Cardiff's Winter Wonderland is back for 2026, opening on Thursday 12 November and running until Sunday 3 January 2027. The fun is spread across two sites in the city centre: the grounds of Cardiff Castle and City Hall Lawn in Cathays Park. Entry to both is free, so you only pay for the rides and attractions you actually want to try.
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The castle site is where you'll find the covered ice rink, which keeps going into the New Year. There's a separate novice rink for beginners, and accessible sessions run every Wednesday at set times. Booking ahead is required for the ice, as there are no walk-up tickets. This year there's also a newcomer to the castle grounds: Bavarian Curling, a traditional wintertime team sport played on real ice. The castle site also has the Tafarn Triple Tepee Bar, with open-sided canopies and a self-service Guinness bar, along with food, drink and entertainment.
Over at City Hall Lawn, the Big Wheel offers views over the city's Christmas lights, and there's a family fairground for younger visitors. Warmer spots include the Sur La Piste Alpine Lodge Bar, a two-storey wooden cabin serving mulled wine and hot chocolate. Food stalls are dotted across both sites, serving treats such as hot dogs, toasted marshmallows and Welsh cakes.
The festive market is run by CraftFolk, which has organised it since 1994, and it brings around 70 wooden stalls to the streets around the city centre, including St John Street, Working Street, Trinity Street and Hills Street. You'll find handmade silver jewellery, wood carvings, fused glass, ceramics and textiles, with taster stalls on Trinity Street for new makers. The market runs from 12 November to 23 December, trading from 10:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:00 to 17:00 on Sundays, with late opening until 19:00 on Thursdays in December.
The Winter Wonderland sites generally open from 11:00 to 22:00, though the hours shift through the season and some days differ, so it's worth checking the official listings before heading out. Both sites are closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and on Christmas Eve they close at 19:30 at the castle and at 20:00 at City Hall. The city centre lights switch on the same day the event opens, on 12 November, in Queen Street, The Hayes, St Mary Street and the arcades. A full list of exhibitors and their trading dates will be published on the Cardiff Christmas Market website closer to the time.
Published Date
27 October 2026
