Christmas is right around the corner and the city of Dundee is ready and raring to go. There are a whole host of events on offer for people to enjoy this year.
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City council leader John Alexander said: “We want to bring families together to celebrate Christmas in Dundee.
“We are really excited about all of the great events that we have planned. There is going to be something for everyone.
“The Christmas period is all about bringing people together and we hope these events will do that.
“We understand that money is tighter this year for many families so want to make sure that the Council-organised events in City Square are free. That is very important to us given the challenges that many people are facing just now.”
Dundee Hooley at City Square
The festivities kick off with the St Andrew’s Day Hooley on November 26th.
At 4pm people are welcomed down to City Square for entertainment, including fire performers, storytelling, bubble performers and lots of other activities for children.
The Dundee Hooley officially begins with a torchlit parade and will represent St Andrew’s values of kindness and welcome.
The parade will include the High School of Dundee’s pipe band and fire performers, lighting up the city centre with the spirit of Christmas.
The parade starts at the High School of Dundee at 5.15pm and ends at City Square at 5.45pm. At 6pm the ceilidh band will take over and the square will turn into a giant party.
Isn’t that what this time of year is all about? Bringing people together in the festive spirit.
A focus on sustainability for Dundee’s festive celebrations
From December 1st, the Christmas magic begins in Dundee’s City Square with free events for all the whole family to enjoy.
Every day the square will be open for events. These include markets, a giant Pingoo, the Dundee Christmas card and much more.
There will be an activity tent where children can write letters to Santa as well as other Christmas crafts. There will also be an immersive Christmas installation.
The event is bigger and better than previous years. On Thursday evenings there will be live music performers, with choirs on Sundays and street performers during the weekends.
There will be a real focus on sustainability. A real tree has been planted at the City Churches, so that locals can enjoy this for years to come. There will also be five sustainability-themed trees alongside the living tree. These trees have been commissioned by five different designers.
Councillor Mark Flynn, city development convener, added: “We really want to focus on this event being sustainable and eco-friendly. This year we’ve commissioned five artists to create five Christmas trees.
“We have also planted a tree at the City Churches, which will be here forever. It is set to grow to over 65ft. It’s all very focused on sustainability, which we feel is really important.
“This year’s programme is going to be great. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome locals and visitors alike to the city centre.”
The events in the Square will run from December 1st to December 24th, so there is plenty of time to get involved with the fun.
What are the main Christmas events on offer?
A full programme of installations, activities and entertainment is on offer at Dundee’s City Square Christmas events:
- Welcome back Pingoo, the Wishing Fountains and the Dundee Christmas Card.
- Enjoy the activity tent with letter writing to Santa, a Christmas themed crafts workshop programme and an immersive Christmas installation.
- Lose yourself in the Insta-friendly Heofon maze – lit up at night or catching the sun during the day, it’s a beautiful place to wander.
- Play an end of curling on the curling lanes with your friends.
- And enjoy live music on stage on Thursdays, choirs on Sundays, and street performers at weekends.
City Square activities are free for the public to enjoy.
‘Dundee’s Winterfest is making a welcome return to Slessor Gardens as part of the city’s festive activities with fun for all of the family. The Winterfest is is a commercially run event, so while there is no charge to enter and enjoy the atmosphere, charges will apply for the ice rink, rides, food and drink, advance booking may be required.
Updates on the events around the festive season can be found on the Dundee City Council website and by following @visitdundeecity on Facebook and Instagram.
Learn more about what’s on in Dundee over the festive period here.
