Manchester Christmas Lights Switch-on date confirmed – and a new location too

Our countdown to Christmas officially begins when the Manchester Christmas lights are switched on. The annual extravaganza means six weeks of festive fun to look forward to in the city.

And this year, Manchester’s Christmas Lights Switch-on show will move to new location. The event will move away from Albert Square for the first time as the Town Hall transformation project continues. 

Following more than two decades of events in the shadow of Manchester’s majestic Town Hall building, the switch-on event will move to Deansgate, near the Cathedral, to celebrate the beginning of the festive season in the city.

Thousands of people attend the celebration with stars of music, stage and screen providing the entertainment. 

This year’s event will take place on Thursday 14th November. The Manchester Christmas Markets will open the week before, on 8th November.

The acts for this year’s event will be announced in the coming weeks. 

“Albert Square has been our Christmas lights home for many years but it’s exciting to try a new location while the Town Hall transformation continues,” says Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester’s Christmas spokesperson.

“Get this in your diary now. The show is never one to be missed as we welcome Christmas in Manchester – Santa’s favourite city, of course.”

The Christmas Lights Switch-on will take place on Thursday 14th November.