Banbury Town Council and Castle Quay set to host Christmas lights switch-on event this weekend

Castle Quay in Banbury will turn on its spectacular new Christmas lights on Sunday November 28 at 4:30pm. Representatives of the Sunshine Centre, Castle Quay’s official charity partner, will have the honour of turning on the lights this year.

For the very first time the lights inside Castle Quay Shopping, Lock29 and Castle Quay Waterfront will mirror the town’s Christmas lighting. A mix of classic and modern light pieces have been selected to bring the whole town together in a very magical and stylish way.

Within Castle Quay, elegant cylinders of light have been suspended from the Cherwell Court dome and stylish light curtains will light-up this once bare mezzanine.

Cherwell Walk and the Quay Mall will be illuminated in light and a charming LED tree will be positioned in Castle Court for visitors to enjoy. Green fir garlands and Christmas trees will adorn Bridge Walk and Lock29 will have some extra sparkle this Christmas as gold potted LED trees will be installed inside the venue. There will also be fun photo opportunity features throughout the centre for the public to enjoy. The decorations selected are also made from organic and recyclable materials to ensure they are eco-friendly.

Banbury town’s streetlights will be switched on at 5pm by local community hero Prabhu Natarajan, who delivered hundreds of food parcels to families during the Covid pandemic. Banbury Town Council has also arranged some fairground rides and choirs will perform on stage in the build-up to the switch-on.

The Christmas light displays, which have been arranged by Banbury Town Council and Banbury Business Improvement District (BID), will also be projected onto the iconic Cornhill entrance to Castle Quay from 5 to 9.45pm every day throughout the festive period.

Leader of Banbury Town Council Kieron Mallon said, “This is the first time the town council have been solely responsible for Banbury’s Christmas streetlights, so they are brand new and absolutely spectacular. We have invested in a wonderful and colourful display of festive street decorations that will delight people of all ages. Christmas is a season of happiness and goodwill and the new streetlights will create a magnificent festive atmosphere.”

Cllr Barry Wood, leader of Cherwell District Council said: ”The town council and Castle Quay have certainly pushed the boat out this year, with spectacular new Christmas decorations throughout, helping to create a vibrant and attractive festive destination for residents and visitors alike.”

Oliver Wren, centre director at Castle Quay Shopping Centre, said: “The decorations that have been chosen are magnificent – they are classic and sophisticated and very effective. Our LED Christmas tree really stands out on the mall, and I just can’t wait for visitors to see how special all of our installations are. Lock29 will also be extending its opening hours to 9pm on Sunday the 28th November, providing the perfect destination to warm up and eat some of the best street food in Banbury after seeing the lights turn on.”

Town Mayor Shaida Hussain will be on stage with Prabhu for the street light switch-on.

Shaida said, “Banbury will look fabulous this Christmas. There will be a real festive atmosphere and visitors to the town will be thrilled with the new street decorations and beautiful Christmas trees. I’m sure people will come to see the lights and do their Christmas shopping in the wide selection of shops while they are here.”