Festive Newport
Residents and visitors can look forward to a spectacular Festive Newport this year with the promise of treats galore.
Partners including the council, Newport Now BID (Business Improvement District), Friars Walk, Newport Live and Newport Market are as busy as elves getting ready to make it a glittering season.
As we countdown the number of sleeps, further information will be published here, on our social media channels and at What’s On City of Newport but here’s a taste of what’s in store in the city centre.
Newport’s first ever winter wonderland promises family-friendly fun this festive season, featuring:
- Covered, real ice-rink
- Ferris wheel
- Fire pits for roasting marshmallows
- Fairground rides
Plus, there will be plenty of food and drink on offer at the Christmas cabins including:
- German sausages, burgers, loaded fries
- Waffles, crepes, doughnuts
- Christmas carvery
- Specialist coffees, and deluxe hot chocolates
- Traditional sweets and confectionery
- Licensed bar
There will be outside and covered seating areas, all nestled under festoon lighting and Christmas decorations.
Newport Winter Wonderland will be open from Thursday 21 November 2024 until Sunday 5 January 2025. General opening times will be 3pm to 10pm on weekdays, 11am to 10pm on weekends and during school holidays – please check the website for specific dates and times, particularly on Bank Holidays.
Entry to the wonderland, located just off Kingsway at the site of the old Newport Centre, will be free. Rides, activities and ice skating will be subject to a charge and skating can be pre-booked.
Find out more and book your ice-skating slot on the Newport Winter Wonderland website.
Newport Winter Wonderland is being brought to the city centre by Andrew Holmes Funfairs in partnership with Newport City Council and Friars Walk, and is supported by UK Government funding.
The John Frost Square Christmas cabins will be selling hog roasts, hot dogs, burgers, crepes, donuts and sweet treats.
Join Dick Whittington and his trusty cat at The Riverfront theatre and arts centre, as they set out on an epic journey from Newport in search of fame, fortune, friendship and adventure.
This rags to riches tale promises to be full of laugh out loud gags, stunning scenery, beautiful costumes, the baddest baddies and plenty of audience participation.
Book tickets on the Newport Live website.
From Saturday 16 November until the 28 December, visitors can park for free on Saturdays in council owned, city centre car parks:
- Kingsway - NP20 1EX
- Park Square - NP20 4EP
- Emlyn Street - NP20 1ES
- Faulkner Road - NP20 4PE
- Hill Street - NP20 4EN
- Riverfront - NP20 1HG
- Stow Hill - NP20 4DX
Families of up to two adults and three children the opportunity to travel in Newport for just £5!
This popular offer regularly runs during school holidays, giving families the chance to enjoying all that Newport has to offer.
Families can even purchase the ticket in advance, ready to travel to the Countdown to Christmas event on Saturday 16th November, where the 2024 Christmas bus will be unveiled on High Street.
With plenty of Christmas activities taking place throughout December, the £5 Family Day Ticket is the perfect opportunity for families to cut back on travel expenses and avoid the hectic congestion, saving a whopping £17.80, in comparison to the £22.80 that 5 individual zone 1 and 2 day tickets would cost.
Not only will Newport Bus be showcasing their brand-new wrapped bus on Saturday 16 November, they’ll also be launching a competition on the day for two lucky winners to have their names printed on the bus, which will then operate on our entire network over the Christmas period.
Find out more on the Newport Bus website.
Join us at Newport Art Gallery in John Frost Square for some festive music and crafts with the Operasonic team.
Free, fun music sessions for 0 to 7- year-olds and their families.
The singalong will run from 12:30 - 3:30pm.
A selection of stalls will be located on Westgate Square on every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in December, 11am-4pm (Thursday 5 to Sunday 22 December).
There will be a wide section of goods on offer which will change frequently during the month.
The market is being brought to the city centre by Newport Now BID in partnership with Green Top.
Stalls are free for businesses based in Newport city centre that pay the BID levy. For more information contact [email protected] .
Independent food, craft and gift stalls within the Kingsway Centre. You can also enjoy a free mulled wine or cider and live music every Saturday. Open each Saturday and Sunday in December.
Santa and his elves will be at the Kingsway Centre each Saturday and Sunday in December.
Running every weekend from 7-22 December, children will be invited to take part in a number of exciting activities.
Having been given their very own Elf hat and working out their elf name, it’s off to work they go!
Children’s workshop activities will include:
- creating special reindeer food (to energise Santa’s sleigh team on Christmas Eve!)
- making a colourful sign for their bedroom door
- creating present bags
- sort letters and parcels for Santa
Having completed their tasks, children will then meet Santa and receive a gift.
Pre-booking will open from mid-November visit the Friars Walk website for more details.
The Santa’s Workshop experience will cost £4 per child* with all proceeds donated to St David’s Hospice.
*Booking fee may apply.
The popular Friars Walk decorations will be returning this year including a Christmas tree, golden reindeer and a new giant bauble.
Small Business Saturday may have been cancelled because of Storm Darragh but we won’t let that stop us supporting our local independent businesses in Newport.
This Saturday (14 December) we will have entertainment taking place in the city centre including live music from a variety of acts to appeal to all tastes.
Newport City Council and partners are again supporting Small Business Saturday and highlighting the amazing independent businesses Newport has to offer.
The long-running campaign aims to encourage people to 'shop local' and make a positive contribution to their community.
Did you know that more than 60 per cent of our city centre businesses are independent?
From cafés and pubs, grocers and florists, jewellery and clothing, to gifts, arts, crafts and hobbies, there is a great variety on offer.
This year will see the return of the Newport Now Business Improvement District gift card giveaway. Head into the city centre between 11am and 3pm on Saturday and you could be in with a chance of bagging a gift card worth between £10 and £100 to spend with our great local businesses.
There will also be a selection of entertainment taking place in the city centre including roaming street performers and live music.
There’s also a host of great things going on across the weekend and all around the city – check out www.whatsoncityofnewport.co.uk for all the latest event info.
Small Business Saturday event timetable
| Event | Location | Time | Entry |
| Newport Christmas Market | Westgate Square / Bridge Street | 11.00 – 16.00 | Free Entry |
| Winter Wonderland | Usk Way | 11.00 – 22.00 | Free Entry |
| Bois y Bryn Choir | Newport Market | 12.30 – 13.00 | Free |
| Kingsway Christmas Market | Kingsway Centre | 10.00 – 17.00 | Free Entry |
| Ryan Keyse | Market Arcade | 11:00 – 15:00 | Free |
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Newport NOW voucher giveaway Launching in the city centre between 11.00 and 15.00 |
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The popular St David’s Hospice Care Festive Five is taking place on Friday 13 December at 6.30pm. The city centre will be lit up as over 100 runners take on a scenic five-mile course along the river paths, dressed in festive outfits and lights.
Find out more and sign up on the St David's website.
Get ready for an unforgettable afternoon tea experience, featuring a live performance by Michael Bublé tribute act, Richie Evans.
Buy tickets on the Newport Market website.
On Friday 6 and 13 December, staff at the Kingsway Centre will be taking part in a best Christmas jumper competition. On Friday 20 December the competition opens up to everyone and there’s a prize of £1,000 of vouchers up for grabs!
Free Christmas Concert upstairs in the market at 1.30pm.
There’s also a wide range of events and activities taking place across the city – you can find out more at What’s On City of Newport. It’s also free to advertise, so if you’re planning a Christmas event, make sure you register it.
You can also subscribe to our weekly enewsletter to keep up to date on the latest news and events.
A number of Festive Newport events including Winter Wonderland, Countdown to Christmas and Small Business Saturday have been supported with UK Government funding.