Wakefield ready to light up for Christmas with £150K of festive lights

The brand new Christmas lights will be transforming Wakefield into a winter wonderland when they are switched on this week.

There will be a variety of new 3D light features popping up across the city centre, that range up to eight metres in height.

A 3D shooting star will be lighting up Chantry roundabout, thanks to £19k sponsorship from Wakefield BID. Northern Media, who are attending the light switch on, have sponsored a festive 3D tree in Jubilee Gardens for £5k and Pure Cars have funded an illuminated square parcel in Cathedral Square for £7k. ENGIE have sponsored a cone tree for £9k on Teal Street.

The council has also funded an impressive 8.2m high tree feature in the Bull Ring, alongside other more traditional Christmas lights throughout the city centre at a cost of £79k.

The Christmas lights will be switched on by Wakefield Trinity Rugby Club and local councillors this Friday, November 16, at 6pm, alongside a whole of other festive themed entertainment throughout the day including Santa in his snow globe.

​Coun Denise Jeffery, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Growth, said: “We are delighted to bring some new festive sparkle into the city centre this Christmas for residents and visitors to enjoy.

“Thank you to all the sponsors for their generosity and continued to support to help provide these fantastic new additions to the city centre to celebrate Christmas. This is an excellent example of how we can work with the private sector to boost Wakefield, making it a great place to live, work and shop.”

The Wakefield Christmas lights will be switched on at an event on Friday. The festive celebrations will start at 10am with a Christmas themed market running until 6.30pm. There will also be funfair rides in the Bull Ring from 12pm, alongside other street entertainment, and Santa’s free snow globe grotto from 1pm until 6.30pm.

Ridings FM will be hosting live entertainment from 4pm which will include local musicians Mickey Johnson, Simon Walker and The Wakefield Singing Mums.

There will also be donkey rides and an animatronic reindeer from 4pm.