Christmas at Bute Park is back next month for its fifth year, with a brand-new route, dazzling new displays and street food traders serving tempting festive treats.
With more than 104,000 tickets sold in 2024, Christmas at Bute Park will be returning to Cardiff city centre from Friday November 21st through to December 31st, 2025, bringing more than five weeks of festive magic with it.
A key addition to this year’s lineup is Water Willow, an installation combining synchronised light and sound effects. It features three large tree structures illuminated with thousands of LEDs. The lights pulse vertically along the trunks and branch into a cascade of white and silver lighting elements, accompanied by a programmed ambient soundscape.
Another new feature is Icefall, a vertical light installation designed to simulate a waterfall using cool white and blue tones. The lighting patterns are matched with a winter-themed audio track.
Visitors can also view Crystal Avenue, five illuminated chandeliers along the path that lead to the Secret Garden Café. These are programmed to light up in time with Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Additional elements include a display of sculpted Dandelions and a lit walkthrough Archway installation.
Also don’t miss Yuletide Magic – a gorgeous tree projection of magical sparkle, inspired by pixie dust soaring around the trees, and Christmas Cascades – where you walk through seven shimmering water fountains.
Foodies can explore the array of street food on offer with delicious treats from local traders, as well as the Bute Park Tavern – the cosy heated Alpine wooded cabin where you can sit back and enjoy a drink in the twinkling surroundings.
This year’s traders include Cattle Co. Burgers, Hash & Dash, Frico Pizza & Loaded Fries, Daddy Mac’s, Oh My Sausage, Let’s Wrap Fried Chicken, Chocomelt Station and Crumble Pots.
There will also be coffee stalls, bars serving a range of hot and cold drinks and vintage fairground rides.
Roxy Robinson, Creative Director at From the Fields, the team behind Christmas at Bute Park, said: “We are delighted to be returning for a fifth year to Cardiff and always receive the warmest of welcomes from visitors to Christmas at Bute Park. Last year’s trail was a huge success despite the challenges of storms and high winds, and we are looking forward to bringing new installations and a new route to make sure visitors continue to enjoy the festive trail.”
This year, Christmas at Bute Park has also welcomed a new partnership with Cardiff’s luxury hotel voco St David’s. Located on the stunning Cardiff Bay waterfront, voco St David’s is the city’s only five-star hotel and proud winner of Cardiff Life’s Tourism Award 2025.
Konstantin Grimm, General Manager, voco St David’s Cardiff said: “We’re proud to be the official hotel partner for this year’s Christmas at Bute Park – one of Cardiff’s most iconic festive events. As a leading destination hotel in the city, we’re perfectly placed for guests looking to combine a magical evening at the light trail with a relaxing overnight stay by the bay. We’re excited to be working with the team at Christmas at Bute Park to create memorable seasonal experiences for both visitors and locals alike.”
Roxy added: “We are thrilled to announce the new partnership between Christmas at Bute Park and voco St David’, bringing together the magic of Cardiff’s most spectacular winter lights display with the elegance of world-class hospitality.”
