Excited for holiday celebrations in Bath? Our guide has all the festive activities you need! For Bath inhabitants and visitors alike, this guide highlights the season's best events and activities.
A must-see is the Bath Christmas Market, where you can explore charming wooden chalets filled with unique gifts and delicious treats. Lace up your skates for some festive fun at Bath on Ice, which offers an enchanting rink for all ages. And definitely don’t miss the Holburne Museum Christmas Light Trail, transforming the museum gardens into a magical wonderland. See more details on these and other fun events and activities below!
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The Top Christmas Events in Bath
- Bath Christmas Market
- Bath on Ice
- Holburne Museum Christmas Light Trail
- Theatre Royal Bath Christmas Pantomime
- Bath Abbey Christmas Carols
- The American Museum & Gardens Christmas
- Prior Park Landscape Garden Nativity Walk
- Santa's Grotto at SouthGate Bath
- Christmas Artisan Market at Green Park Station
- Roman Baths by Torchlight
Bath Holiday Light Displays
Holburne Museum Christmas Light Trail
What to Expect:
Art-inspired light installations in a museum garden
Description:
The Holburne Museum Christmas Light Trail illuminates the night with artistic flair. Cutting-edge light installations transform the museum's gardens into a canvas of color and shadow. Stroll through the grounds, encountering light sculptures inspired by the museum's collections. The trail offers a fresh perspective on Bath's artistic heritage, blending contemporary light art with historical surroundings. Visitors can capture stunning photographs of the illuminated Georgian architecture. This event continues the Holburne's tradition of innovative art presentations, dating back to its founding in 1882.
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Holburne Museum Christmas Light Trail
Bath Christmas Luminations
What to Expect:
City-wide light art installations celebrating Bath's heritage
Description:
Bath Christmas Luminations illuminates the city's iconic buildings and spaces with innovative light art. Projections and installations transform familiar landmarks, revealing hidden aspects of Bath's rich history. Visitors can follow a trail of light through the city, discovering surprising artistic interventions in unexpected places. The event highlights Bath's status as a UNESCO World Heritage site, using light to emphasize architectural details and historical narratives. You're experiencing a modern interpretation of Bath's longstanding tradition of public spectacle and celebration.
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Bath Holiday Markets and Shopping
Bath Christmas Market
What to Expect:
One of the UK's largest and most authentic Christmas markets
Description:
Bath Christmas Market transforms the city's historic streets into a bustling holiday bazaar. Over 150 chalets showcase artisanal crafts and local delicacies, filling the air with the aroma of mulled wine. Visitors can explore the market's eco-friendly initiatives, including reusable cups and locally-sourced products. The market's location amidst Bath's Georgian architecture provides a stunning backdrop, blending modern festivities with centuries-old charm. You'll discover unique gifts while supporting independent businesses and experiencing a true West Country Christmas tradition.
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Christmas Artisan Market at Green Park Station
What to Expect:
Artisan market in a repurposed Victorian railway station
Description:
The Christmas Artisan Market at Green Park Station showcases local craftsmanship in a unique industrial setting. Housed in a beautifully preserved Victorian railway station, the market features an eclectic mix of handmade goods and artisanal foods. Visitors can watch live demonstrations of traditional crafting techniques, gaining insight into the creative process. The station's iron and glass roof creates a light-filled space, perfect for browsing the stalls. You're shopping in a piece of Bath's industrial heritage, as the station played a crucial role in the city's 19th-century development.
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Christmas Artisan Market at Green Park Station
Bath Holiday Shows and Entertainment
Theatre Royal Bath Christmas Pantomime
What to Expect:
Traditional British pantomime in a historic theater
Description:
The Theatre Royal Bath Christmas Pantomime brings laughter and merriment to this storied venue. Actors deliver witty one-liners and break the fourth wall, engaging the audience in a uniquely British theatrical tradition. Children and adults alike join in the call-and-response routines, creating a lively atmosphere. The pantomime combines fairy tale storylines with contemporary jokes and local references. You'll witness a performance art that has entertained Bath's residents since the 18th century, in a theater that has hosted some of Britain's most renowned actors.
