Mark Your Calendars: Here's Everything Happening In Makati This Holiday Season

(SPOT.ph) Christmas celebrations may have "officially" begun as early as September 1, but now that we're almost a month away from Christmas, everything is kicking up a notch. Case in point, just last night, November 13, the Makati CBD got significantly brighter and, dare we say, merrier too.

Make It Makati and Ayala Land officially launched their Christmas festivities with a city-wide lighting ceremony, giving the bustling district a warm holiday glow-up. Bonus: They also dropped all the fun events and activities scheduled to take place from this point on until the end of the year. From marveling at the bright, shiny parols illuminating the streets to visiting weekend pop-ups for your last-minute shopping, here are the different ways to celebrate the holidays in Makati this 2025.

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From now until January 11, 2026, see Makati in full color as this year's holiday celebrations celebrate the theme "Makati In Color: Where Christmas Tradition Meets Imagination." For 2025, the CBD takes inspiration from the different colors, patterns, and textures found in our culture, specifically those from the anahaw, a leaf often used to symbolize resilience, and the majestic, bright, and cheery sarimanok, which also happens to be a symbol of prosperity.

As with previous years, the whole 1.9-kilometer stretch of Ayala Avenue is strewn in warm light made brighter by the colorful Christmas trees and parols all over the street islands along the road. Trees shine bright with lanterns strewn across their branches and will twinkle alongside beloved classics, such as stars and capiz-adorned lights, with pops of color.

The Ayala Triangle Gardens is also all dolled up for the holidays. The park itself is bursting with light from sun-shaped parols and Christmas lights strewn all over the many trees. It's a very inviting scene, especially for commuters seeking a quick rest before their journey home. If you ask us, it's also a pretty good place for a romantic park date after office.

While the decorations and shows aren't as grandiose as in previous years, the garden is still one of the best spots to bask in the holiday vibes. Aside from the bright lights, the Ayala Triangle Gardens is also hosting Paskong Likha—a curated lineup of shows, installations, markets, and creative activities.

These include special art projections within the gardens featuring Filipino weaves and local patterns, craft sessions for tree ornaments using local fabrics, and a slew of performances staged throughout the triangle from now until the end of the year.

• November 15 and 16 – UST Singers

• November 22 and 23 – Orchestral Performance

• November 26 – Warner Music Philippines concert featuring Lola Amour, Arthur Miguel, Dilaw, Felip, Jan Roberts, Jason Dhakal, Player Two, Stell, and Sugarcane

• First three weekends of December
  (Dec 5 t0 7; 12 to14; 19. to 22) – “Pasko na Manam”, string quartet performances presented by Manam

There will also be an outdoor cinema under Tower One in celebration of the MMFF from December 26 to 28. And who could forget the grand New Year's countdown along Ayala Avenue on December 31?

Aside from those performances. a series of Christmas markets will also happen in the area this December—perfect for any last minute shopping. These markets bring a mix of Filipino artisanal food, local makers, and homegrown art.

• December 6 to 7 – The Makati Street Meet returns with Holiday Bites by Spectrum Fair, featuring a wide array of local food and retail purveyors

• December 13 to 14 and 20 to 21 – Makati Street Meet is also hosting the third installment of Marche de Noel in collaboration with the French Embassy. This annual Christmas market showcases French and Filipino gastronomy.

These are just what's happening along Ayala Avenue, and in and around the Ayala Triangle Gardens. Other areas in the CBD, like Circuit Makati, Greenbelt, and Makati Avenue, are also getting touches of Christmas in Color soon.

For more information, visit Make It Makati's Facebook page.

Photos by Majoy Siason