Whether you’re staying local or travelling across the country, South Africa is bursting with festive magic this December. From Gauteng’s sparkling light displays and creative kids’ zones to the Western Cape’s sweet trails and choir performances, KwaZulu-Natal’s jaw-dropping LEGO® installations, and the Eastern Cape’s Disney-inspired adventures, there’s something joyful waiting around every corner.
Gauteng
Nelson Mandela Square – Celebrations on the Square
Dates: 12 to 22 December, 4 PM – 9 PM
Nelson Mandela Square is taking sophistication up a notch this December with a luxurious festive experience titled Celebrations on the Square, which invites guests to sip, shop and spoil themselves and their loved ones, in an environment shaped for refined seasonal enjoyment.
Inside a glass marquee, a curated array of local vendors will offer thoughtful festive gifting and classy artisanal treats from brands such as Babylonstoren, Veldmeisie, Oooh La La, Storm Ceramics, Le Perline, Lemoni Food Studio, Matcha Pod, Gelato Mania, Kaldista Coffee Company, Casa LV, Chapters Home Fragrance, Grandiflora, cook books by Naqiyah Mayat and Angie Durrant and others. Laurent-Perrier will be on hand offering tastings, their champagne collection to purchase and personalisable luggage tags as gifts with selected purchases, which make for treasured keepsakes, in their champagne lounge.
Cost: R 75 includes a glass of Laurent-Perrier champagne and a charcuterie board to enjoy
Link to book: At the venue, limited to 200 people per day
Eastgate - Candy Cane Lane
Dates: 10 to 24 December, every day from 10 AM – 6 PM.
The Eastgate Candy Cane Lane will offer families the sweetest space to enjoy interactive entertainment, delicious treats and creative activities in the Strelitzia Court. Shoppers will get to sample reindeer-themed ice cream, try their luck at the North Pole claw machine, step into Rudolph’s Gaming Station or enjoy festive face painting. Each activity is light-hearted and engaging, creating an atmosphere that feels relaxed, cheerful and welcoming for all ages. Add-on experiences include a doughnut DIY kit and Sweet Wall bauble making station.
Cost: R 50 with optional add-ons
Link to book: Book at the activation area
Menlyn Park (Pretoria)
Menlyn Sky Kids Zone
Dates: 5 to 24 December, daily from 11 AM to 8 PM
At the Menlyn Sky Kids Zone, the outdoor area at Menlyn Sky will become a lively festive playground where children can explore, create and enjoy the spirit of the season. Families can look forward to activities like orna-making where children can design decorations to take home or add to the Menlyn tree, a “colour and win” corner, cookie decorating, “hoops for the holidays” basketball challenge and a soft play space for smaller visitors. Craft elves and Mrs Claus’ helpers will be on hand to assist, encourage and add to the fun.
Parents can pause with a festive treat at Santa’s Brew Bar, keeping them part of the experience while little ones enjoy the activities. As an added treat, parents who take part in the fun and dine at any Menlyn Sky restaurant will receive a complimentary parking ticket, encouraging visitors to enjoy both the activation and the surrounding restaurants.
Cost: Free
Link to book: Not needed
Mall of Africa – Mini golf inspired by Zootropolis 2
Dates: 28 November to 27 December, open from 9 AM till 8 PM daily
The nine-hole mini golf experience inspired by Disney’s Zootropolis 2, presented by FNB and Mall of Africa, featuring a collaboration with VW, is located at Waterfall City Park on the same property as Mall of Africa. Offering an enchanting journey through the vibrant world of Zootropolis, each hole brings to life scenes from the film’s bustling animal metropolis, offering players of all ages a mix of challenge, creativity and fun. It’s everything you love about Zootropolis and more!
Cost: R 85 per person
Link to book: https://mallofafrica.howler.co.za/events/zootropolis-2-inspired-mini-golf-28-nov-5-dec-e41c
Melrose Arch - Destination Christmas Fun Zone
Dates: 5 - 31 December
Famous for its breathtaking European-style Christmas lights that turn the entire precinct into a sparkly village, Melrose Arch is shining even more brightly than ever this year with the introduction of brand-new light installations that will delight visitors of all ages as you stroll through the twinkly streets.
The Destination Christmas Fun Zone, a brand-new concept set up with neon colours and bright lights, running from 5 to 31 December from 6:30 PM to 10 PM daily, will be a major highlight for Joburg families. Accessible from Upper High Street and located in the basement below Moove Motion Fitness Gym, this unique activation features whimsical themed characters, a pop-up roller-skating rink for all ages called Retro Rolla, and Glo Riders. The Glo Riders is an enthralling experience offering the thrill of motorised quad bikes that glow in the dark.
Cost: Free to enter the precinct & experience the lights & markets. Glo bike hire costs R 50.
Link to book: At the venue
Sandton City - City of Enchantment
Dates: 5 to 28 December (closed on 25 Dec)
The City of Enchantment is a festive world shaped by imagination and creative wonder, with numerous interactive activities in the centre court outside Checkers. Children can roll up their sleeves at the “Sprinkle & Sugar” station where giant cookies shaped as gingerbread figures, teddy bears, baubles and trees are ready for decorating. The “Donut & Dazzle” spot will bring the joy of a Krispy Kreme DIY kit, where each doughnut can be transformed into something personal. The creative corners at “Trees & Twinkle” and “Baubles & Bliss” will invite kids to personalise baubles, decorate festive trees and make their own boxes that the trees will go into, to add to their holiday displays at home.
