Christmas Lights galore in Watford this Thursday!

The Christmas lights switch on across Watford Town Centre and at intu Watford on Thursday 10th November will bring a magical start to the festive season!

Firstly, you can join the Snow King & Queen for an enchanted celebration as they switch on the Christmas tree and lights around the pond on The Parade, Watford High Street with activities from 4.30pm.

The switch-on ceremony has been organised by Watford BID, the organisation funded by town centre businesses and Watford town centre will be transformed this Christmas with a whole new look in festive lighting. These include dancers and a Jack Frost juggler, as well as a performance by children from Watford’s Jigsaw performing arts group and the grand finale will be a four-person fire show.

“The Snow King & Queen will lead the town centre’s magical Christmas lights switch-on” (© MAL Photography)

Watford BID has teamed up with Watford Borough Council and taken over the operation of the festive lighting throughout the main town centre areas for the next five years.   The new classical white lighting scheme will include Market Street, King Street, Town Hall Square and the Peace Hospice, in addition to the High Street and The Parade areas that have always been part of the Council scheme.

Jonathan Field, Chair of Watford BID said, “It’s great to be able to provide the town centre with a whole new look in Christmas lights and so of course we want to celebrate and hold a special event to mark the switch-on.  We hope families from in and around the Watford area will come along and enjoy it.”

The event will finish at 6pm so visitors can head down to intu Watford, where parking is free from 4.00pm, for an evening of festive fun and dazzling entertainment. You can enjoy their big switch-on finale featuring Bella-Rose, intu Watford's Christmas Star, our very own Vibe 107.6 FM presenter Laura Alexandra, The Voice semi-finalist and Raw Vibes artist Lyrickal, Watford Palace Theatre Panto stars and Watford FC players. There will also be performances from the Starburst Academy and a Christmas choir performance.

The main show starts at 6.00pm and the event will take place indoors on the upper mall bridge between River Island and John Lewis, with family fun including free face painting, kids crafts, games, entertainers and a magician! Plus, Watford FC players will be holding a signing session on the lower mall at Joe & The Juice from 5.15pm to 6pm, so bring along anything you’d like them to autograph. 

The lights will then be switched on at 7.00pm by Bella-Rose, the winner of intu Watford's Christmas Star search 2016 as voted for by their shoppers - who will be joined on stage by Chris Stark and the Watford FC players who will all be pressing the red button to officially light up the centre and kick off our spectacular fireworks display.

Please note, you will not need to exit the shopping centre to watch the fireworks, they will be visible through the glass ceiling where the main event is being held.

So don't miss out on a fantastic and magical night of entertainment as Watford's Christmas lights shine on Thursday 10th November! #WinterInWatford

(Sources: Watford BID and intu Watford).