Cardiff Council has set out festive attractions for Christmas 2026, with Christmas lights due to come on on 12 November and a range of events running into the new year.
Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland Ice Rink and Ice Walk will return in the grounds of Cardiff Castle from 12 November 2026 until 3 January 2027, with a new Curling Experience also offered. Details are at www.visitcardiff.com/christmas/cardiffs-winter-wonderland/.
Winter Wonderland on City Hall Lawn will run over the same dates with free entry, including a new accessible Big Wheel, free family entertainment and the Sur La Piste apres-ski bar.
Christmas at Bute Park will feature a mile-long illuminated trail through four worlds — Magic, Wonder, Hope and Joy — from 19 November 2026 until 31 December 2026. Tickets are on sale via www.visitcardiff.com/christmas/cardiff-christmas-lights/.
A Cardiff Victorian Christmas Market on Queen Street, brought by the team behind The Great Cardiff Feast, is scheduled for 12 to 15 November, with Thursday to Saturday opening 10am to 7pm and Sunday 10am to 5pm.
Cardiff’s Christmas Market of wooden chalets in the city centre is due to run from 12 November to 23 December 2026, open late until 7pm on Thursdays throughout December, offering craft and food stalls from local makers.
The release also points visitors to the city’s Victorian arcades and Central Market, St David’s Dewi Sant shopping centre with more than 160 brands, and Festive Quarter cabins on Working Street from 12 November throughout the festive period.
Pantomime season at the New Theatre runs from 5 December to 3 January, with TV presenter Gethin Jones starring as Filipe De Boeuf in Beauty and the Beast. Wales Millennium Centre will host Mamma Mia! from 30 November to 5 December and Matilda the Musical from 9 December to 17 January. Show information is at www.visitcardiff.com/christmas/shows/.
