Switch on of Bray’s Christmas Lights 2023

The switch on of Bray’s Christmas Lights will take place in the Civic Plaza, Bray Main Street, on Saturday 25th November 2023 at 5pm.

Get your Christmas cheer on and enjoy everything that Bray has to offer this festive season…

The festive season is just around the corner, Bray and District Chamber of Commerce, bray.ie and Bray Municipal District, Wicklow County Council have come together to launch their Christmas marketing campaign for 2023. This campaign aims to encourage the Bray community to continue to shop, hire, and source locally to help build a more robust base for local economic growth. Additionally, it invites everyone to enjoy the yuletide events and activities taking place throughout the town this December.

This year’s Bray festive season is jam-packed full of an impressive range of events, from watching ‘Christmas movies at Mermaid’, visiting ‘Santa at Festina Lente’, and exploring the ‘Killruddery Christmas Markets’ to catching ‘Candlelight Concerts’ and of course the town centre ‘Christmas lights’ so, grab your best winter coat and prepare your best festive cheer… this Christmas is going to be one to remember.

Kieran Ward, the new Bray & District Chamber of Commerce President said, “There’s no better way to get your Christmas cheer on than enjoying what our amazing town has to offer. There is an array of festive events and activities taking place throughout the town so why not join us as we kick off the seasonal festivities next weekend?”

It’s the most wonderful time of the year especially when the Town Centre Christmas lights are officially switched on. This year the magical event will take place Saturday, November 25th from 5 pm in the Civic Plaza. Get ready to sing your heart out with MC Adam Burke and watch as Urban X Dance Group performs an amazing fun, energetic, upbeat dance routine. Why not embrace the festive spirit by dressing as Christmassy as possible… You never know, Adam could have a reward for you. While you wait for Father Christmas to arrive and switch on the town’s Christmas lights, Santa’s playful elves might stir up some fun. But no worries, Adam will keep them under control with help from all the kids in attendance.

Help us make Bray sparkle and twinkle this Christmas…

This year, one lucky family will have the chance to push the button to switch on Bray’s Christmas Lights. Simply fill in the form below. The family must be available from 4:45 pm until 6 pm on Saturday, November 25th.

The closing date for entries www.bray.ie is Monday, November 20th, 2023.

Cllr Melanie Corrigan, Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District said, “Get ready to kick off the festive season with Bray’s Christmas lights switch-on event. Why not make a day of it, grab something to eat, enjoy a spot of Christmas shopping and then pick your spot in the plaza ready for the festivities to start?”

Not only will Bray sparkle and twinkle this Christmas the town is packed full of incredible experiences, events and activities that you can’t get anywhere else and will give you a little extra festive cheer. They include:

·       Town Centre Christmas Lights and Giant Christmas Tree at the Civic Plaza

·       Christmas Projections on the Town Hall and Civic offices

·       Santa’s Post Box – children wanting to send letters to Father Christmas can do so at the Bray Town Hall until Friday, December 15th

·       #ChristmasInBray Colouring and Photography competitions… scroll down further to learn more

·       Top 10 Christmas Gifts list available from local retailers

·       #ChristmasInBray Spotify playlist

·       Santa Claus at Killruddery with Me and the Moon – Sold out

·       Killruddery Christmas Market takes place from Saturday, November 18th and will run every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm in the lead-up to Christmas and also on Thursday, December 21st from 10 am to 5 pm and Friday, December 22nd from noon to 8 pm

·       Killruddery Christmas Wreath-Making Workshops on various dates in November and December

·       Purple House’s Christmas Candlelight Service on Friday, December 1st at 7 pm in Christ Church

·       Classics by Candlelight at Christ Church returns for its fourteenth year on Sunday, December 3rd at 7:30 pm

·       The Mermaid has an array of festive shows including the WhistleBlast’s Winter Wonderland on Sunday, December 3rd, Polar Bear and a Penguin on Tuesday, December 5th, Junior Musicals Presents Jingle All The Way on December 8th and 9th

·       Visit Santa & The Mini Ponies at Festina Lente on Saturday, December 8th and Sunday, December 9th from 10 am

·       Hardy Har Christmas Special takes place on Thursday, December 7th featuring Deirdre O’Kane and Sharon Mannion with their two ‘work in progress’ shows

·       Good Craic Comedy Club’s final show of 2023 takes place on Wednesday, December 13th at 8:15 pm

·       Sunbeam House Services Ardú Film Festival takes place at the Mermaid on Tuesday, December 12th

·       Christmas Movies at Mermaid kicks off on Friday, December 15th with Die Hard followed by It’s a Wonderful Life on Monday, December 18th, Elf on Friday, December 22nd and The Muppet Christmas Carol and White Christmas on Saturday, December 23rd

·       Christmas Card Workshop with Me + The Moon at the Mermaid on Saturday, December 16th

·       Carols by Candlelight at Christ Church on Sunday, December 17th at 7 pm

·       The annual Charity Swim takes place on New Year’s Day at 12 noon opposite the Strand Hotel. The event is organised by the Bray Lions Club. To date, the charity swim has raised over €340,000 for local causes. Get event updates here.

·       Barbie, Pennington and The Miracle Club kick off the movie screenings at Mermaid from January 5th

Simply tag #ChristmasInBray with your event/activity or check out www.bray.ie to reveal more information.