Jodie Whittaker to Turn on the Christmas Lights at London’s Regent Street
The Doctor herself, Jodie Whittaker, has been announced as the guest of honour turning on the Christmas Lights this Thursday
Regent Street, one of the most iconic shopping districts in London, have announced details of their big Christmas lights switch on for 2018. Festivities will be held this Thursday, November 15th, with Doctor Who’s Jodie Whittaker set to turn on the lights.
The main event itself takes place from 5.30pm to 6.30 pm. The street will be closed to traffic from 5pm to 9pm to allow for a festive atmosphere of Christmas shopping. The cast of West End musical Dreamgirls will be performing songs from the show, followed by singer Calum Scott. Jodie Whittaker will then press (or, who knows, sonic) the button to switch on the illuminations. Heart Radio’s Jamie Theakston and Sian Welb will also be in attendance for the show.
The central switch on is part of entire festive evening on Regent Street
The main show will be followed by special on street events to take full advantage of the traffic ban. Brass bands Ooompah Brass and More and More will regale the crowds with festive music.
There will also be a dance stage and music sponsored by local shop Kipling. In addition Caffe Concerto will be expanding onto the street with an outdoor cafe to warm up the crowds. Beauty store L’Occitane will also be dispensing hot chocolate and blankets to customers on the street. Other Regent Street retailers will be getting involved too, with special promotions, like Molton Brown’s oversized advent calendar stuffed with luxury prizes.
Inviting a special guest to turn on the Christmas Lights is a long standing tradition in cities around the world. Regent Street is both the largest and the oldest Christmas display in London. First introduced in 1954, the Regent Street lights have been a constant Christmas tradition for Londoners and visitors ever since. The current ‘Spirit of Christmas’ display, featuring a massive angel of light, is inspired by the very first display.
2 days to go. Join us on Thursday to celebrate the start of Christmas with our spectacular switch-on evening from 5PM ✨ https://t.co/CtQQN7YXRU #TheSpiritOfChristmas pic.twitter.com/8OWk9FNebZ
— Regent Street (@RegentStreetW1) November 13, 2018
Full details can be found at the official Regent Street website.