Christmas in Bournemouth

Seventa Events were awarded a five year contract to deliver Christmas in Bournemouth, marking a large scale transformation of the town into a fully integrated festive destination across the town centre, Lower Gardens and seafront.

We were appointed to bring together previously standalone attractions into one cohesive experience, while safeguarding key elements of Bournemouth’s Christmas identity and introducing new features to elevate the overall offer.

• 5 year contract – from 2025 , to include the market, rink and gardens site in collaboration with partners

• Increased visitor footfall to over 5.4 million 

• Full event planning, construction, production and management

• 10 day build time 

• Build crew of 75+ people

• New interactive Wonderland elements including Glow Gold, Maze, Helter Skelter and Sant'as Workshop

• 60+ local jobs created for duration of the market (49 days)

• 40x chalet huts, two-storey custom built Alpine Lodge structure, performance stage with LED screen, power distribution and waste management 

Across the Lower Gardens, we reimagined the traditional lights trail into something far more immersive. Visitors could explore a real Christmas tree maze, weaving through illuminated pathways and creating a sense of discovery at every turn. Alongside this, new light tunnels and animated displays added depth to the journey, transforming the gardens into a space that felt alive both day and night.

Interactivity became a central theme. One of the most popular additions was the ability for children to control the lighting installations themselves, choosing colours and patterns to bring parts of the gardens to life in real time. This simple but effective feature helped turn spectators into participants and added a personal connection to the experience.

We also introduced Snow and Glow Golf, a festive twist on mini golf that combined glowing visuals with a relaxed, social activity, giving families and groups another reason to stay and explore the site into the evening.

At the heart of the family offering was the all new Santa’s Workshop, designed as a space for creativity and storytelling. Here, children could take part in craft sessions, enjoy story time and meet Santa in a setting brought to life with festive detail, including animatronic reindeer and playful interactive features.

To complement this, we introduced a traditional helter skelter, adding a nostalgic, visual focal point within the gardens, as well as Santa’s Express, giving younger visitors a journey through the festive landscape and connecting different parts of the experience.

Together, these additions marked a clear shift in the event. Rather than simply visiting a Christmas market or lights display, guests were able to move through a series of moments, each designed to surprise, engage and encourage exploration, creating a more complete and memorable festive destination.