Cardiff city centre has come alive with festive magic as FOR Cardiff unveiled two spectacular new light projections officially kicking off the city’s festive season and the wider “A Very Cardiff Christmas” campaign.
Created by light artists Illuminos, the projections transform Cardiff Market and Cardiff Central Station into festive landmarks.
At Cardiff Market, visitors will see a brand-new projection featuring a robin soaring among the market stalls. At Cardiff Central Station, a refreshed display celebrates Dylan Thomas’s A Child’s Christmas in Wales, featuring animated quotes from the iconic poem.
The new installations mark the official start of the city’s Christmas celebrations, coinciding with the launch of late-night shopping at St David’s Dewi Sant and a six-week programme of seasonal events across Cardiff.
Carolyn Brownell, Executive Director at FOR Cardiff, said:
“Cardiff at Christmas is a truly magical place, and this year’s light projections bring that spirit to life in a way that feels both fresh and rooted in our city’s unique character. From the timeless words of Dylan Thomas lighting up Central Station, to our brand-new projection site outside Cardiff Market, these installations are a celebration of creativity, community and connection.
“Our aim is to attract more people into the city centre to shop, dine, celebrate and make memories – while supporting the local businesses that make Cardiff so special during the festive season.”
Lewis Brencher, Executive Director of Customer and Communications at Transport for Wales, said:
“We're delighted to be involved in bringing this special light projection to Cardiff. As one of Wales’s busiest transport hubs, Cardiff Central station sits at the heart of our communities, and we’re proud to support FOR Cardiff in making it a festive destination for everyone travelling through or visiting the city this season.”
Cllr Jennifer Burke, Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, added:
“The new light projections are an exciting addition to what is already a brilliant festive offering in the city centre. This year’s line-up of events, activities and attractions ensures that whether you’re shopping, skating, dining or simply soaking up the atmosphere, Cardiff truly shines as one of the UK’s top Christmas destinations.”
Delivered by FOR Cardiff in partnership with Visit Cardiff, the A Very Cardiff Christmas campaign aims to position the Welsh capital as one of the UK’s leading festive destinations, showcasing the best of Cardiff’s retail, hospitality and cultural scene.
The launch of the campaign also coincides with the launch of FOR Cardiff’s Weekend Park & Ride service: (15 Nov – 21 Dec), which helps to ease congestion and reduce emissions in the city centre; the scheme saved 1.173 tonnes of CO₂ in 2023.
A list of festive highlights curated by Visit Cardiff showcases the breadth of what’s happening across the city centre this year.
Highlights include:
- The Cardiff Castle Ice Rink and Ice Walk (13 Nov – 4 Jan)
- Winter Wonderland at City Hall Lawn (13 Nov – 4 Jan)
- The award-winning Bute Park light trail (21 Nov – 31 Dec)
- The Christmas Market (13 Nov – 23 Dec) with over 70 independent stalls
- The Festive Quarter on Working Street offering Bavarian-style cabins, food and drink
- The Victorian Arcades, decorated for the season with boutique shopping and cafés
FOR Cardiff’s Christmas campaign follows hot on the heels of their successful City of Arcades 2025 campaign, which marked 70 years since Cardiff became the capital of Wales with 70 days of events across the city centre.
The autumn-long campaign brought together hundreds of local businesses through five themed fortnights celebrating food, discovery, arts, history and wellbeing, reinforcing FOR Cardiff’s year-round commitment to supporting the city’s retail and hospitality sectors.
