leave London.

Back in Poplar, the younger midwives (Trixie, Lucille, Cyril, Rosalind, and others) are left to manage a busy Christmas period alone, dealing with complicated births, community Hanukkah celebrations, and rising social tensions.

In Hong Kong, the team lands in blazing sunshine amid chaos: rubble, injured survivors, and an outbreak of tuberculosis among refugees. Shelagh and Patrick begin a deeply personal side mission: searching for May’s birth mother in the notorious Kowloon Walled City, a lawless slum controlled by Triad gangs.

The episode ends on a cliffhanger as a real-life typhoon (which struck during filming) hits Hong Kong, threatening to destroy the relief effort, while back in Poplar, Trixie faces a life-or-death birth complicated by prejudice.

Part 2: Lights in the Storm

The typhoon rages. Floodwaters rise, tents are ripped apart, and the team fights to save lives in apocalyptic conditions. Sister Julienne, who has spent years resisting change, finally embraces a new vision for the Order’s future, finding hope amid devastation.

The tuberculosis outbreak is brought under control, but not without heartbreaking losses, including the death of a beloved minor nun character. Sister Veronica faces a crisis of faith.

Patrick and Shelagh’s search for May’s mother reaches an emotional climax, forcing them to confront painful truths about race, adoption, and family in 1970s Britain.

In Poplar, the younger characters carry a lighter but still poignant storyline: Lucille and Cyril host a Christmas party for street children, Rosalind helps a young woman with a secret pregnancy, and the community comes together for both Christmas dinner and Hanukkah candle-lighting.

The special ends with an emotional reunion and a renewed sense of purpose. The Nonnatus family (both in Hong Kong and Poplar) gathers (some in person, some via letters and phone calls) to sing carols, symbolizing that love and compassion have no borders.

Sister Julienne returns to London ready to fight for the future of midwifery, and the episode closes on a hopeful note as Poplar welcomes 1971.

Main Cast

• Jenny Agutter – Sister Julienne
• Laura Main – Shelagh Turner
• Stephen McGann – Dr Patrick Turner
• Helen George – Trixie Franklin
• Linda Bassett – Nurse Phyllis Crane
• Judy Parfitt – Sister Monica Joan
• Cliff Parisi – Fred Buckle
• Annabelle Apsion – Violet Buckle
• Special guest: Patra Au as Mrs Ma, a tough Hong Kong midwife who becomes a key ally.

Christmas Special 2025