By Radka Hostašová
As nice as it is to stay at home, watching our favourite Christmas films, with the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree, there’s also plenty to do in the city this Christmas. To help you plan a unique advent experience, we’ve created a list of festive activities and events that take place this winter in Liverpool.
1. Christmas Markets
Let’s start with some of the most popular events in the city, where you can enjoy mulled wine, local food specialties, handmade gifts and live music.
- Liverpool Christmas Market is located on the St. George’s Hall Plateau and hosts around 40 stalls this year. The event runs from the 12 of November until the 23 of December and provides entertainment for the whole family. Whereas adult visitors can enjoy the traditional program and festive themed bars, children can ride on the big wheel or the giant Bavarian snow slide.
- The festive spirit has also arrived at the waterfront as the Light Trail has illuminated the Royal Albert Dock again. This large-scale event features a number of creative light installations, while the dock’s independent retailers and restaurants bring a variety of original gifts and special offers. You can download the Light Trail map to guide you and find the best Christmas spots.
2. Activities For Children
Christmas is a time full of surprises and miracles for children, so it’s no surprise that there’s some fantastic kids events lined up.
- On Saturday 4 & 11 December, Duke Street Food and Drink Market is hosting Santa’s Stories. The family event invites children to listen to magical tales and share their Christmas wishes with Santa.
- Similarly, the GPO Food Hall, at Metquarter is hosting a Breakfast with Santa on Sunday 5, 12 & 19 December.
At both events, children will receive a small gift, while parents can discover a variety of world cuisines from these two amazing food courts.
3. Skating
To balance all the delicious food we consume during Christmas time, why not throw in some exercise by going for a skate, while soaking up the festive atmosphere in a slightly different way.
- The Invisible Wind Factory has introduced Christmas Roller Skating, simply called ‘Skatemas‘. The event runs throughout December and offers an unusual alternative to a weekend night out. After getting tired of skating to famous Christmas tunes, visitors can take a break and enjoy festive themed refreshments.
- If you prefer an ice rink over a roller drome, the city’s riverside is the place to be. Like in the previous years, the Pier Head hosts the Liverpool Ice Festival; however, this time it’s bigger than ever. The festival includes a large covered arena for ice skating, an adventurous Ice Slide, and Ice Jet ride displaying an exciting light show. Visitors can warm up with hot drinks and traditional food.
4. Cultural events
There’s also some heart-warming Christmas events happening at some of the city’s best-loved venues.
- The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is bringing a number of performances featuring glorious Christmas stories and musical performances. There’s the Swingin’ Christmas concert, featuring seasonal favourites, made famous by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and Judy Garland. Moreover, visitors can enjoy Love Actually In Concert, screening the classic film, accompanied by live orchestral music and of course a Christmas Eve screening of It’s A Wonderful Life.
- St. George’s Hall will have a special Ginificent production of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, running from the 19 -23 December.
To discover more Christmas events visit our What’s On section.