When you go for a wander around London at Christmas, you might not expect a history lesson along the way. But when you explore one particular part of the city, you’ll find glimmering light displays that pay homage to the area’s past. Specifically, the Strand Christmas Lights, which you’ll soon find lighting up Central London, nod to the nearby Savoy Theatre’s role in the history of lighting and electricity.
The Strand Christmas lights will start to illuminate the area next month, from 12 November throughout the festive period. Over 96,000 twinkling LED lights will turn the Strand and Villiers Street into a magical festive walkway. The display will feature rows of illuminated fairies, soaring overhead, with trailing ribbons of glowing light behind them. And those details provide a hint to the area’s past.
The Stand Christmas Lights and the Savoy Theatre
So, what do fairy-themed Christmas lights tell us? What do they mean? Well, they actually reference the role that the Strand’s iconic Savoy Theatre played in the history of fairy lights.
Back in 1881, the Savoy Theatre was the first public building in the world to be lit entirely by electricity. The following year, Joseph Swan invented fairy lights (how’s that for a claim to fame) specifically for a performance at the Savoy Theatre.
The Strand Christmas lights’ LEDs were specifically chosen for their low energy consumption. The rest of the display’s components utilise recycled materials and secondary raw materials. So it’s perhaps a bit more environmentally friendly than the original fairy lights at the Savoy Theatre might have been!
Be sure to grab some mates and head on over to Central London next month to check out the sights – and memorise the above fun facts, too, to really impress them. Who knew you were such an expert on the topic of fairy lights and theatrical illumination?
📍 You’ll find the Strand Christmas lights glowing over Strand and Villiers Street.
🚇 The nearest stations are Embankment and Charing Cross.
