South Wales Christmas Activities

Cardiff Christmas Market is the biggest in Wales and the centrepiece of the city’s festive season. More than 200 stalls run through the city centre streets, mostly around The Hayes and St John Street, selling handmade crafts, gifts, food and drink from Welsh makers and independent traders.

It usually opens in the second half of November and runs until a few days before Christmas, with the Winter Wonderland ice rink and funfair operating alongside it and often continuing into the new year. Exact dates are confirmed in the autumn and we list them here as soon as they are announced.

It is free to visit and busiest on Saturdays and on weekday evenings after work, so a weekday morning is the quietest time to go. Cardiff Central station is a ten minute walk away, which makes this an easy trip without a car.

Christmas markets run across South Wales from the second half of November through to just before Christmas, and they vary a great deal in size and character.

Swansea, Newport, Bridgend, Porthcawl, Chepstow and Tenby all hold their own markets, generally smaller, generally more local in character, and often tied to a light switch-on event with entertainment. Caerphilly’s Winter Fair, held beneath the castle, is the most distinctive of the smaller markets.

Most markets in South Wales open in late November and close a few days before Christmas, though the exact dates change each year. We list current dates for each market below as they are confirmed.

Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland has the largest seasonal ice rink in Wales, set up in the city centre near Cardiff Castle and typically running from the second half of November into the new year. It is covered, so sessions go ahead whatever the weather is doing.

Sessions are booked in advance by timed slot and usually run for around 45 minutes to an hour, with skate hire included in the ticket price. Skating aids are available for younger or less confident children. Weekend and school holiday slots sell out well ahead, so book early if you are going in December.

Other temporary rinks appear across South Wales through the festive season at venues, attractions and shopping centres. We list them here as they are confirmed.

After-dark illuminated trails have become one of the biggest Christmas attractions in Wales over the last few years. You walk a set route through parkland or woodland after dark, with lighting installations, projections and sound along the way, usually finishing near food stalls and a bar.

In South Wales, the two established trails are at Bute Park in Cardiff and at Margam Country Park near Port Talbot. Both run on set dates from late November through into the new year, both operate timed entry slots, and both regularly sell out, particularly on weekends and in the run-up to Christmas.

If you are planning to go, book as early as you can, wear proper footwear because the routes are outdoors and often on grass or gravel, and dress warmer than you think you need to. The trails take around an hour to walk and you will be outside and moving slowly for all of it.

Grottos open across South Wales from late November, at attractions, garden centres, shopping centres and farms. The format varies from a quick meeting and a small gift through to full experiences with elves, workshops and a longer visit.

The Royal Mint Experience in Llantrisant runs one of the more distinctive grottos in the region. Country parks, castles and farm attractions across South Wales run their own, and the larger shopping centres in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport all have grottos through December.

Booking is essential for almost all of them, and the good ones sell out weeks in advance, so if a grotto visit is part of your Christmas, book it in November.

South Wales Guide does not organise any of the events listed on this page. Details are provided by the organiser or taken from their own listings, and they can change without notice, so please check directly with the organiser before you travel.

Merry Christmas!

We hope you have a very merry Christmas in South Wales this year.

If you are organising a Christmas event in South Wales and would like it featured on this guide, please get in touch. Listings are free. We start planning this page in the autumn, so it always carries the latest markets, trails and events well before December.