By Eryk Michael Smith – Images via Kaohsiung City Govt.
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung kicked off one of its biggest winter events Thursday as the city lit the 26-meter “Eternal Star Crown” Christmas tree in Central Park, officially opening the 2025 Kaohsiung Christmas Living Festival (2025高雄聖誕生活節).
This year’s theme, “Shining Together: A Christmas Tribute” (聚光成城．聖誕禮讚), launches three consecutive weekends of Central Christmas Town Markets that began on November 28, followed by “Christmas Golden Week” concerts from December 20 to 24, which the city says is southern Taiwan’s largest holiday celebration event.
City officials say the 2025 lineup is one of the strongest yet. The first wave of performers includes Sunset Rollercoaster (落日飛車), Fire EX. (滅火器), MIXER (麋先生), Amazing Show (美秀集團), and singer Enno Cheng (鄭宜農). The festival will feature five straight nights of concerts, blending indie, rock, folk, and pop with the city’s holiday lights. Another 20 groups will be announced in the coming weeks.
To drive holiday spending, the city is linking the festival with local shopping districts and markets. Every weekend will feature the Central Christmas Town Market (中央聖誕小鎮市集), while Christmas Golden Week adds the “Golden Park Main Stage” and the “Merry Market” (Merry買你的市集), encouraging visitors to explore Central Park and surrounding commercial areas.
Twelve lighting installations are spread throughout Central Park, including a Christmas cottage, an aurora tunnel, a “galaxy corridor,” and a candy forest. Lights run daily from 5:30 p.m. to midnight, with the main tree releasing snow and fog effects every 30 minutes, synced to music and lighting changes. The installations will remain on display through January 4, 2026.
According to the city, the Christmas Living Festival will extend past New Year’s and feature additional performers, light-art events, and business district promotions. Officials are inviting visitors from across Taiwan to bring their families and experience Kaohsiung’s holiday atmosphere.
More details will be posted on the event website: https://edbkcg.kcg.gov.tw/.
