I’m in the coastal city of Swansea. Well known for its award-winning beaches, and affectionately nicknamed ‘The Waterfront City’, it’s only natural that Swansea girls would walk barefoot in strappy dresses.

Only, this isn’t summer, and I’m nowhere near the beach. Instead, it’s almost the end of November, and I’m on a street in the city centre – yet there are women without any shoes on and barely anybody is wearing a coat.

As strange as the scenario sounds, what I’m most struck by is that everyone looks so fabulous. It’s like being at an after-party for a beauty pageant, where all the contestants have kicked off their heels.

But what’s actually going on? Well, today is November 20th, and it’s the first opportunity to uncork this year’s new bottles of Beaujolais.

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Known as ‘Beaujolais Nouveau’, it’s a young red wine from the Burgundy region of Franceand according to French law, it cannot be served or sold in any country until the third Thursday of November – which, this year, falls on the 20th of the month.

Some people get excited about popping a Champagne cork, but here in Swansea, the chance to open a new bottle of Beaujolais is cause for celebration.

The annual event is known as Beaujolais Day and it’s big business, with restaurants and hotels hosting three course Beaujolais Day dinners – often with multiple sittings throughout the day, to meet the high demand.

But it’s not just about eating – because Beaujolais Day is all about the glam. Hair salons and make-up artists are booked out, up to a year in advance, as the Swansea women set out to make Victoria’s Secret models look drab.

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It’s probably Swansea’s most dazzling day of the year and that’s why I’m here, on my first ever trip to Wales, to experience it for myself and to find out what Beaujolais Day is all about.

I’ve been lucky enough to snag a seat for the three course Beaujolais Day dinner at The Welsh House, by Swansea’s waterfront.

With live music from 12pm, there are three sittings for the meal, taking place at 12pm, 2.30pm and 5pm, with diners invited to continue celebrating in an adjacent marquee, or inside sister wine bar The Wine House.

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The Welsh House prides itself on offering Welsh dishes made with great Welsh ingredients. Their food has been described by esteemed chef and restaurateur Marco Pierre White as: ‘A little bit of Wales on a plate’. At £46.95 per person, the three course Beaujolais Day dinner is a steal.

My sitting is at 2.30pm, so I’ve already got an appetite as I make my way there, crossing Sail Bridge, which overlooks the River Tawe. There’s a gorgeous view of boats on blue water, then within a few minutes I reach a red carpet – I have arrived at The Welsh House.

Doormen dressed in black usher me into the buzzing bar which is packed full of smartly dressed men in blazers, and glamorous women in strappy sandals, sequins and fake fur.

Sitting down, I take a look at the drinks menu which has Pommery Brut Champagne at £12 a glass; cocktails, including Espresso Martini, at £10 each, and bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau at £39.95 a bottle.

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I’ve ordered smoked salmon for my starter, but before it arrives, I’m joined at the table by a Welshman with than a few tricks up his sleeve. His name is Charles Anthony and he is a jolly clever magician who makes a mixed up Rubik’s Cube align in less than a second.

Then he gets me to write my name on a card, which he somehow pulls out of his mouth, even though I’d stuck it back in the pack. This is impressive, but I like it best when he tells me to look for the card in his wallet. I take it out triumphantly, along with a couple of twenty pound notes. ‘Money makes me happy!’ I tell him, smiling, but it turns out that this isn’t part of the trick and I reluctantly have to give it back.

For my main I’ve gone for the Welsh Beef a la Bourguignon, with creamy mash and buttered carrots. This is possibly the most tender meat I’ve ever eaten and I would go back to Wales just to eat it again.

Thinking about it, it strikes me that it’s a perfect dish to celebrate Beaujolais Day in Swansea, as it combines Welsh beef with a French recipe – especially as boeuf bourguignon is associated with France’s Burgundy region, which – quelle surprise! – is where Beaujolais comes from.

Clearly someone has put a lot of thought into this, and looking back at the menu, I realise that there was a similarly clever French-Welsh alliance in the options for the starters, in the form of the French onion soup with the Caerphilly cheese.

But where does Swansea’s celebration of Beaujolais Day stem from? Well the stories vary, but the one that seems to make the most sense is that the late Welsh international rugby player Clem Thomas kicked off the tradition back when he owned The No Sign Wine Bar on Swansea’s Wind Street.

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At the time, Clem also had a house in – yep, you guessed it – Burgundy, so he was able to bring the newly released Beaujolais back to Swansea. And, presumably, making Beaujolais Day ‘a thing’ wouldn’t have been bad for business!

Fast forward a few decades to 2025 and Beaujolais Day is boosting business all over Swansea.

