'No suitable location' for Manchester Christmas lights switch-on as event scrapped

Manchester's Christmas lights switch-on show will not go ahead this year, because there is no 'suitable and safe' location to host the event.

It usually kicks off at Albert Square in front of the city's Town Hall, but building and demolition works underway at key locations in the city centre mean that the event has had to be ruled out.

There will still be light installations throughout the city centre from Thursday 10 November when the Christmas Markets open.  

Manchester City Council say plans are already being made to ensure that the event returns to the city centre again in 2023.

Councillor Pat Karney, Christmas spokesperson for Manchester City Council, said: "Anyone who has been in the city centre recently can't fail to have noticed all the development work going on to make Manchester even better than it already is, and as great as this is it does mean we've not got the space needed to safely manage a big switch-on event this year.

"We're very well aware how much families enjoy the switch-on and what it means to them and are gutted that we can't deliver an event this year for them.

"We will however definitely be back with a big switch-on event next year for them, followed by Manchester's best ever Christmas switch-on event the year after that in 2024 when our wonderful Town Hall and Albert Square will be back in use again."