The holiday season is here! For some, the festive decorations are a Christmas favourite. The sparkling lights and displays really add to the holiday cheer! When the sun sets, the streets, buildings, houses, trees and store windows become illuminated in all their glory. Our iVenture Card destinations offer incredible lighting displays and Christmas fun for the entire family. Sydney: Experience the Martin Place Christmas Tree! This 21 meter-high Christmas tree is located in the city centre. Every night the tree lights up and puts on a show while carolers sing until December 24th. If you walk along Elizabeth street be sure to admire David Jones and other store Christmas window displays. The Queen Victoria Building has an incredible Swarovski Christmas Tree Display. The tree is decorated with 85,000 Swarovski crystals and 65,000 lights. St. Mary’s Cathedral is illuminated with a spectacular free lighting display every night from December to Christmas Day. Sydney Town hall is also lit up with illuminations. Enjoy shopping under thousands of fairy lights in the Pitt Street mall. For more information, visit: https://whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au Melbourne: Celebrate the festive season in the true Melbourne style as the Christmas Festival transforms the city. The Melbourne Town Hall and Federation Square will be the site of famous Christmas Projections and the Gingerbread Village. Melbourne’s best known Christmas lights are on display each year on The Boulevard, Ivanhoe where you will see lights, displays and performances. Thompson Street in Northcote is also noteworthy for Christmas lights. For a list of all of the best Christmas Lights in Melbourne, visit: http://christmaslightsearch.com.au Gold Coast: Every year, the Gold Coast holds an annual Christmas lights competition in which houses around the Gold Coast deck themselves out in lights and decorations for a chance to win. You can take a tour, cast your vote and have a chance to win $1000! Bus tours to the Mayor’s Panel Top 12 will depart every evening from December 20-24 from 7:00 pm from the Gold Coast Arts Centre. For more information visit: https://moregoldcoast.com.au. You can also enjoy the Christmas lights in nearby Brisbane. The story bridge is illuminated with christmas colours and there are various Christmas displays throughout the city. For more information, visit: http://www.couriermail.com.au/ Tasmania: Cities and suburbs across Tasmania light up for Christmas. There are Christmas carols by candlelight, concerts and lighting displays throughout the state. Many suburbs have Christmas lights competitions. Last year in 2015, a powerful aurora australis put on a spectacular display of natural Christmas lights in Tasmania. For more information about Christmas lights in Hobart visit: http://www.hobartcity.com.au/ Dubai: Dubai hosts an annual Winter Festival in which you can enjoy the lighting of a spectacular Christmas Tree! The magical Christmas tree brightens up the night sky with a lighting ceremony each evening at 6pm with Santa. There are also plenty of other fun, wintery and Christmas things to enjoy at the festival. For more information: http://dubaiwinterfestival.com/ Cape Town: Every December, Adderley street in Cape Town is light up by hundreds of festive lights. There are stalls lining the streets which sell everything from food to Christmas gifts. The lights and displays on Adderley Street show some of the city’ history as well as Christmas themes. The V&A Waterfront also has a festive season light display which is set to carols and Christmas-themed music. Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden offers carols by candlelight. For more information: http://www.capetown.travel Honolulu: For over thirty years, Honolulu City Lights have been providing local Hawaiians with holiday festivities throughout the month of December. Enjoy tree lightings, beautiful light displays and decorations, holiday treats, shopping and a range of live performances. In addition, enjoy the holiday parade which draws thousands of people to come and see the event. For more information: http://www.honolulucitylights.org/ Mexico City: Every winter for the past five decades, the city’s main square gets lit up with colourful mosaics made up of thousands of lightbulbs. Candles, flowers, birds and other festive shapes take over the Zocalo buildings. There is a massive Christmas tree in the middle of the plaza. Enjoy the tree lighting and the fireworks that follow. For more information: http://cdmxtravel.com San Francisco The city enjoys its annual Illuminate San Francisco Festival of Light. Each year, the city becomes alive with light installations. The festival provides locals and visitors with the opportunity to embrace the power of light with free walking tours, bike rides and special events. For a full list of the best places to see lights around the city visit: http://www.sftourismtips.com For more information on the SF Illuminate Festival of Light, visit: <http://www.illuminatesf.com/ Hong Kong: Indulge in Hong Kong’s Winterfest and marvel at the city’s Christmas cheer! Enjoy Hong Kong’s Pulse 3D Light Show and feast your eyes on the signature decorations in Central. The Statue Square Christmas Tree makes for the perfect background for holiday pictures! Disneyland hosts Christmas entertainment and the performances highlight sparkling lights. Every night during the holiday season, you can head to Victoria Harbour and watch the free holiday light show during the Symphony of Lights. For a detailed list visit: http://www.chinahighlights.com Singapore: Enjoy a Christmas Wonderland at Garden by the Bay’s Christmas Wonderland. This is a festival of lights, food, ice skating and much more family fun! Orchard Road is well known for its elaborate Christmas lights that stretch across nearly 4 km. Great Street is an annual attraction that lights up Orchard Road. The shopping belt transforms into a galaxy of colourful twinkling stars, glowing reindeer, and luminous Christmas trees. Universal Studios also has amazing lighting displays and installations. For more information visit: http://thehoneycombers.com/singapore/ Andalusia: You’ll find the cities of Andalusia decorated with colourful lights, twinkling stars, aromas and Christmas cheer. The Christmas season is a bit different in Andulusia as Three Kings Day in January is the more traditional holiday and celebrations don’t really start until Christmas Eve. You’ll find the streets of Granada lined with thousands of lights. Malaga Christmas lights are also a must-see as one of the highlights of the Christmas season. For more information please visit: http://www.andalucia.org Madrid: Christmas is a very special time of the year in Madrid and the city celebrates in grand style. The city’s artists, architects, fashion and graphic designers all come together to propose a vision for the city’s Christmas lights each year. For details of a walk that you can take through the city to see all of the best lights visit: http://www.madrid-traveller.com Barcelona: Christmas light displays compliment Barcelona’s beautiful old buildings, narrow streets and plazas. You will always find beautiful lights in shopping districts. Plaza de Catalunya and the Corte Ingles Department Store in the square are well known for their impressive light displays. Sagrada Familia also features a beautiful light display. For a detailed list of where to see the best lights visit: https://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com London: London is very magical at Christmas time. There are Christmas lights everywhere and a few festivals to enjoy. The Winter Wonderland Festival at Hyde Park has an observation wheel, a huge Christmas market and performances on ice. The Winter Festival at South Bank Centre offers performances, Christmas shopping seasonal food and drinks and of course, you can enjoy the decorations and lights. There are also world-famous twinkling lights displays on Oxford Street and Regent Street. Marvel at the giant illuminated Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square. For more information on where to see amazing Christmas lights, visit: http://www.visitlondon.com