IF you’re looking to venture out to get involved in the festive fun taking place in Wales, then Christmas at Bute Park could be for you.
On a rainy opening weekend, we headed down to the nation’s capital, Cardiff, to see the spectacular light display that has taken over Bute Park in the heart of Cardiff city centre for the festive period.
It is the third year that the light display has been open to the public, after starting in 2021, and selling out both then and in 2022.
Christmas at Bute Park has added an extra half a mile of lights, bringing the total to a mile and a half. On the opening weekend, thousands of visitors attended – and it was certainly busy on our arrival on Sunday.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to go through the illuminated gate into the magical light trail over the next five weeks to experience the award-winning event in full.
Walking through the entrance gate, you are met with the existing trees in Bute Park turned into a range of colours, including blue and purple, with spotlights before entering into the food court area which has a range of items on offer to warm up on a winter night. There is also some lovely festive tunes performed by the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama’s brass quintet.
As you step through into the trail itself, you are greeted with Unicorn Disco, a series of disco balls hanging from the trees and lovely unicorn sculptures made from recycled metals, all is lit by lighting to add to the disco mood.
This is followed by a fantastic all-round experience called ‘Don’t Wake Delilah’ which features a dragon’s tail hanging over a wall and the sounds of a snoring dragon.
Pembrokeshire’s Molara Adesigbini’s Flights of Fantasy display is lovely to look at, full of colours and was a popular spot for visitors to take photos with the wings.
One of my personal highlights was the flower lights on the grass by the fireflies section, as it was reminiscent of a Disney scene.
Students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama created some of the exhibitions – a festive sheep piece and a village of Welsh cottages - and they were well done.
My personal favourite piece incorporated the standing stones of Bute Park into a stunning array of lights that from above could look like a star on the ground. It was a stunning display that I spotted much earlier than I probably should have, and immediately became fixated with.
Another of my personal highlights was the rainbow run. Throughout the trail, the music and sounds playing through the PA speakers added to the immersion.
Many people may feel put off in attending outdoor events as the weather turns, and it rained throughout my visit but I felt that it added to the atmosphere and didn’t bother me at all. There are toilets and albeit pricey stalls dotted throughout the trail for a quick refreshment and the trail is accessible, however, at times it was quite hard to spot where you had to go as the trail is roped off but at times it was not very visible.
If you would like to visit Christmas at Bute Park or find out more, visit www.christmasatbutepark.com.
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