I chat to Anne-Marie, 50, who’s across the table from me. She lives in Swansea and she tells me that for Beaujolais Day she’ll spend £50 on getting her hair done and £45 on professional makeup with lashes, as well as buying a new dress and paying for a cab home.

The day itself has been free for her this year, as she’s here with work, but she’s celebrated Beaujolais Day five or six times before and it usually adds up to £150 for the food and drink alone. She’s been out since 12.30pm, and reckons she’ll stay out enjoying herself until 10pm.

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A woman with an incredible tan walks past my table. I’ve seen some fantastic tans since I’ve arrived at The Welsh House, so I’m guessing that spray tan appointments are part of the Beaujolais Day prep.

I stop the tantastic woman, whose name is Jess, to ask her where she got it done, but she tells me she did it herself last night, with St. Moriz. Noted!

Jess has gone out for Beaujolais Day for over 10 years, including twice at The Welsh House. She’s done her own hair and makeup, but the costs have still added up, as she’s bought a new dress, heels and bag, totalling £150, and another £50 on brows and lashes, as well getting her nails done.

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My attention is grabbed by a performance from the singing waitress, and next I find myself chatting to Aimee, 40, who owns Swansea florists Vintage Bloom.

This is Aimee’s fourth Beaujolais Day, and she’s been here at The Welsh House since 2pm, for the 2.30pm dinner sitting. After this, she and her friends will head to Wind Street – aka the party zone – and decide which bar to go when they get there.

To look her best for Beaujolais Day, Aimee’s spent £25 on a blowdry at Swansea’s Hair Cwtch Salon, £45 on makeup with makeup artist Sara Dymond and £40 on nails by Makeovers with Mols, as well as buying a new dress from Lavish Alice.

Aimee tells me that so far she’s had one Baby Guinness and three Proseccos, but no Beaujolais, because: ‘I do like red wine, but I don’t drink it when I’m out.’

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Aimee’s friend Sam, 51, is also a florist. She owns the Swansea based Black Orchid florists, and this is her second Beaujolais Day. She came along for the first time last year because Aimee twisted her arm, but Sam feels like she’s too old for it and says she’d rather spend the money on a spa weekend.

She spent £300 on two dresses that didn’t arrive in time and another £250 panic-buying an outfit in River Island.

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She forked out to have her hair and makeup done (which she redid at home anyway, as she didn’t like it) and she reckons that dinner and drinks will add up to £150. Sam is drinking gin and tonic, and like Aimee, she doesn’t plan to drink any Beaujolais.

On the next table, I chat to 25-year-old Lauren who also lives in Swansea. She’s out for her fifth Beujolais Day but tells me: ‘To be honest, I’ve never tried Beaujolais. I just like the dressing up and going out.’

Don’t we all, Lauren! I can relate to this. It’s like when I go to a sporting event and have no idea what’s going on, I just like being in a private box drinking Champagne.

At this point, Lauren remembers that actually: ‘I’ve tried it once, I didn’t like it. I don’t like red wine.’

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For Lauren, getting ready for Beaujolais Day has meant buying a new dress as well as getting her hair done in an updo for £30. She’s been drinking Prosecco since arriving at The Welsh House at 2pm with her friends. At the moment there are five of them, but they’ll meet girls later when they head into town.

For Ellise, 29, it’s her seventh Beaujolais Day. Originally from Swansea, she’s just moved to Cardiff, but she’s come back to celebrate Beaujolais Day.

Ellise has been out since 2.30pm drinking Prosecco and espresso martinis. She tells me that she won’t be having any Beaujolais because she doesn’t like it. Then she remembers that she does like it, but it makes her cry, so she’ll stick to Prosecco, or pornstar martinis, or shots of Tequila Rose.

Ellise is wearing a new jumpsuit, jewellery and shoes, all bought especially for Beaujolais Day. She’s done her own makeup, but her cousin who owns a salon came round and did her hair, as well as her mum’s hair.

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After The Welsh House, Ellise is going to Morgans Hotel where her mum has a table, then she and her friends will go to Cattle & Co. She reckons she’ll be out until 3am, then she has second thoughts and says: ‘Maybe just midnight.’

I realise that with all my chatting, and playing musical chairs around the tables, I’ve missed out on the sticky toffee pudding I’d looked forward to for dessert.

Oh well, if I’m lured back to Wales by the tender beef bourguignon then hopefully they’ll have sticky toffee pudding on the menu too!

The Welsh House is emptying out to make space for the final dinner sitting, so I head towards Wind Street – home to The No Sign Wine Bar, which may just be where Swansea’s love of Beaujolas Day has its origins.

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Bar after bar lines each side of the street, so it seems apt that Wind Street is actually pronounced Wine Street. It’s here that I see the barefoot women without coats, but they’re having fun and looking fabulous, and really, what better way could there be to celebrate Beaujolais Day?