Christmas Lights Switch-on and Lantern Parade

Thursday 13 November is a special date for the Plymouth diary as the Christmas lights get switched-on announcing the start of the official 2014 Christmas celebrations.

Taking place from 4pm at the top of Cornwall Street, outside Drake Circus Shopping Centre, visitors will be entertained by Heart FM ahead of the anticipated countdown.

Local band Joker will be performing getting the crowds in good spirits before singer and Panto star, Chico, and British R&B band, Damage, plus other special guests take to the stage.

The countdown for the switch-on will begin at approximately 6.20pm and visitors will be able to see the city centre transform with many new lighting features. The new features will replace old and outdated lights on Cornwall Street and New George Street and are expected to bring a more modern feel to the city centre this Christmas.

Once the lights are turned on, the city centre will be buzzing with Christmas cheer. Stiltskin Creative Arts and Theatre Company and local school children will walk through the city in a lantern parade, some carrying giant and animated lanterns.

They will set off from Plymouth Guildhall at 6.40pm.

The parade will leave Plymouth Guildhall at approximately 6.40pm and head down Royal Parade to Derry’s Cross Roundabout. Here they will walk around the central reservation and walk back up Royal Parade before turning into Armada Way at the Big Screen on the Piazza.

Walking along to the sundial, the parade will turn right onto New George Street. At the top they will turn left into Drake Circus and walk through the shopping centre before regrouping at the top of Cornwall Street.

The parade will continue down Cornwall Street to the Place de Brest before turning left and continuing down Armada Way onto Royal Parade. Turning left up Royal Parade to St. Andrew’s roundabout the parade will walk around the central reservation before returning to the Guildhall.

During the parade there will be temporary road closures on New George Street, from the junction of Old Town Street to the House of Fraser car park, and on Royal Parade between the junctions of Derry’s and St. Andrew’s roundabouts.