[Ad-gifted] This year, a magical holiday light trail takes centre stage at Heaton Park, stepping into the spotlight previously occupied by Lightopia. The masterminds behind Christmas at Dunham Massey and Christmas at Kew have woven their festive charm to create a magical, yet smaller scale, Christmas light trail.
In the enchanting tradition of Christmas light displays, Heaton Park has transformed into a festive spectacle brought to you by Sony Music and created by Culture Creative. Attending with my husband, children aged 6 and 10 and grandma who had come from Swansea for the weekend to visit, we were ready to immerse ourselves into the holiday spirit.
What did we think of the trail?
Navigating the two entrances – one for pedestrians leading to the fairground and food stalls, and the other for drivers from Sheepfoot Lane car park – we chose the path that leads towards the fairground and food stalls first but decided to start with the light trail and come back on ourselves at the end for a little turn on the bumper cars and fairground stalls.
The layout seems a bit confusing really because if you start the other way around, you go through the final most impressive installations first but repeating the path at the end to reach the fairground only takes a couple of minutes and the magical stars along this section make it worthwhile.
We had chosen to arrive at 6pm which seemed like a great slot as many seem to hit the fairground first making it super busy, but by the time we’d been round and made our way back there the crowds had dispersed.
Now comparatively speaking, having been to Lightopia at Alton Towers and Christmas at Dunham Massey, this trail, whilst magical and whimsical in parts, isn’t as spectacular. What we loved though was having festive music playing all the way round which syncs with each installation. The Carol of the Bells was particularly breath-taking, as an orchestra of light-up globes shone and twinkled in time with the music. Making this moment even more magical, the snow began to fall all around us! At first I thought there must be a snow machine but it was falling from the sky! We later did find out there was supposed to be snow machines along one section of the trail but unfortunately they weren’t working. We also noticed lots of bulbs that weren’t turned on so the only thing I can think is that we went on day two of the trail opening and perhaps they weren’t ready on time. Hopefully they’ll iron out further kinks as they head into the busy periods across the Christmas holiday.
For the most part the light installations are really lovely – just not as impactful at some we’ve seen at other events. There was no large Christmas tree which has been the pinnacle at other events in the past and no real atmosphere. Perhaps we’ve been spoilt and we’re a little jaded? That said, the laser section was incredibly well done and effective and we loved the Neon Tree. There are also lots of lovely photo opportunities along the way which families with older children will enjoy.
All in all, if you’re looking for a festive outing that won’t break the bank and isn’t bursting with crowds, this is a great event. The fairground rides are good for small children and the light trail is nice and flat making it good for families with prams or aging relatives.
Points to note
Length of the Light Trail: Approximately one mile, taking around 90 minutes. It took us about that, which included a stop for refreshments in the form of mulled wine and hot chocolate.
Pushchair Friendly: Yes, it’s pushchair and wheelchair-friendly with mostly flat terrain. It got a little slippery due to a flurry of snow that fell so wear sensible footwear – boots or wellingtons would be great.
Dog-Friendly: Absolutely, bring your furry friends, but keep them on a short lead! It can get a little dark in some spots so you’ll want them close by not to cause accidents or get stepped on!
Visit from Father Christmas: Unfortunately, he won’t be on the light trail, but alternative locations in Staffordshire/Manchester are available, though spots do book up quickly.
Parking: Parking for Christmas at Heaton Park costs £6.50 per car when booked in advance.
How much does the trail cost and how can I book tickets?
Limited availability, therefore early booking is advised. Advanced tickets from:
Adult £18, Child £14.00 (Age 3-16), Family £69 (2 adults & 2 children).
Off Peak advanced tickets from: Adult £15, child £10.00 (age 3-16), family £55 (2 adults & 2 children).
You can book your tickets from their website here.
When is the trail?
Christmas at Heaton Park 2023 will run until 31 December 2023. It will be open from 4.45pm, last entry 8.00pm and closes at 10pm. Closed on 4, 5, 11, 12 and 25 Dec.
Where is the trail?
Middleton Rd
Manchester
M25 2SW
Phone: 0161 773 1085
About Heaton Park
Heaton Park is the largest municipal park in Europe. It is home to the Neo-Classical Grade 1 listed Heaton Hall, several grade 2 listed buildings and landmarks, landscaped gardens, an animal farm and acres of pasture with grazing animals. Our cafes, garden centre, championship golf course and bowls pavilion, Zip World, boating lake, tramway and museum, adventure playgrounds, events and educational programmes combine to make Heaton Park one of the most popular family days out in the North West.
About RGL (Raymond Gubbay Limited – a division of Sony Music)
RGL/Sony Music has been delivering hugely successful illuminated trails for almost ten years. Each trail is carefully designed to showcase the natural and unique environment of its iconic setting. There are currently over 30 trails across the UK, Europe, USA, and Australia within the Christmas, Halloween, IGNITE and Lightscape portfolios.
The chosen partners for national and international heritage and prestigious venues include: Blenheim Palace; The National Trust; Forestry England; Historic Royal Palaces; The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh; Leeds Castle Botanic Gardens, Chicago, USA and Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, Australia.
About Culture Creative
Culture Creative is a creative project and production management company based in the North East of England. The Company works across a wide range of cultural fields including art, sport, heritage, tourism, festivals and events, developing projects from concept to delivery. Since 2013 Culture Creative has worked closely with Sony Music to create Lightscape and Christmas themed trails in various venues across the UK and overseas.
Review: Libby Dallimore
You may also want to read this:
Review: Christmas at Dunham Massey 2023
Review: The Nutcracker- A Christmas Fairytale at New Vic Theatre
Delia Smith’s Christmas Cake Recipe
* We were provided with tickets to attend the event in exchange for a feature. All opinions are our own.