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Theatre Royal Bath Christmas Pantomime
Bath Abbey Christmas Carols
What to Expect:
Candlelit carol services in a medieval abbey
Description:
Bath Abbey Christmas Carols resonate through the vaulted ceilings of this historic church. The abbey's world-renowned choir performs both traditional and contemporary carols, their voices soaring in the candlelit nave. Attendees join in singing beloved Christmas hymns, creating a powerful communal experience. The abbey's fan vaulting, completed in the 16th century, provides a breathtaking backdrop to the performances. You're participating in a tradition that has taken place in this sacred space for centuries, connecting past and present through music.
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Bath Other Holiday Activities
Bath on Ice
What to Expect:
Outdoor ice skating rink in a historic city center
Description:
Bath on Ice brings winter sports to the heart of this ancient Roman city. The outdoor rink sparkles against the backdrop of Royal Victoria Park, offering a unique skating experience. Glide across the ice surrounded by Bath's iconic honey-colored stone buildings. Novice skaters can join lessons to improve their skills, while more experienced visitors might attempt graceful pirouettes. The rink's location marks the spot where Bath's first public park was established in 1830, adding a layer of historical significance to your winter outing.
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The American Museum & Gardens Christmas
What to Expect:
American-style Christmas celebrations in an English setting
Description:
The American Museum & Gardens Christmas brings a taste of stateside holiday traditions to the English countryside. The museum's period rooms showcase how Americans have celebrated Christmas through different eras. Visitors can try their hand at making traditional American Christmas crafts, such as popcorn garlands. The gardens feature native American plants decorated for the season, offering a unique botanical experience. This event bridges cultures, demonstrating how holiday customs have traveled and evolved across the Atlantic since the colonial period.
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The American Museum & Gardens Christmas
Prior Park Landscape Garden Nativity Walk
What to Expect:
Interactive nativity walk through 18th-century landscaped gardens
Description:
Prior Park Landscape Garden Nativity Walk reimagines the Christmas story in a stunning natural setting. Visitors follow a trail through the 18th-century gardens, encountering live actors portraying key figures from the nativity. The walk offers panoramic views of Bath, adding a dramatic backdrop to the biblical scenes. Participants can interact with the characters, learning about the nativity from their perspective. This event brings together religious tradition and landscape architecture, set in gardens designed by the renowned Capability Brown.
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Prior Park Landscape Garden Nativity Walk
Santa's Grotto at SouthGate Bath
What to Expect:
Santa's grotto in a modern shopping center with historical touches
Description:
Santa's Grotto at SouthGate Bath blends contemporary retail with holiday tradition. The grotto, nestled within this open-air shopping complex, features decor inspired by Bath's Georgian architecture. Children share their wishes with Santa in a setting that echoes the city's historical charm. Families can have their photo taken with Father Christmas, creating lasting memories. The grotto's location in SouthGate reflects Bath's evolution, occupying the site of the city's former railway station and continuing its legacy as a hub of activity.
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Santa's Grotto at SouthGate Bath
Roman Baths by Torchlight
What to Expect:
Nighttime tours of ancient Roman baths by torchlight
Description:
Roman Baths by Torchlight offers an atmospheric journey through ancient history. As darkness falls, visitors explore the steaming pools and Roman ruins by the flickering light of torches. The play of light and shadow on the ancient stonework creates a dramatic ambiance, transporting you back in time. Costumed guides share stories of Roman life and the baths' significance. You'll witness the Great Bath under starlight, a view that has captivated visitors for nearly two millennia. This event provides a rare glimpse into how the Romans might have experienced these sacred waters at night.
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Bath Central Library Christmas Crafts
What to Expect:
Christmas crafting workshops in a historic library setting
Description:
Bath Central Library Christmas Crafts brings hands-on holiday activities to this venerable institution. Participants create seasonal decorations and gifts using traditional techniques in the library's Victorian reading rooms. The workshops emphasize sustainable crafting, using recycled materials to make eco-friendly Christmas ornaments. Surrounded by books and period architecture, crafters gain inspiration from the library's extensive collection of art and design resources. You're continuing a tradition of community learning that has been central to the library's mission since its founding in 1964.
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Bath Central Library Christmas Crafts