Christmas Hits Manchester
The lights are on and the countdown has begun!
Thousands flocked to Manchester city centre for the annual Christmas Lights Switch-On, marking the start of the festive season.
Soap favourite, Catherine Tydlesley, best known for her role in Corrie delighted the crowds with a musical number, showcasing her fantastic voice with a medley of Santa Baby and Rocking Around The Christmas Tree, before welcoming her co-star Kym Marsh on stage to push the button on this year’s Christmas lights.
Catherine told Key 103: “Manchester is my favourite city, not just because it’s my home but because we don’t anything by halves. The merriment outside on the square was overwhelming!”
There was also performances from Scouting for Girls and Lemar - who hyped the audience with a selection of crowd pleasing favourites and some of his new material.
Gary Barlow appeared before the crowds via the digital screens to wish Manchester a very merry Christmas ahead of his new musical, The Girls, which starts at the Lowry in the New Year.
The star of the Opera House’s Cinderalla, Eloise Davies, also made an appearance.
The night was opened by the choreography of the Printwork’s Street Dance competition winners, Aim Sky High Company, from Stretford, following a rousing choral performance of “Fairy tale of New York” from the Manchester Show Choir.
The event concluded with a 10-minute fireworks spectacular.
Lit for the first time this year, Manchester’s Giant Santa has returned newly refurbished with 90,000 glowing LED lights – a true icon of Christmas in the city.
Cllr Pat Karney said: "Tonight we have broken all records and we’ve had the most amazing start to our festive season. Seeing Albert Square filled with thousands of people – and of all ages – it feels like the whole of Manchester has come down today. All the acts were fantastic and the crowd has been brilliant.
"Our switch-on show is the real start to Christmas for generations of Mancunians and now our Giant Santa has been refurbished, he’s so bright and sparkling I would think he can be seen from space! I wouldn’t be surprised if we get visitors from another world ready to celebrate the festive season now Santa has been turned on.
“But, of course, we’ve only just begun. The markets are back next Saturday, so between now and then, the city will be transformed in readiness for more than six weeks of Christmas in Manchester.”