Brand new state of the art lights to illuminate Banbury this Sunday

Banbury Town Council has invested in a new festive display

Banbury is set to enjoy a state-of-the-art display when the town’s Christmas lights are turned on this Sunday. Its thanks to an investment in brand new illuminations by Banbury Town Council.

After the switch-on event the beautiful festive street decorations will light up Banbury town centre every day until midnight on January 5.

An afternoon of fun is lined up for Sunday with fairground rides, food stalls, a Santa’s grotto and local choirs. A firework display will end the day.

The funfair, food stalls and grotto will open at 1pm. The stage will be outside the town hall and choirs will perform from 4pm.

The new street lights have been specially designed and will thrill visitors to the town centre.

Leader of Banbury Town Council Kieron Mallon said: “Banbury’s Christmas street lights this year are brand new and will be absolutely spectacular.

“The town council is totally responsible for the street decorations. Until last year the lights were a joint venture between Banbury Town Council and Cherwell District Council – but the town council now has full responsibility and has invested in a brand new state-of-the-art display that will delight people of all ages.

“Christmas is a season of happiness and goodwill and the new street lights will create a wonderful festive atmosphere.”

Local hero Prabhu Natarajan – who will be accompanied on stage by his six-year-old son Addhu, wife Shilpa, and town mayor Shaida Hussain – will press the ‘lights on’ button.

Prabhu was nominated for an ‘unsung hero’ award by local residents after delivering hundreds of food parcels to families during the Covid pandemic. He took more than 600 grocery packages to needy families during the lockdown and spent over £400 of his own money in addition to funds raised by neighbours and well-wishers.

Cllr Hussain said: “It will be great to have the Christmas Lights Switch-on event back again after it was cancelled last year because of the virus. Prabhu is the perfect ‘local hero’ to have the honour of pressing the magic button.”

Prabhu added: “This will be a dream moment and the chance of a lifetime for my family and me.”

The natural flow of the lights around the town will continue into Castle Quay where an investment has been made by the centre to extend the lighting style into their building. The Castle Quay lights will be switched on at 4.30pm by representatives from the Sunshine Centre, Castle Quay’s official charity partner.