It’s the holidays, and soon Boney M, Mariah Carey and Wham will be crooning Christmas tune retreats.
It’s the holidays, and soon Boney M, Mariah Carey and Wham will be crooning Christmas tune retreats.
But, there are some great Christmas things to do besides shop and letting old unfavourite songs fall on deaf ears.
There’s everything from circuses and animal parades to neon roller skating, doughnut decorating, and golf with Zootropolis characters.
There is, in fact, no excuse to be bored this festive season.
Sandton City
The Nutcracker’s Winter Circus returns for its second season, this time with The Parade of the Animals, a lively new addition to the fairytale.
It runs until 5 January and promises a spectacle for the whole family.
Tickets are available online at TicketPro or directly from Centre Court, where Santa himself is setting up base, along with the mall’s annual Gift-Wrapping for Charity stations.
Sandton also hosts its annual Christmas Carols. Think candlelight, shopping, and dinner afterwards. Expect rides, artificial snowfall, snow play, Santa and Dino Egg booths, a Fossil dig, and more.
Tickets at the door range from R60 to R75, with different sections priced according to budget. The show runs 28–30 November and again on 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 December.
Montecasino
The property’s Festive Market is back from 15 to 23 December 2025, 12h00 to 21h00, inside The Ballroom.
Close to 50 traders will showcase festive décor, handcrafted gifts, toys, treats, and curiosities, with live music.
Pretoria
Penta Suzuki Menlyn Kersfeesliggies 2025 will be up from 5 December to 2 January, 18h00–22h00 Monday to Saturday.
Expect glowing light installations, food stalls, and enough craft shopping to fill a boot and then some, they say.
Bryanston Christmas Moonlight Markets
The markets take place on 2, 9, 16 and 20 December at Bryanston Market, 40 Culross Road, 5pm to 9pm. Handmade goods, fresh produce, stocking fillers, gift-wrapping, Christmas crafts and family activities.
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Alberton
Town Square at Newmarket hosts The Night Market: Christmas Edition on 5 December only, from 16h00 to 21h00.
More than 100 stalls, including gourmet food trucks, bars, live entertainment, DJs, fairy lights and a children’s activity programme, promise a family-friendly festivity.
Kids can expect face painting, balloon sculpting, ceramic painting, water-play zones, a jungle gym, selfie walls, and more.
Gold Reef City
The theme park and casino switched on Christmas from 28 November, with Santa and his elves on site from 12 to 21 December.
Eastgate Mall
The property is running festive programming for most of December.
6 December – VR Sleigh Ride, 10am–4pm.
13 December – The Grinch returns, 10am–3pm plus Trinity Dance School pop-ups every hour, 11am–5pm.
20–21 December – Snow Globe Ball-Pit Challenge, five minutes to find five candy canes.
Candy Cane Lane runs 10–24 December at Strelitzia Court, 10am–6pm daily.
R50 entry for festive treats, face paint, reindeer ice cream, gaming stations and a North Pole claw machine, plus a doughnut decorating cottage by Krispy Kreme and Lotus Biscoff at R50 per kit.
Carols take place outdoors on 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23, and 24 December at 6pm, featuring musicians, dancers, ballerinas, and an ice-skating act.
Mall of Africa
Midrand will see the mall host a nine-hole Zootropolis-inspired mini golf course at Waterfall City Park from 28–27 December, R85 per player.
Inside Crystal Court, a Disney display featuring more than 600 plush toys supports Reach For A Dream through a shopper-participation programme.
Fourways Mall
The Jingle Bell Academy runs 10–24 December, daily 9am–8pm. Kids travel through themed Christmas houses, build elf skills, decorate cookies, write letters, listen to festive stories, browse toys, paint faces and graduate with a picture with Santa. R50 per child.
Melrose Arch
The precinct hosts the Destination Christmas Market from 10–15 December on The Square. Food, décor, gifting and handmade pieces fill the precinct, while the Destination Christmas Fun Zone opens 5–31 December nightly 18h30–22h00.
Expect dark-lit neon characters, Retro Rolla skating, glowing quad bikes at R50 a ride, roaming performers and endless street-treat temptations: doughnuts, rolled ice cream, matcha, popcorn, tacos and chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Emperors Palace
The Christmas Village runs from 3 to 31 December 2025. Two sessions daily: 14h00–17h00 and 18h00–21h00.
R75–R90pp grants entry to The North Pole, Enchanted Forest, Garden of Light, Tombola Alley, Stone Town with 90 stalls, characters, rides, games and Santa.
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