2025 Christmas Festival kicks off in Kaohsiung Central Park

2025年聖誕節慶典在高雄中央公園拉開序幕

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The annual Kaohsiung Christmas festival kicked off on Friday and will be open to the public until Jan. 4.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) oversaw the lighting of the 26-meter-tall Christmas tree that forms the centerpiece of the festival in Kaohsiung Central Park. This year, the event features 12 large Christmas light displays to create a festive, cozy environment for families to enjoy this holiday season, according to a press release.

From 5:30 p.m. each evening until midnight, the light displays will be illuminated. The Christmas tree area will also feature fog and snowflakes every 30 minutes to add to the holiday atmosphere.

The weekends will feature Christmas markets and live performances for the public to enjoy. The city aims to connect the Christmas market with nearby commercial areas to boost holiday shopping.

In the week leading up to Christmas, from Dec. 20 through Dec. 24, Kaohsiung has organized a lineup of free music performances. The announced lineup includes Sunset Rollercoaster, Fire EX, MIXER, Enno Cheng (鄭宜農), and the Bisiugroup, per CNA.

The city hopes that this year will prove even more popular than last year’s Christmas light festival. In 2024, the festival drew over 360,000 people and generated an estimated NT$10 million (US$318,000), in addition to boosting business in surrounding areas.