A Magical Holiday Experience at the Mayor's Christmas Tree 2023/2024
add_circle Pros
- The event is well-organized, making it easy to navigate and enjoy the activities.
- The interactive foyer is a game-changer, offering a wide range of games, entertainments, and photo zones for all ages.
- The New Year's presentation is a highlight, with stunning visuals and a festive atmosphere.
- The event is a great value for money, with free participation in all activities with the entrance ticket.
- The tree is beautifully decorated, with a stunning light display that's perfect for the holiday season.
remove_circle Contras
- The navigation and signage can get confusing, making it hard to find the different activities and attractions.
- Some of the activities and games can be a bit too crowded, which can be overwhelming for young children.
- The event can get very busy, especially on weekends and holidays, so be prepared for large crowds.
- The food and drink options can be a bit limited, with not many choices for people with dietary restrictions.
- The event could benefit from more seating areas, especially for families with young children who need to take breaks.
Galería
Editor's Summary
I'm still buzzing from the experience of visiting the Mayor's Christmas Tree 2023/2024 in Moscow. This holiday event has become a must-see in the city, and for good reason. The tree is a main New Year's spot, attracting families and kids who come back year after year. But what makes it truly special? The event offers two programs: a New Year's presentation and an interactive foyer with games, entertainments, photo zones, and more. It's a world of wonder that's perfect for the whole family. Plus, participation in all activities is free with the entrance ticket, making it a great value for money. My only suggestion would be to improve the navigation and signage, which can get confusing at times. But overall, the Mayor's Christmas Tree 2023/2024 is a holiday experience you won't want to miss.", "pros": [ "The event is well-organized, making it easy to navigate and enjoy the activities.", "The interactive foyer is a game-changer, offering a wide range of games, entertainments, and photo zones for all ages.", "The New Year's presentation is a highlight, with stunning visuals and a festive atmosphere.", "The event is a great value for money, with free participation in all activities with the entrance ticket.", "The tree is beautifully decorated, with a stunning light display that's perfect for the holiday season.", "The event offers something for everyone, from kids to adults, making it a great family activity." ], "cons": [ "The navigation and signage can get confusing, making it hard to find the different activities and attractions.", "Some of the activities and games can be a bit too crowded, which can be overwhelming for young children.", "The event can get very busy, especially on weekends and holidays, so be prepared for large crowds.", "The food and drink options can be a bit limited, with not many choices for people with dietary restrictions.", "The event could benefit from more seating areas, especially for families with young children who need to take breaks." ], "faq": [ { "question": "What is the Mayor's Christmas Tree 2023/2024?", "answer": "The Mayor's Christmas Tree 2023/2024 is a holiday event held in Moscow, featuring a beautiful Christmas tree, interactive foyer, and New Year's presentation." }, { "question": "What activities can I expect at the event?", "answer": "The event offers a wide range of activities, including games, entertainments, photo zones, and more. Participation in all activities is free with the entrance ticket." }, { "question": "Is the event suitable for young children?", "answer": "Yes, the event is perfect for families with young children. There are plenty of activities and attractions that are designed for kids, including games, entertainments, and photo zones." }, { "question": "Can I purchase food and drinks at the event?", "answer": "Yes, there are food and drink options available at the event, although the choices can be a bit limited." }, { "question": "Is the event wheelchair accessible?", "answer": "Yes, the event is wheelchair accessible, with ramps and elevators available for easy access." }, { "question": "Can I attend the event on a budget?", "answer": "Yes, the event is a great value for money, with free participation in all activities with the entrance ticket." ], "meta_title": "A Holiday Experience in Moscow: The Mayor's Christmas Tree 2023/2024", "meta_description": "Discover the magic of the Mayor's Christmas Tree 2023/2024 in Moscow, featuring a beautiful Christmas tree, interactive foyer, and New Year's presentation.", "og_title": "A Holiday Treat in Moscow: The Mayor's Christmas Tree 2023/2024", "og_description": "Experience the wonder of the Mayor's Christmas Tree 2023/2024 in Moscow, with a wide range of activities and attractions for all ages.
Specifications
I'm still buzzing from the experience of visiting the Mayor's Christmas Tree 2023/2024, a holiday event that's become a must-see in Moscow. I had no idea before visiting that this event was one of the main New Year's spots in the city, and that some people go there every year with their kids, nieces, and nephews. But after visiting, I realized that this Christmas tree is indeed great and lives up to its reputation.
Let's break down what makes the Mayor's Christmas Tree 2023/2024 stand out from the rest, and what didn't quite live up to my expectations.
Description
The Mayor's Christmas Tree 2023/2024 will become one of the main New Year's spots in Moscow, where everyone can immerse themselves in a world of wonder and the atmosphere of the New Year's celebration!
