Beaujolais Day 2026

Beaujolais Day returns to Morgans Hotel on Thursday 19 November 2026, and if you've lived in Swansea long enough, you'll know it's more than just a date on the calendar. Around here, it's often called 'Swansea's Christmas'—the unofficial start of the festive season that kicks off well before December. The whole thing centres on the release of Beaujolais Nouveau, which is uncorked at one minute past midnight on the third Thursday of November every year, when over a million cases leave France. In Swansea, that moment has grown into one of Wales' biggest celebrations, regularly drawing around 1,000 people across the hotel and the marquee.

The city's obsession goes back to the 1960s, when former Wales rugby captain Clem Thomas, owner of the No Sign Wine Bar, started importing Beaujolais Nouveau directly from the Beaujolais region in France. That early access sparked the enthusiasm that's stuck with the city ever since. What started as a few bottles in a wine bar has turned into a full-scale event that takes over the hotel.

On the night, you're looking at a two-course meal: braised beef daube or a vegetarian butterbean and leek cassoulet, followed by a chocolate brownie. There's a welcome drink to start you off, and the food is just one part of it—the evening is built around DJs and dancing, with the party continuing long after the meal is over. It's the kind of night that works as well for a group as it does for a couple of people, and it's usually as much about the company as the wine.

Booking is done by the table: it's £55 per person, or £550 for a standard table of up to ten. If you're going all out, there are VIP tables for £1,100 for up to ten. It's a big one, and since it's the third Thursday of November, it's the night the city officially tips into Christmas mode.