Peterborough all set to step into Christmas

With November on the horizon, Peterborough is putting the final sparkly touches to its festive plans so that residents will be able to step into Christmas with gusto next month.

As many of you will have seen, festive lights have magically appeared in the city centre, with diligent teams turning Cathedral Square, Bridge Street and Long Causeway into enclaves of twinkling prettiness.

The lights will be complemented by a 40ft Norwegian Spruce Christmas tree which, though yet to arrive, is very much on its way.

The tree will serve as the de-facto centrepiece of the city’s Christmas entertainment, which this festive season will feature the Cathedral Choir, St John’s Choir, Sally Rock Choir, Zumba Stars, and the Salvation Army band performing throughout the whole of December.

Peterborough City Council has confirmed this year’s Christmas festivities will kick off on Friday, 22 November, with a showpiece Christmas light switch-on event that will see hundreds of families and visitors flock to the city centre.

The lights will be switched on by Father Christmas himself, accompanied, as last year, by Cheryl Fergison (Heather from Eastenders) and Peterborough Mayor, Councillor Marco Cereste.

Joining them will be local acts Teddy Newberry, Chanel Hughes and Gabriella Pineda-Rodrigues, along with performances from The Key Theatre’s Snow White and the Cresset’s Cinderella pantomimes.

The aforementioned Peterborough Cathedral Choir and Peterborough Rock Choir will also be taking to the stage, plus there will be – for the first time ever – a DJ set from Peterborough legend Eddie Nash.

The switch-on event will be hosted by ever-popular PCRFM presenters Kev Lawrence and Keith Dalton.

This year’s Christmas countdown has only been made possible by the generous sponsorship which was donated following a plea by the council in September to raise the money needed to pay for the light displays.

“We are delighted that Christmas is very much happening thanks to the generous donations from all our sponsors,” said Peterborough City Council Leader, Councillor Dennis Jones.

“We would like to thank them once again for really saving the day and helping us to raise the £56,000 needed to cover the cost of the Christmas tree, festive lights and switch-on event in our city centre, something which is so loved, and that hundreds of families and visitors attend each year.”

If you can’t wait to step into Christmas then check out our gallery of last year’s fab switch-on event!