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10,000 tickets for the Belfast Christmas lights switch-on event have gone in 40 minutes this week. Belfast City Council officials revealed to elected representatives on Wednesday at a council committee meeting at City Hall that tickets for the popular event sold out in two batches, in a 30 minute span and a 10 minute span. The Christmas Lights Switch On event is on Saturday November 15 in front of City Hall and is a free-of-charge ticketed event, presented by Cool Fm. Between 6pm and 7.30pm a stage will provide family-oriented entertainment including local musicians and performers, culminating in the switch-on of the lights by the Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly. READ MORE: Responsibility for clearing up autumn leaves results in legal stand-off between Belfast City Council and Stormont READ MORE: Request for pedestrian crossing linking to Lagan Gateway in South Belfast dismissed Donegall Road Primary School will open the show, leading into festive performances from local acts involving Avenue Arts Academy, the O’Hara Sisters and St Agnes’s Choral Society and others. Two local celebrities will be appearing, champion boxer Lewis Crocker and West End star, TV actress and singer Rachel Tucker. At the November meeting of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee on Wednesday, November 5, officers gave councillors a last minute update on preparations for the event. An official said: “We are doing additional Christmas animation activity within 2 Royal Avenue, with a series of music and street performances in the run-in between the switch-on event and New Year’s Eve, to extend an opportunity to invite people into the City Centre and into the retail district. “We went out with the ticket release on November 4, which was yesterday, and we are now in a position where all of those have been distributed. They were done in two phases, with the first release going out at 10am yesterday morning - that batch of tickets was distributed within 30 minutes. The second release was 7pm in the evening, and they went within 10 minutes. “As ever, there was significant demand for the festive lights switch-on event.” The Winter Den programme, hosted at 2 Royal Avenue, will offer a diverse array of festive events and activities for all ages, running from Saturday, November 15, through to New Year's Eve. Highlights include musical performances, craft workshops, storytelling, and a senior's tea dance. There will be special events tailored to different audiences, beginning with a "Quiet Christmas Tree Switch On" for those with sensory needs. The council states “while the programme encompasses classic Christmas celebrations, sustainability and inclusivity themes are addressed.” The annual Santa's Post Office is available throughout the six weeks, and the programme culminates on New Year's Eve with a festive “NYE Ceili” celebration. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter
