Wapping Wharf: Cargo Christmas lights switch-on date announced

Traders at Wapping Wharf’s harbourside quarter will be switching on their Christmas lights with a very special evening of festivities on Thursday, November 17.

As well as the annual lights switch on, visitors to Wapping Wharf will be able to enjoy traditional Christmas carols from Bristol Cathedral Choir as well as plenty of festive food and drink offerings alongside late-night shopping at Wapping Wharf’s many local, independent shops.

Traders will be open until 8pm on November 17, which will then launch weekly late-night shopping evenings, every Thursday in November and December until December 15, giving customers a chance to shop locally and support independent Bristol businesses.

Other festivities will include mulled wine from Corks or Cargo, hot spiced cider from Cider Box, seasonal tasters from Better Food and Clifton Seafood Company, and plenty of delicious seasonal food options to choose from across Pigsty, Cargo Cantina and plenty more of the Wapping Wharf community members.

The Christmas lights switch on will also kick off the beginning of Wapping Wharf’s new ‘Bridging The Gap’ initiative to encourage people to visit and support the community of small, local, independent businesses throughout the closure of the Gaol Ferry Bridge.

The bridge, which provides an essential route from South Bristol to the City Centre, has been closed since the summer with work ongoing into 2023, meaning usual footfall has reduced at Wapping Wharf.

The campaign will showcase the variety of small, independent businesses which call Wapping Wharf home, focusing on the people behind the businesses and what makes them so special, whilst encouraging customers to make the extra journey around the bridge closure to continue to support them.

Speaking about the Christmas lights switch on and the accompanying Bridging the Gap initiative, Stuart Hatton, managing director at Umberslade, the developer behind Wapping Wharf, says: “Wapping Wharf’s annual lights switch on is always a great date in our calendar, kicking off the festive season, and this year is even more exciting as it launches the start of our festive late-night Thursday shopping evenings as well as our new initiative, ‘Bridging the Gap’.

“Everyone in the Wapping Wharf community has felt the impact of the closure of Gaol Ferry Bridge, and we want to remind everyone of just how important it is to shop local and support small businesses this Christmas as well as showcasing our amazing community and everything they do, whilst providing plenty of great festive activities for everyone in Bristol.”

Wapping Wharf’s Christmas lights switch on will take place on Thursday November 17 from 5.30pm, with carolling and the official lights switch on taking place at 6.30pm. Retailers will be open until 8pm for late night shopping, whilst bars and restaurants will be open later as per their regular opening hours.