At “Words & Wishes”, children can write letters to Santa before meeting him for a photograph in a setting filled with soft, seasonal light. Along the way, families will also discover sweet touches including Santa’s wishing well, a drawbridge that leads them into his world and a reindeer merry go round.
Cost: The activities range from R 50 to R 200 for the full experience.
Link to book: At the venue
Bedford Centre - Neon Glow Mini Golf
Dates: 5 – 23 December, Mon – Thurs 10 AM – 5 M, Fridays 12 midday – 9 PM, Saturdays 10 AM – 9 PM and Sundays 10 AM – 6 PM.
For families seeking a bit of playful fun, the popular Neon Glow Mini Golf at Bedford will be open every day from 5 – 23 December during the festive season, creating moments of delight for visitors of all ages. Located on the centre’s lower level, next to Cape Union Mart, this mind-bending attraction features a 12-hole mini golf course brought to life with black lights, glowing obstacles and bold, colourful displays.
Cost: R 50 per person or R 45 per person if a group of 4.
Link to book: No need to pre-book unless for big groups. Updates at https://www.instagram.com/bedfordcentre/
Western Cape
Cavendish Square – Philharmonia Choir live performances
Dates: 16, 19 December and 23 December at 5 PM
The Philharmonia Choir will return to Cavendish Square later in the month for some uplifting performances on Tuesday, 16 December at 12h00, Friday 19 December at 17h30 and Tuesday 23 December at 17h00, all in the Centre Court, filling the air with Christmas carols and familiar melodies around the Christmas tree!
Cost: free
Link to book: Not needed
Promenade (Mitchell’s Plain) – The Sweet Festive Trail
Dates: 12 – 23 December, 11 AM – 4:30 PM
The centre’s former cinema space will be transformed into a place where families can pause, create and enjoy hours of the sweetest fun. The trail offers a mix of hands on activities that rotate every fourth day, giving visitors something fresh to look forward to with each visit. Guests can decorate cookie houses, build playful waffle trees or craft their own baubles and photo frames to take home. A themed photo booth and a huge bubble snow globe will add a touch of lightness, inviting families to capture moments that often slip by in the holiday rush.
Cost: R 30
Link to book : https://www.quicket.co.za/events/349362-sweet-festive-trail-liberty-promenade/#/ Card payments are available for walk ins (subject to availability)
KwaZulu-Natal
Gateway - LEGO® F1® experience
Dates: 12 December 2025 to 5 January 2026, 9 AM – 8 PM daily (closed on 25 Dec & 1 Jan)
The LEGO Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 performance activation invites shoppers to design and build their own race cars at dedicated build stations, then put them to the test on a precision-timed ramp complete with digital leaderboards. A reflex challenge will add to the fun, letting participants measure their reaction times just like professional drivers. Exclusive LEGO products will also be on sale, adding to the excitement for both collectors and families.
The centrepiece of the installation is a show-stopping, life-size LEGO Technic Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance car, the largest LEGO build ever brought into South Africa. Crafted from 192,937 LEGO® bricks, the model measures an impressive 5.1 metres in length and 2.2 metres in width, weighing over 900 kilograms. Its sleek aerodynamic design and meticulous detail mirror the precision and craftsmanship of a real F1 car, offering visitors an unforgettable photo opportunity and a chance to witness the incredible fusion of art, play and engineering up close.
Cost: free
Link to book: Not needed
Midlands Mall (Pietermaritzburg) - The Festive Artspace - A Fresh Canvas
Dates: 12 to 24 December, daily from 11 AM – 4 PM
The Festive Artspace - A Fresh Canvas invites visitors into a world shaped by colour and play where little artists can express themselves through an array of hands-on activities. Here, children can turn black and white pieces into colourful vivid creations and indulge in everything from drawstring bag art to DIY sand bottles. Paint and sip sessions, alongside cloud dough fun, a giant Tic Tac Toe, a ball pond and oversized building blocks, will spark curiosity at every corner. Santa will also be available for photos at the mall during these dates.
Cost: free
Link to book: Not needed
Eastern Cape
Vincent Park (East London)
Unleash the Holidays with Disney
Dates: 16 – 23 December, 11 AM – 1:30 PM daily
Vincent Park will host the Unleash the Holidays activation by Disney, a vibrant kids’ zone designed to spark imagination and provide hours of playful fun, on front of H&M. Here, children aged 4 and upwards, will get to enjoy interactive colouring walls, a Disney plush hunt in a themed ball pit and Lego inspired hopscotch, all carefully curated by Disney. Those who donate R50 to Reach for a Dream stand a chance to win a giant 1,2 m Mickey Mouse plush!
Cost: R 30 per child
Link to book: https://qkt.io/VPDisney
Note - While a festive team will be on hand to guide families and keep the activities running smoothly, children must be accompanied by parents or guardians.
