Cardiff’s light trail event being held in Cardiff is the latest victim of covid restrictions announced this week.

On Wednesday, the First Minister announced plans to move to a revised Alert Level 2 as of Boxing Day.

Despite the Bute Park being an outdoor event, they have said that the latest guidance does not create an exception for this type of event.

In a statement released today, event organisers said:

“It is with great sadness that Christmas at Bute Park will be forced to shut its gates as of Boxing Day, bringing our trail to an early end.

“As an outdoor walking trail, through 40 acres of parkland, we fully believe we have created an attraction which can operate in a Covid-safe manner.

“Sadly, the wide scope of the new regulations makes no exceptions for the attraction, despite the mitigations and safety measures in place. Following clarification from the government, it is for this reason that Christmas Eve will now be our last date.

“We have loved every moment of producing the trail over the last 3 weeks, as we have worked hard to bring some Christmas cheer to our beautiful home at Bute Park. With a further 40,000 people expecting to visit us over the coming fortnight, we know this blow will be felt by many.”

From Boxing Day, the alert level two measures will mean:

A general requirement of 2m social distancing in all premises open to the public and workplaces, where reasonable.
The rule of six will apply to gatherings in regulated premises, such as hospitality, cinemas and theatres.
All licensed premises will need to take additional measures to protect customers and staff, including table service and collecting contact details.
Face coverings will be required in hospitality settings at all times apart from when seated.
Large events will not be allowed indoors or outdoors. The maximum number of people who can gather at an indoor event will be 30 and 50 outdoors.
There will be an exception for team sports, up to 50 spectators will be able to gather, in addition to those taking part. There is also an exception for events involving children.

Last week new measures were announced for workplaces and retail – these will now come into force on Boxing Day. Nightclubs will also close on Boxing Day.

What happens next for the Cardiff event?

Ticket buyers for all upcoming trails will be emailed with a choice to refund tickets, or to carry tickets over to our Christmas 2022 light trail. All ticket-buyers who carry tickets over will be granted the first pick of dates and time slots, and be given free marshmallows to toast on the fire pits.

Organisers are planning to bring back to the event next Christmas. The statement continues:

“Holding on to your ticket will help us to bring back a fantastic event next year. Your support will go a long way during this difficult time.

“Please bear with us at this time as our customer service teams will be dealing with a high number of enquiries over the Christmas period.

“Wishing you a magical Christmas,

“All the team at Christmas at Bute Park.”