Thousands click on for Lytham's virtual festive lights switch-on

Lytham is lit up for the festive season – and more than 13,000 people watched it happen, some from the other side of the world.
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Organisers of the town’s first virtual switch-on, which replaced the traditional live ceremony because of the pandemic restrictions, greeted it as a great success, and with the switch-on footage on Facebook and You Tube, the number of viewers has continued to grow.

Brenda Blackshaw, who organised the event with Lauren Gallagher with support from Lytham Business Partnership, said: “The Lytham Christmas Lights Switch-On is always a big event for the town so we really had to get our thinking caps on about how we could still create a buzz this year while keeping everyone safe.

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“We are absolutely delighted with the success of our first ever virtual switch-on, which attracted viewers as far afield as Spain, Switzerland, the USA, Australia and New Zealand.

Lytham's Christmas lights are shining after a highly-successful first virtual switch-on. Picture by Gregg WolstenholmeLytham's Christmas lights are shining after a highly-successful first virtual switch-on. Picture by Gregg Wolstenholme
Lytham's Christmas lights are shining after a highly-successful first virtual switch-on. Picture by Gregg Wolstenholme

“Of course we would have loved to have packed out the town on Saturday night but the fact our event has had more than 13,000 views on Facebook and YouTube so far is tremendous. We really are feeling very overwhelmed at the level of support we’ve received from the public."

TV ice skating star Dan Whiston flicked the switch on the virtual coverage, after a feast of entertainment involving the likes of James Edgar, The Coustics, The Deadbeats and Lucy-Ella and colleagues from the cast of the forthcoming Blackpool North Pier panto Cinderella.

Last year’s live event brought more than 5,000 people to Lytham.

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“The lights switch-on is about boosting the town’s economy and bringing the community together," added Brenda.

“Of course, people have had to do that from the safety of their homes this year but with so many people having viewed our event we are hopeful that once people are permitted to, they will visit our beautiful seaside town, especially our landmarks such as Lytham Hall, our unique shops and fabulous hospitality venues.”

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