Forget pop-up grottos and tinsel-draped sheds, Elf Town is Ireland’s only Christmas experience built with the ambition, scale, and incredible level of detail to match any world-class Christmas production. Every set within the enormous Dublin and Galway locations is hand-crafted, every character fully realised, and every child’s journey designed to feel truly magical from start to finish. With over €3.7 million invested this year, the most to date, Elf Town 2025 is set to be the best yet. Discover more here...
Following a sell-out season in 2024 that welcomed more than 113,000 visitors, Elf Town returns in 2025, opening at Dublin’s RDS on Saturday November 15th and at Galway Racecourse on Friday November 21st, running until Christmas Eve. Tickets start from €19.95 for adults and €29.95 for children. For the first time, families can now spread the cost with newly introduced payment plans, making the experience more accessible as demand continues to rise. The 2025 season will also see Elf Town RDS open seven days a week for the first time, in response to growing demand.
A child’s journey through Elf Town
The magic of Elf Town begins long before families arrive. Every child will receive their very own Golden Ticket in the post, a sparkling invitation that grants entry to the experience. For an extra touch of magic, families can also add a personalised letter inviting each child to Elf Town and also a postcard from Santa for under the tree Christmas morning, and beautifully illustrated maps to build the excitement at home.
On arrival, children are welcomed at the Elf-ification Station, where they are transformed into honorary elves with a hat, name badge, and an official Elf Passport ready to be stamped along the way. From there, families embark on an entirely immersive adventure through Elf Town’s magical worlds, meeting colourful characters and exploring breathtaking sets.
Highlights include:
- Santa’s real reindeer – Comet and Cupid in Dublin, Dasher and Dancer in Galway. This is the only Christmas experience in Ireland to feature real reindeer, specially brought into Ireland each year for the experience.
- The bustling Elf Post Office, where children write and send their letters directly to Santa.
- Mrs Claus’ Kitchen, where ‘smallies’ decorate cookies with Mrs Claus’ favourite elves, Sugar and Spice.
- The spectacular Toy Shop, where towering walls of toys await, and every child chooses the gift they want most.
- And perhaps the most extraordinary feature: Jack Frost’s Ice House. Built entirely from real ice, this frozen wonder is the only experience of its kind in the world. Children wander through Jack’s frosty home, discovering frozen furniture, sparkling icicles, and shimmering sculptures before stepping back into the warmth of Elf Town.
The journey ends with a private one on one audience with Santa Claus, who greets each child by name, having read their letters in advance. Each child and guardian(s) get his or her own magical moment with Santa. He gives them a golden coin to exchange for the toy of their choice in the Toy Shop, bringing their magical journey full circle. Children will be amazed when Santa knows a little secret, perhaps something they’re good at, their teacher’s name or their best friend, a touch of magic guaranteed to keep the belief alive. And it’s not only the children who’ll be enchanted, but the grown-ups too.
Elf Town was created by Galway business partners Barry Battle and Anthony Hourigan, after experiencing the scale and imagination of Christmas attractions overseas. Inspired by the extraordinary productions Barry enjoyed with his kids, particularly in the United States, the two pals made the bold decision to invest millions to create an experience in Ireland that could meet the same world-class standard, scale and incredible attention to detail.
As Co-Founder Barry Battle explains, “As a dad of five all under 10, I know how fleeting the years of enjoying Santa really are. We wanted to create something that didn’t just entertain, but made children truly believe in the magic of Christmas. Every detail is designed through a child’s eyes. If it doesn’t feel magical to them, it doesn’t go in. Luckily, I’ve got the five toughest product reviewers at home, and nothing makes it into Elf Town without first impressing them!”
Anthony Hourigan adds that, “We had experienced how Christmas is brought to life abroad and we wanted to raise the bar here in Ireland. Taking that leap was a huge risk, but Elf Town has grown into Ireland’s largest immersive Christmas event. Every year we reinvest a lot to push the standard even higher, because Irish families deserve an experience of this scale. And the way last year sold out, it's so great to think that pushing this to a standard above has been so worth it. We’re so excited to launch even longer running hours to welcome even more families this year.”
Elf Town is a magical journey lasting over 90 minutes at the RDS and close to two hours in Galway, giving every family a truly immersive experience where the magic unfolds at its own pace and never feels rushed. Ticket prices from €19.95 for adults and €29.95 for children available from the website here. 170,000 visitors are expected in 2025, a huge increase from the 113,000 welcomed in 2024 in their two locations: Galway Racecourse (10th year) and RDS, Dublin (2nd year). Elf Town Galway opens on Friday the 21st November and is open 4-6 days per week. Follow Elf Town for news and updates on Instagram here: @elftowngalway.
All photos courtesy of Elf Town.
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