City's Christmas lights switch-on cancelled

TRURO is not going to have a dedicated Christmas light switch-on for 2025, it’s been announced.

- by KIRSTIE MCCRUM

Truro Business Improvement District (BID) has cited financial pressures for the decision, saying that projects including installing and maintaining the city centre Christmas lights rather than holding a dedicated switch-on event have been prioritised for this year.

Truro’s city centre Christmas lights will instead come on automatically this year during the afternoon of Saturday, November 22. This will coincide with the first day of Truro’s Christmas markets.

The manager of Truro BID, Alun Jones, said that “many other towns and cities in the UK, including Exeter and Leeds” had ditched an official switch-on due to costs.

In a statement, Truro BID said: “Truro BID is a not-for-profit organisation that funds, installs and maintains Truro’s Christmas lights each year using the BID levy contributions from 362 of Truro’s city centre businesses.

“Along with financing the Christmas lights, Truro BID uses its BID levy to deliver activities over and above the services provided by local authorities and statutory agencies which aim to increase footfall into the city to support the high street.”