Beyond Radio will be your hosts for the 2023 Lancaster Christmas Lights Switch On, this year headlined by indie band, Toploader.
The event, held by Lancaster BID, is on Sunday November 26 in Market Square, and promises to be one of the biggest of the year in Lancaster, and will feature a whole variety of local acts including singers, live bands, dance groups, local theatres showcasing their Christmas productions and so much more.
It is certain to be a day to remember which will launch the Lancaster festive season in style.
The headline act on the main stage will be Toploader, best known for their global hit ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’, from their debut album ‘Onka’s Big Moka’.
The band are also known for a string of other hits including ‘Achilles Heel’, ‘Just Hold On’, and ‘Time of My Life’, and have amassed more than a billion music streams across all platforms in their career so far.
CancerCare will also return to the city centre with their annual Santa Dash raising much needed funds to support local families affected by cancer.
The child who raises the most sponsor money will get to join Santa and some of the performers on stage to switch on the Market Square Christmas Lights.

Above: The crowds gather for the 2022 Switch On. Photo by Andy Slack.
Lancaster BID Operations Manager, Tom Fyson, said: “The festive season is a critical time of year for local businesses.
‘’We are working hard alongside other event organisers to deliver a high-quality packed programme of festive entertainment. Make sure you show your support for local businesses by visiting Lancaster city centre for all your festive spending.”
The Switch On Show marks the launch of the festive season in Lancaster with a programme of events and promotions, including the return of Lancaster On Ice, certain to draw the crowds into the city centre in the run up to Christmas.
Last year’s Switch On event was the busiest in the event's history.
Headlined by The Lancashire Hotpots, footfall in the city centre was an amazing 69.8 per cent higher than in 2021 and 14 per cent higher than the previous best year in 2015, as the crowds filled Market Square and overflowed down Market Street almost down to Horseshoe Corner.


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