City Centre Christmas Lights Event Proceeds After Funding Concerns

Hundreds of individuals braved the freezing temperatures to witness the illumination of a city centre’s Christmas lights, an event that had previously been at risk due to insufficient funding. Peterborough’s Cathedral Square was filled with visitors for the festive switch-on on Friday evening. In September, Peterborough City Council had announced that the event required £56,000 from sponsors and faced potential cancellation due to a £22,000 shortfall. The necessary additional funds were successfully raised in October, allowing the event to proceed. Attendees shared their feedback on the We Love Peterborough Facebook page, describing the switch-on as “fantastic, awesome, brilliant” and noting a “great turn-out.” However, some comments criticized the Christmas tree, calling it “hideous,” poorly decorated, and in need of more adornments. Cheryl Fergison, a former BBC EastEnders star and a native of the city, performed a song during the event. She is scheduled to play The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the city’s Cresset theatre from December 14 to 31. Fergison stated in a social media post that despite the “freezing” weather, the crowd was amazing. She wrote, “They just filled that Cathedral Square to the brim, it was incredible.” She further expressed, “It was just brilliant, to be back in my hometown, and what a homecoming I had, it was great, thank you so, so much.” For updates on Peterborough news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.