Leicester’s Town Hall Square will fill with light and music this Wednesday (19 November) as it hosts local choirs, bands and sparkling street entertainers as part of the city’s Christmas lights switch-on.
The square will also be showing off its 20 foot, brightly-lit Christmas tree - new for this year - along with six other ten-foot trees that will be placed next to the Town Hall.
Asst city mayor for culture Cllr Vi Dempster said: “With its new Christmas tree and wonderful lighting, Town Hall Square will be looking extra special this year, giving families a great place to enjoy the atmosphere that switch-on night creates.
“They’ll also be able to see our wonderful traditional Nativity scene which will be back in the square as usual, and visit the Christmas Market, funfair and ice rink which are all within walking distance.”
The switch-on events will take place on Wednesday 19 November. Entertainment in the square will run from 5pm to 8pm, starting with a performance from the Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth l College band.
At 5.30pm they will be followed by the Sound CaféChoir, which enables people who are facing homelessness to join in cultural activities and to socialise through singing, music and other activities.
And at 6pm, the voices of Leicester Cathedral Choir will fill the air with the sound of Christmas carols, as they build up to the main light switch-on which takes place at 6.30pm.
The big countdown will take place at the Clock Tower, when Leicester City players will join Filbert Fox and stars from this year’s Dick Whittington panto for the switch-on of Leicester’s main Christmas lights.
Music will continue in Town Hall Square with the Semper Singers taking to the stage after the switch-on, followed by the Ratby Crescendo Bando at 7pm. The Fosse Singers will round off the night from 7.30pm.
People in the square will also be able to enjoy the multi-coloured lighting display introduced for the first time last year, as well as visiting street entertainers who will be roaming the city centre, including the beautiful Living Snowglobe featuring the magical Snow Queen, and gentle giant Pip, the Polar Bear.
The council’s Bike Park Cycle Hub in Town Hall Square will be offering cyclists extended opening hours until 9pm. Cyclists need to sign up for an Active Leicester Cycle Hub membership to use the Bike Park, but anyone using the site on switch-on night will be offered free membership, saving them the £10 annual membership fee.
Full details of what’s happening on switch-on night and to celebrate Christmas in Leicester are on the Visit Leicester website.
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