Every year homes across Bristol are transformed by impressive Christmas light displays. These huge show-stopping illuminations can take months of planning and preparation, and many are put together to raise vital funds for local Bristol charities, such as The Grand Appeal’s Shine Bright for Bristol Children’s Hospital campaign.
From tens of thousands of lightbulbs used, to weird and wonderful ornamental elements, Bristol’s beautifully decorated home displays draw crowds in their masses throughout the festive season. What’s more, there’s even a community full of people who share their own Christmas light displays via a Facebook group and interactive map. The Grand Appeal also has a map filled with light spotting must-visits, here.
Across Bristol, far and wide, the members of Christmas Displays in Bristol help Bristolians and those visiting from further afield find the best spots for an exploration of some of the biggest and brightest light displays around. You can even add your own to the map, alongside pictures and other information about charities and running times.
We’ve compiled a list of festive light displays across the city below. We’ll be updating this list throughout the Christmas period, so keep checking back for more – or email [email protected] if you know of any other light displays worthy of a mention this year…
Brailsford Christmas Lights
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and continuing to raise money for charity, the Brailsford Lights in Trevisa Grove, Brentry has so far raised more than £110,818 for the Wallace & Gromit Grand Appeal at Bristol Children’s Hospital.
This year will see the lights, set up by two brothers, switched on on November 30, with the spectacle remaining until January 2, 2025. Lights will be on between 5-9pm each night, though there are also special event evenings taking place across the festive period – these include raffles, hot chocolates, a cookie cabin, and snow machine, on selected dates, and even the chance to see Santa on Christmas Eve.
The Brailsford Christmas lights display started one Boxing Day back in 1994, the family says, after a visit to B&Q where the brothers (then teenagers) discovered a large selection of Christmas lights for half price in the sale. After buying a single light-up Christmas tree, every year the family have invested in more and more lights, keeping them in the attic until they outgrew the space.
The Dinning’s Christmas light display, Yate
Supporting ‘heart heroes’ and their local school, this display at 59 Edgeworth, Yate, is filled with light-up inflatables featuring some of your favourite festive characters. Karen Dinning writes to a JustGiving page: “I support heart heroes who help children with heart problems and my local primary school, St Paul’s Catholic Primary to provide more outdoor play toys for the children.”
Jefferies Lights Thornbury
Raising funds for Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, and Cancer Research UK, the Jefferies Lights in Thornbury are back for 2024 on Eastland Avenue. This year’s switch on event takes place on November 22 at 6pm, marking the 7th year of this display.
Last year, the Jefferies Lights display raised a total of £2,147.40 for charity – and the team are hoping to beat that target this year.
Woodstock Road, Kingswood
At 79 Woodstock Road in Kingswood, another raising money for The Grand Appeal, the light switch on event will be taking place at 5.30pm on November 24.
Winterbourne Wonderland Christmas Display
Winterbourne Wonderland is set to shine with more than 100,000 festive lights at just one house – twice as many lights as last year. That makes it one of the highest bulb counts of any home display in the UK and the team behind it, Ricky and Chrissie Fenning, also offer free candy canes and stickers for little ones.
Visitors will be transported to scenes from the North Pole which features a miniature Santa’s workshop with moving worker elves, a 12ft Christmas tree which is encircled by a Christmas train and a heartwarming Nativity display featuring an official Shaun the Sheep lit figure. There is also an Enchanted Forest featuring a life-sized unicorn, a magical wishing well, a colour-changing water fountain and much more. At the display, you’ll also find an official lit Gromit figure.
The switch-on is being held on November 23 at 6pm, featuring the official Wallace and Gromit mascots from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, with lights remaining on until 9pm. Lights are on daily between November 24 and January 1 from 4.30pm until 9pm.
Christmas music nights with Christmas favourites playing are on November 31, December 1, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, and from December 18 until 24, between 4.30pm and 7.30pm. Winterbourne Wonderland visitors have raised just shy of £11,000 over the past three years for Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal, of which £8,000 was raised in 2023.
AJ Christmas Lights, Lawrence Weston
With a switch on taking place on November 23 at 5pm, AJ Christmas Lights on Brookthorpe Avenue will be raising money for The Grand Appeal as part of the ‘Shine Bright for Bristol Children’s Hospital’ campaign, which is raising vital funds for The Grand Appeal’s Patient Hotel.
Like many others on this list, this fundraiser will help fund a ground-breaking new facility which will act as a lifeline for families during their most challenging times, offering a home away from home just minutes from Bristol Children’s Hospital. It will be a first for the UK. You can donate via the AJ Christmas Lights Just Giving page, here.
134 Hengrove Lane
Family friends in the VW community will be arriving for this switch on with their vans all aglow on November 28. Raising money for The Grand Appeal, this switch on will be taking place at 6pm on the night.
Boscombe Crescent Christmas Lights, Downend
The switch on for the Boscombe Crescent Christmas Lights is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 23 at 4.30pm, at 65 & 74 Boscombe Crescent in Downend. It will be raising money for The Grand Appeal this year, with some special guests in the form of the ‘Christmas Dubs’ in attendance.
Auden Mead, Horfield
The special SEND display at Auden Mead in Horfield will also be raising vital funds for The Grand Appeal. This switch on will be taking place on November 30 at 5pm.
Designed to interact with the senses, the display includes bubble machines and a visit from the ‘Christmas Dubs’.
The Taylors, Chipping Sodbury
Special guests Charlie Bear and Father Christmas will be at The Taylors Christmas light switch on, taking place on November 30 at 6.30pm at 79 Merlin Way, in Chipping Sodbury. This display is raising money for the Great Western Air Ambulance Service.
Christmas Hollow, Chipping Sodbury
During Halloween it’s known at Creepy Hollow, but it takes on a more festive and magical atmosphere in the run up to Christmas – Christmas Hollow can be found at 18 Frome Road in Chipping Sodbury. This year’s Christmas light switch on is taking place on Friday, December 6, at 4.45pm.
The free event will include sweets, chocolate, candy canes, shortbread, kids party bags and bubbles. Plus, The Grinch will be arriving as a special guest, and visitors have the chance to find Wallace & Gromit’s arch-nemesis, Feathers McGraw dressed as a gingerbread bird on site.
What’s more, the display is raising funds for The Grand Appeal. Find out more here.
Southmead Christmas Lights
Located on Ravenglass Crescent in Southmead, this charity Christmas light display will be running from December 1, 2024, until January 2, 2025. Switch on times run between 4.30-9.30pm, and the display is raising money this year for The Grand Appeal. Find out more here.