Winterval will run every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for six weeks, culminating on Monday, December 23rd. This year’s festival builds on Waterford’s success in being unanimously chosen by the International Jury of the European Capital and City of Christmas competition last year.
As Ireland’s first dedicated Christmas festival, launched in 2012 by Waterford City and County Council in collaboration with local stakeholders, Winterval has consistently drawn an average of 500,000 visitors over its six-week schedule. This year, attendance is expected to exceed 700,000, with over 60 events planned to delight visitors.
One of the highlights of this year’s program is the ‘Gateway to Brno,’ a live portal connecting Waterford with Brno, a fellow European City of Christmas in the Czech Republic. The portal will officially open at noon on Sunday in the Apple Market.
Winterval co-directors John Grubb and Trevor Darmody shared their mexcitement about this year’s event:
“It’s our first year celebrating the European City of Christmas title, which brought added pressure, but it’s a challenge we embraced. We looked at global festival trends while showcasing what our historic city has to offer, creating a program that blends the best of both.”
Road closures are in effect and will remain in place until January 5th, 2024.