Barrow Christmas Lights Switch-on event celebrated by thousands

Despite the winter weather conditions, there was a festive atmosphere filled with laughter and good vibes around the town.

The event was sponsored by Spirit Energy, which saved the day at the 11th hour after uncertainty that this year’s event on November 18 may not go ahead at all.  

Louis McKenna, a nine-month-old child who is currently waiting for a kidney transplant, turned the Christmas lights on at 18:00 pm with the help of his sister Annabelle, aged four and Mum and Dad, Bethan and Conor McKenna.

Bethan said: “We’re so proud of them. They’ve both done really well, and everyone has been amazing. They’ve both been a bit nervous to go up on stage, but they’ve had a really good day.”

Earlier in the afternoon, local DJ Pete Murphy opened the celebrations at 3pm, followed by performances from Harrison Holmes, Horizon Studios NW, Zac Thompson, YouthAbility Youth Services, Boom Dang and the cast of Jack and the Bean Stalk.

Santa then made an early appearance from the North Pole to sing a few Christmas classics and hand out selection boxes to children in the crowd before Band in Dystopia, a three-piece indie rock, and rappers Swerve & JD took to the stage.  

The evening was then headlined by a Taylor Swift Tribute by Xenna who performed smash hits including Cruel Summer, Love Story, Shake It off and Style after the Instep School of Dance had performed a couple of numbers alongside event organiser and vocalist Beth Horan.

Beth, who took over the organisation of the event from the council with her husband in 2016, said: “I’m super proud of how well today has gone.

“We love the fact that it’s for the locals and it’s made by the locals.

“It’s so nice to see everyone with smiles on their faces. That’s all we need at the end of the day.”