Tens of thousands of residents and visitors turned out for Swansea’s annual Christmas parade which heralded the countdown to the festive season.
They enjoyed the free Swansea Council event that featured a vibrant mix of local community groups, spectacular professional entertainers, marching bands, magical floats, colourful film characters and festive inflatables.
Santa Claus was there too, switching on the city centre’s glittering Christmas lights.
Council cabinet member Robert Francis-Davies said: “The Christmas countdown for Swansea really did start on Sunday night. This year’s parade – another free event provided by the council – really was a great spectacle once again this year.
“It was one of Swansea’s biggest Christmas parades, attracting a massive crowd, and it was hugely well received by those who attended.
“So many of Swansea’s communities took part in the event and I’d like to thank them all for their input and hard work in helping to make it such a success.
“We had some excellent commercial acts within the parade but what really makes it so special and so unique to Swansea, is seeing so many local people going to so much effort and thoroughly enjoying themselves in the process. Those who weren’t in the festive mood before the start of it, definitely are now.”
Back by popular demand was Spark!, a street-theatre show which combines a high-impact drumming routine with kaleidoscopic lighting design. There were also giant light-up reindeers that seem to float in the air and magical Winter Wonderland Birds
They were joined by hundreds of people from Swansea’s communities participating in the parade who picked up the festive spirit and shared it with thousands of onlookers.
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Other festive attractions will help make this a fun-filled Swansea season.
Waterfront Winterland next to the LC on Museum Park is already open. Run by Sayers Events, it offers an ice walk and rink along with a food village and festive fun fair with big wheel.
Lights in the city centre this year include colour-changing light features in the trees along Oxford Street, similar to those in the trees in Wind Street. There are illuminated icicles around building canopies on Oxford Street, Whitewalls and Union Street.
On top of that bus services will be free every Saturday and Sunday in the countdown to Christmas if the journey starts and finishes within the county boundary and starts before 7pm.
Cllr Francis-Davies said: “This year promises to be a cracker of a Christmas in Swansea.”
