November is about the time everything usually goes from just a little bit festive, to Festive As F*ck, Regent Street included. And this year the good folks of Regent Street are bringing Christmas cheer to Soho by the bucketload with the return of their beautiful Christmas light display.
Announcing the switch-on date for their famous glittering angels (or ‘spirits’, officially), Regent Street’s Christmas lights are set to return on (Thursday) November 9, bringing plenty of festive cheer back to the city for the winter months. And Lawd knows we need it.
Known as ‘The Spirits of Christmas’, Regent Street’s Christmas lights display is one of the largest in the country (behind such luminary behemoths as the Kew Gardens Christmas lights trail), and has a proud history dating all the way back to its debut in 1954.
In fact, Regent Street actually started the whole tradition of public Christmas lights in the capital. That’s definitely something to be thankful for! The spirits – which played trumpets in the original display but now soar triumphantly above shoppers – feature some 300,000 low-energy twinkling LED lights, and provide an iconic sight during the festive season.
The canopy of lights features over 50 magical ‘spirits’ all in all, which turns any bus trip up Regent Street into a dazzling experience. This year, they’re also keeping their thoughts with eco-consciousness, by not keeping the display permanently illuminated. Instead, the spirits will be set on a timer each day, to lessen their impact.
In addition to the famous spirits, new lights will be in place to sparkle over additional locations across Regent Street and St James’s, including: Glasshouse Street, Heddon Street, Quadrant Arcade, St James’s Market, and Swallow Street – however, a sneak peek of those is currently under wraps and set to be unveiled very soon.
There won’t be an official ‘switch-on’ for the Regent Street lights, however, visitors and passers-by can see them shine from early evening on November 9—just two days away!
Finding it hard to stay on top of everything festive? Fortunately, we’re keeping track of everything that’s in the works this year – from restaurant and rooftop igloos to delightfully festive ice skating rinks, and everything in between. There’s even a delightfully gaudy and kitschy Christmas bar takeover on the way.
Also published on Medium.