Festive fun will have more than a hint of the future this December when a city marking 300 years of innovation and creativity celebrates Christmas with a European first – a magical light and music display linking past, present and future.
This year Derby will be giving visitors the gift of Christmas, all wrapped up in four giant walk-through ‘presents’ that burst into a synchronised light and music show every 30 minutes, as well as a new futuristic tree with its own amazing light show.
In a real coup for Derby, it is the first time the giant presents have been seen anywhere in Europe.
Putting a festive spin on Derby’s proud history as a creative city, the 4 metres tall Christmas ‘presents’ and the 7.5 meters tall light tree offer a new take on the tale of Christmas past, present and future. These brand new installations are from the same supplier as Harrods and the Paris city centre decorations.
A new, £17m Museum of Making, will open to the public in September, 2020, on the site of the world’s first factory. And the city’s Christmas celebrations, on the eve of what promises to be a major year for the city, will offer visitors a Christmas light trail like no other.
It will lead visitors from Derby Cathedral into the Market Place, and then into each of the giant presents, which will in turn provide a dazzling synchronised light and music show.
While there will be a traditional real Christmas tree in the Market Place, the trail ends with a “futuristic tree’, featuring its own light show, at The Spot – a public space adjacent to the Intu Shopping Centre.
This year will also bring new street lighting throughout the Cathedral and St Peters Quarter, while Derby’s ‘Window Wonderland’ promotion will see shops and businesses decorating their windows in the theme of Christmas Past, Present or Future.
The festivities launch on Saturday 16 November with the Big Christmas Switch On, featuring entertainment on the Market Place stage from around 3.30pm, leading up to the big switch-on around 6pm at the huge real Christmas tree.
The ‘presents’ are due to be switched on during Friday 29th November.
More details can be found at http://www.visitderby.co.uk.