Santa is back at new home in Manchester – this is when the Christmas lights will go on

The giant Santa has arrived to herald the festive run-in here in Manchester - and the city's Christmas lights will be switched on this week too.

Manchester’s giant light up Santa is back in the city centre and ready to help the city to celebrate the festive run in – at a new home for 2020.

The huge LED Santa sculpture, complete with rather large moustache, has been built at a new location outside Manchester Central Library on St Peter’s Square.

He made his debut last year at Piccadilly Gardens as the replacement for the popular “zippy Santa” sculpture – who also found a new home at Kellogg’s at Trafford Park.

But with the ongoing coronavirus lockdown restrictions, and the cancellation of this year’s Christmas Markets, the decision was taken to move Santa to his new location and the city’s festive lights turned on much later than in previous years.

Santa, and the city’s Christmas lights, will officially be “turned on” on Wednesday, December 2nd, with a low-key ceremony with the switch on performed by three local NHS heroes.

Clocking in at 12 metres high, the selfie-loving Santa weighs in at 2.3tonnes and it has taken council bosses three days to get him ready for festive duty over the weekend.

Manchester’s Christmas spokesman, Cllr Pat Karney, where can i buy dapoxetine in the philippines tweeted a video as Santa was constructed on Sunday.

Kids.Father Christmas has arrived and looking forward to seeing you all. pic.twitter.com/dCsCvGZTbO

— Pat Karney (@patkarney) November 29, 2020

He said: “Father Christmas has arrived, he’s come today and he’s looking forward to seeing all the great kids in our city so do come down and see him over the Christmas period.

“We’re going to have a nice Christmas in Manchester, we have to be safe and we have to be healthy but do come down and see Father Christmas.”

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Santa will be joined once again by a trail of large-scale light sculptures across the city in Piccadilly Gardens, St Peter’s Square, New Cathedral Street, along with the traditional crib in St Ann’s Square and a Christmas tree by the Cathedral, which are also being installed this week.

Council bosses are also still looking for suggestions as to what nickname to give to the moustachioed giant Santa – feel free to add your ideas to the comments here or on our Facebook page.

This article was last updated 4 years ago.
It was first published on 30 November 2020 and is subject to be updated from time to time. Please refresh or return to see the latest version.

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