Christmas at Bute Park sparks opportunities for Welsh creatives
Wales’ flagship festive light trail Christmas at Bute Park has strengthened its commitment to supporting home-grown talent through the Ignite Cymru initiative by featuring two installations for 2025 created by Welsh artists, Ruby June Walker and Patrick Richards.
Now in its fifth year, award-winning Christmas at Bute Park will return to the Welsh capital from Friday November 21st through to December 31st 2025, with a new reimagined route and exciting new light installations created by world-class creatives, including two designed by Wales-based artists as part of the Ignite Cymru scheme.
Ignite Cymru is a project run by Christmas at Bute Park with support from Welsh Government, through Event Wales, to help develop skills among local creatives. The team behind the trail has provided opportunities for creatives to get involved with the 2025 event, through its work with students from higher education institutes across Wales from Cardiff to Aberystwyth to Bangor as well as giving Welsh creatives an opportunity to create a piece for Wales’s biggest winter event.
As a result, visitors will wander this year’s trail to surround-sound audio created by Welsh young composers and marvel at installations created by locally-based visual designers.
Ruby June Walker, from Abercynon, has designed Golau y Gaeaf (Winter’s Light), a stunning gothic window depicting the traditions and symbols of a Welsh Christmas, including snow-filled landscapes, mountains and church, the hunting of the wren, Mari Lwyd and Sion Corn (Father Christmas).
She said: “I’m really thrilled to be part of this year’s light trail. Visual storytelling has always played an important part of my creative processes. This piece is a celebration of Welsh community spirit, symbolic themes in colour, light and sound. Evoking a sense of place through found items to create an immersive, otherworldly atmosphere, high lighting culture, tradition and history.”
Designer Patrick Richards, from Cardiff, will be producing Annwyl Siôn Corn (Dear Father Christmas) inspired by children writing their lists and wishes to Father Christmas with a magical post box, where glowing and twinkling letters fly out and up towards the North Pole.
He said: “I’m so excited to have the opportunity to design something for this year’s Christmas at Bute Park and while I’m only a small part of so many people’s Christmas celebrations, I’m hoping to create a big moment of seasonal magic that won’t be forgotten any time soon.”
Lizzie Rayner, Creative Producer at From The Fields, which produces the trail, said: “We are so excited to unveil two new opportunities through the Ignite Cymru scheme, created to support and showcase Welsh creatives in the event industry. Spotlighting homegrown talent throughout the winter season sits at the heart of what we do. Wales is full of incredible creative talent, and we’re delighted to give people the chance to be involved at Christmas at Bute Park.
“As we gear up to our fifth year, we’re looking forward to welcoming more than 100,000 visitors once again to celebrate the vibrancy of Welsh creativity at the nation’s largest light trail. These installations are absolutely beautiful and we can’t wait for visitors to see their beauty in real life.”
Culture Minister, Jack Sargeant, said: “Ignite Cymru offer outstanding training and skills development opportunities within the creative sector. I’m delighted we’re supporting this event again as it is a fantastic showcase for the talent emerging from Welsh Higher Education establishments and a vital springboard for individuals looking to launch or advance their career in this field.”
As well as the Ignite Cymru installations, visitors will be treated to some brand new creations for 2025, including Water Willow, a striking tree installation illuminated with thousands of lights, rising from trunk to tip before cascading from its branches in silver streams. Accompanied by an atmospheric soundscape and drifting light particles, the display creates an immersive, dreamlike experience for visitors.
Also debuting this year is Icefall, a dazzling vision of cascading lights that tumble like a frozen waterfall. Illuminated in frosty whites and icy blues, the display dances in harmony with a winter-inspired soundtrack, capturing the crisp beauty of the season.
Returning for 2025 is much-loved favourite Delilah Y Ddraig, who first captivated visitors in 2023 with her dragon’s tail draped dramatically from Cardiff Castle as she slumbered.
Visitors can also indulge in a feast of flavours, from mouth-watering street food served by local vendors to the welcoming Bute Park Tavern – a snug Alpine-style cabin where you can relax with a drink beneath the twinkling lights.
For more information or to book tickets, visit www.christmasatbutepark.com