Bratislava
Christmas 2022

How was this year's Bratislava Christmas?

During Bratislava Christmas, a festival was held on Franciscan Square 27 events, of which 10 were interpreted into Slovak sign language. More than 300 performers performed on stage – well-known and emerging bands, authors of books for children and adults, folklore ensembles and pupils of primary art schools. The BKIS program was also organized in Klarisky or Sade Janka Kráľa. However, the Advent program took place throughout the capital in recent weeks – this year several city organizations and, for the first time, all 17 city districts participated. The conclusion of Bratislava Christmas on Františkánske námestie will be a concert by the Sendreiovci Gypsy Band. Their performance is scheduled for Saturday, December 23 at 7:30 p.m.

This year too you could enjoy a walk along the popular Christmas forest on Primatial Square. This year, students from Bratislava schools decorated a record number of 36 Christmas trees, which have already been sent to social service homes, facilities for the homeless, or to families who could not afford to buy a Christmas tree.

A novelty of this year's Bratislava Christmas was Friendly zone on Primatial Square, where, in collaboration with IKEA, we have created a pleasant and safe place for all those who want to experience the Christmas atmosphere, but are worried about too many crowds, an intense market atmosphere, and need to recharge their batteries away from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding area.

As part of Bratislava Christmas, we, in cooperation with our partners, paid attention to several charity events. Thanks to Slovenská sporiteľňa and its GoodPay service, every visitor to the markets can conveniently and securely pay contactlessly at every stall. For 20 thousand contactless payments at the Main and Old Town Christmas Markets, the Slovenská sporiteľňa Foundation has pledged to donate 10 thousand euros to the MEMORY Center, which helps people with memory impairments and Alzheimer's disease. In cooperation with the non-profit organization Depaul and OZ Vagus, we focused on helping homeless people, and in cooperation with IKEA, we collected toys and books that will be donated to foster families and families in need in Christmas packages thanks to the Smile as a Gift organization.