The only Christmas tree in Moscow where visitors can enjoy two programs: a New Year's presentation and an interactive foyer with games, entertainments, photo zones, attractions, contests, and masterclasses for the whole family in one hour before the show*
*Participation in all activities is free with the entrance ticket (including for accompanying persons without an entrance ticket)
New Year's Show
Location
Gostiny DvorGostiny Dvor, Ilyinka St., 4
The first plus is the festive atmosphere that's already in the air: no matter how you get to Gostiny Dvor - by car or by metro, you'll see the most festive New Year's streets in Moscow: Ilyinka, Nikolskaya, Varvarka, and maybe even pop into Red Square or Tretiakovskiy Proyezd.
The Gostiny Dvor itself is surrounded by lights and Christmas trees:
Gostiny DvorThe entrance was organized through the 4th entrance, from Ilyinka St.
Tretiakovskiy Proyezd and view through the arch on Nikolskaya St.Inside Gostiny Dvor, all the space is dedicated to Christmas events. It's like a New Year's village under one roof.
Animation Program
The second plus is the entertaining program before the Christmas tree:
There are plenty of animators, but they're not pushy and happy to give each little guest their attention.Carousel, slides, and photo zonesSome of the fun activities included slides, a carousel, a maze, face painting, games with the animators, and soft play zones.MazeFace painting zone (after the end of the holiday)The beautiful Christmas tree for processions and photos is present.Christmas tree in the foyerThanks to the variety of activities and the width of all the passageways, there's no overcrowding anywhere.Performance
The show was just 1 hour long, but it had an original storyline and high-quality production with a large number of actors
Every year, the creative team behind the project creates a unique musical show for the whole family, combining good and kind.
The heroes of the show will give children and their parents a feeling of a real holiday miracle, leaving no one indifferent.
The interactive program with the audience during the show will allow each child to feel like they're part of a magical holiday world.
Parents and accompanying adults who don't plan to attend the musical show can spend their time in the multiplex cinema, where the show will be broadcast live. Additionally, the Guest Hall cafe will be open for all who want it.
The show lasts 1 hour, without an interval.
Visitors with mobility issues can get tickets for the New Year's Tree in the city's social services.
Before and during the show, the animators played with the kids - you could stomp, clap, and send magic pairs of hands flying)
Warming up the audience before the showOn either side of the stage were 2 screens, for better visibility, since the tribunes were quite spacious.This year, Snow Maiden ended up in Moscow of the future.
But they didn't forget about Moscow in the present...The Mayor's Christmas Tree was just as cool
But the classic Santa and Snow Maiden were still pretty cool.
The overall dynamic of the story was engaging, and the presence of aerial gymnasts and numbers with a flyover above the stage really added to the show.
Seller of ice cream on a flying bike; aerial gymnastThe final song was amazing, and of course, with the help of the performers and the kids, the Christmas tree was lit up.)
One minor downside: the sound was great throughout, but only acceptable in terms of volume when the characters were speaking, and overwhelming during the songs.
The organizers of the Christmas tree really took care of the parents: you could visit the animated zone without a ticket, and the hall - with one ticket per child under 3 years old. For parents who didn't need to go to the hall, the Christmas tree was live-streamed in the animated zone.
Overall impression
After the 2023/2024 holiday season, my kids and I attended several entertainment events, and I have to say that the Mayor's Christmas Tree really impressed me with its scale, quality, and organization. They didn't skimp on costumes, computer graphics, or the number of performers and staff. The show was flawless.
What ruined the impression? Ironically, the audience.
The audience behaved strangely and, in my opinion, disrespectfully towards other audience members and performers. Firstly, there were many 'rowdy' kids who talked loudly during the performance, disrupted other audience members, and their parents either weren't around or didn't think it necessary to calm them down. The loud sound came in handy here. Secondly, about 10-15 minutes before the end, the audience started leaving the hall in large numbers, rushing to get gifts, go to the buffet, or the restroom...
These kinds of people can be found in any theater, cinema, etc., but there were a lot of them here.
This really disrupted those who wanted to see the Christmas tree to the end. And I couldn't blame the quality of the show for this - it was engaging and interesting for its target audience.
Sweet gift
The gift consisted of a branded change pouch and 700g of sweets.
The kids loved taking these pouches with them from the Christmas tree on their own.The sweets inside were from well-known and not-so-well-known confectionery factories.
The detailed menu is shown below:One of the nice touches was the option to buy a gift right off the Christmas tree.
Ticket prices
Tickets were selling for between 3200 and 4100 rubles + 850 rubles for the sweet gift. As I understood, some tickets were given away for free to employees of budget organizations in Moscow.
The prices aren't the most modest, especially if you're going with the whole family, but the event itself is definitely worth it.
The Verdict
The Mayor's Christmas Tree 2023/2024 was, in my opinion, a standout among similar holiday events. It included:
Excellent organization throughout,A beautiful venue in the heart of Moscow,A high-quality production with an engaging storyline,Professional actors and circus performers,A diverse entertainment program leading up to the show.I highly recommend checking it out!