'Have a holly jolly Christmas' on the UNI Natwest Building, Temple Quay

As part of this year's Christmas Adventures light trail, 'Have a holly jolly Christmas',has been projected onto the UNI Natwest building in Temple Quay, it can be seen between Valentines Bridge and Temple Bridge.

Scroll down for some fun facts about the song and for our special #MerryBristmas fact to get you in a festive mood!

Location

The building is located on Trinity Road and from the other side, overlooks the River Avon which runs through the city.  

On Thursdays there’ll be a delicious smell in the air as Temple Quay Market serves lunch choices from Bristol's exciting street food scene. The line-up is different each week, but you can expect to find an array of stalls with vegetarian and vegan options always available, as well as cakes for those with a sweet tooth.  

A whole host of hotels are only a stone’s throw from this thriving business quarter. They include Hilton Garden Inn, Ibis Temple Meads Quay and the newly built Leonardo Hotel Bristol Glassfields. With accommodation in high demand over the Christmas period, especially at weekends, we suggest booking your accommodation as far ahead as you can. Swap the busy and bustling streets for a more relaxed shopping experience by planning a midweek visit. Weekday mornings are the quietest time to visit when you can enjoy the same festive atmosphere with fewer people around.  

Song Fact

A Holly Jolly Christmas first hit the charts back in the sixties when released by Burl Ives, a successful actor and folk singer from that era. The writer behind the lyrics was Johnny Marks. This wasn’t the only catchy Christmas smash hit he penned – we have him to thank for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer too.  

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was expanded into a TV special by stop-motion animators Rankin-Bass, with Burl Ives voicing the narrator, Sam the Snowman. This animation partly inspired the 2003 film Elf starring Will Ferrell. Watch them both closely and you’ll spot similarities!  

Here in the UK, the most popular version of A Holly Jolly Christmas is by the king of Christmas, Michael Bublé.  

We've used Spotify to put together a Christmas Adventures playlist for you, the perfect accompaniment to the trail. Each song contains lyrics found illuminated in the city centre, in the order that they were switched on. You might discover a version you haven't heard before or reminisce listening to some old favourites.

#MerryBristmas Fact of the day

Having a Holly ‘Jolly’ Christmas is easy in Bristol. The city is well-known as a hot-bed for great comedy and is where many of the country’s top comedians have cut their teeth.

Famous faces from the city include; Sir Bob Hope, John Cleese, Lee Evans, Bill Bailey, Stephen Merchant, Mark Watson and Russell Howard.

There's always great comedy gigs going on in the city, check out our comedy listings, including many gigs in December and beyond and Slapstick Festival in January. Book your tickets, or perhaps you might want to book someone you love a ticket and give the gift of laughter?

• Find out more about Famous People of Bristol

Other Christmas Adventures illuminations nearby:

• 'Rockin' around the Christmas tree' at The Distillery Building
• 'May your days be merry and bright' at WSP - Kings Orchard
• 'Santa Claus is coming to town' near Meads Reach Bridge

Please make sure that you adhere to government covid-safety guidance when visiting the Christmas Adventures illuminations. 

- Find out more about all the Christmas Adventures illuminations throughout Bristol city centre

- Find out what else is going on this Christmas in Bristol

- Listen to the Spotify playlist

The project is part of Bristol City Centre BID’s #LoveBristol campaign which promotes the recovery of the city, bringing together 100s of businesses to help create the festive trail. New to this year is the partnership with Redcliffe and Temple BID, adding many new and iconic locations to the attraction.

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