Plymouth's countdown to Christmas starts tonight

Tonight’s Festival of Lights event will turn Plymouth into a dazzling festive heaven to celebrate the start of the countdown to Christmas Day. 

The lantern parade will feature 18 spectacular giant lanterns and 200 hand-lanterns made by local primary schools and secondary schools who have been working with Stiltskin Creative Arts and Theatre.

The parade will start as soon as the lights are switched on and will follow a figure of eight route around the city centre from the bottom of Cornwall Street, the parade will wind its way through Drake Circus mall finishing at Frankfort Gate. 

The Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Young Hero of the Year nominee Ash Jackson and the La Navet Bete cast from A Christmas Carol, will switch the lights on from the small stage at the top of Cornwall Street at 6.15pm.

There will also be live entertainment from the stage starting at 4pm with local school choirs singing, followed later in the evening by the Military Wives Choir, Music of the Night Choir and the Salvation Army Band amongst others.

Entertainment also includes roaming street entertainers, face painters and Santa’s reindeers will be located on Cornwall Street. 

Santa and his friends will also be on the ice at 5.30pm where they will be opening the Christmas ice dancing show.