Time Out says
You know Christmas is coming when Oxford Street is transformed by sparkly, glowing lights. This year, the shopping hub will be home to 1,778 decorations (and 750,000 LED lightbulbs) inspired by falling snowflakes, plus the addition of new purple baubles.
It’s the fifty-ninth year the road has been decorated for the festive period and the switch on (November 6) is expected to attract over one million Christmas-lovers and the odd famous face. This year their re-inventing their launch, treating Londoners to pop up performances from UK artists in selected stores down the street.
For more info, visit the Oxford Street website.
Find more Christmas lights in London
Find more festive fun with our guide to Christmas in London
Details
| Event website: | https://www.oxfordstreet.co.uk/christmas-lights-switch-show/ |
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Users say (29)
Average User Rating
3.5 / 5
Rating Breakdown
- 5 star:12
- 4 star:4
- 3 star:4
- 2 star:2
- 1 star:6
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It's not truly Christmas in London until you have braved the crowds of Oxford Street at Christmas time! Thankfully the lights make it all worthwhile and will the keep the herds flocking back in 2018.
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Disappointed that the Oxford Street lights are the same as the last few years. Having said that, it is still quite pretty and festive. Here's hoping that next year they change it up.
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What can be said, another disappointing display of lights that have been the same for I think the last 3 years!! It;s nothing to go crazy about, however if you are in the area do take a stroll down Regent Street, brand new this year, (at least I don't remember them from last) and a really impressive display of what Christmas Light's should look like. Oxford Street, TAKE NOTE.
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Shine bright like a diamond. Oxford street lights always know how to put on a great show. The lights are very very similar to the lights last year (if not exactly the same), therefore if you are reading the review in 2016, the same reviews apply for 2014 and 2013! Let's hope 2017, they sparkle even more!
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Pretty but disappointed that they are kind of the same as last year... I orbs look gorgeous but nothing particularly new to show off this manic part of town - not much of an incentive to deal with the millions of shoppers in the lead up to Christmas!
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The other day we walked through this lights and I have to say it was awesome to be inCentral London with this decoration. We spent an hour walking in oxford circus enjoying the lights. Highly recommended!
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I have always loved Christmas lights and extremely relieved when Marmite was never used again, it was so ugly. This Monday it was raining and dull in daytime Oxford St, it wasn't helped by many black black black NSPCc clouds Why not pink, red , yellow or green, this feels like back to Marmite only NSPCC is a good cause so make it a fun design too. No need for black... who's idea was this ? It may look great at night, think again about the daytime.
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This years event was an all day affair with fun activities and then the main concert in the evening.
It was quite hard to hear the acts on the screens as the sound wasnt loud enough but it was a great atmosphere.
I loved the fact a charity was part of the campaign this year.
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I really like the xmas lights in Oxford Street, even if every year they are always the same. A simple walk in the centre in this period can be magic and I always enjoy shopping during this part of the year.
Oxford Street can be very crowded, but it's nice to see people looking up to the lights.
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It's just lights. Expensive lights put for more than 2 months to encourage people to expend more money. It doesn't work with me. That money should be spent in something useful.
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Loved the year they had the Marmite sponsored lights but the last few years have been the same, quite generic display. They make Xmas shopping a bit more festive but not worth going out of your way to see them.
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Oxford Street's Christmas lights are too plain, not impressive at all...there are only blue & white balls along the whole street. I would expect council to have spent much more money to the most famous shopping street all over Europe. Regent Street's Christmas lights are much more impressive. On the contrary, all the big department stores across oxford street (Selfridges, Debenhams, House of Frazer) have privately installed amazing lightening! The festive night 2015 for the lightening up of the Christmas lights, was disappointing.. There was huge advertisement in TV, press, online that Kylie Minogue would be there and everyone gathered to see her performing - instead of that, she just pressed the magic button and left....such a pity for all that fuss of going out in the centre, being packed with so many people, having to stand for so long in the cold....
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I thought perhaps it was a bit early for thinking about Christmas, but the Oxford Street lights have changed my mind! The switch-on was a really fun night, the crowd was having a great time and because there were big screens up everyone could see what was happening on the stage. I was a little closer to the stage than most as a Time Out Tastemaker so really enjoyed all the musical performances and seeing Kylie pressing the button. I’d definitely recommend a trip to see the lights if you need to up your festive spirit.
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Cracking 5 stars from me for this - I've been a Londoner for circa 8 years but never been to this because I presumed the crowds would be horrid. I was invited by Oxford St to come down as a Time Out Tastemaker. I will say we were in the VIP area so I think the experience was a bit different and we were very close to the stage. However, the street is pedestrianised for the night and as such there is quite a lot of space if you want to watch from further back on one of the big screens. The whole set up is well organised and even the crowds dispersing afterwards aren't a problem (try one of the back streets and walk around it). The lights this year were switched on by Kylie Minogue and a few other really rather good celebs. I really enjoyed being there as part of it. It was lively, upbeat and lots of fun. Oh, and the lights look absolutely lovely this year too.
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Would be great if there was a Christmas starting gun, so that everyone knew that from that point it is officially the start of the festive season. 15th November is just about right! All the Christmas lights switch on the same day and the party starts!
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With these and other London street Christmas lights they usually get turned off at about midnight which is totally pointless as the best time to view is by car or tour bus in the early hours of the morning with little traffic and no parking regulations.
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I'm a Londoner and travelled all the way from Scotland to see the lights.Shaftesbury Ave lights was the best in London. Aberdeen had better ones . Winter wonderland was out of this world, Made the trip worth while.
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we re gonna be visiting london for a couple of days and we would really like to attend. it sounds amazing !. Do we need to buy tickets?
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Jeeeeez should have given that £1.5m to help all the homeless people in London, what a waste!
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Definitely going there this weekend, looks beautiful! It will 'light up' most certainly.
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I'm really like Christmas time-wonderfull,magic time!Lighting of Christmas light,music,amazing atmosphere! I encourage everyone to see it!
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How do you register for tickets? Been on capital FMCS website but can't find anything :(
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Great event. always planned to go but so far never attended. Next one will be mine and my daughter's. cant wait !
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This is such a great event, an soo beautiful. A brilliant way of getting into the christmas spirit... For free too!!
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AMAZING evening the attmoshere is lovely , people of all ages get to see the switch on ,I went last year for the first time was so pretty and very christmassy , going again this year I recommend it to everyone ;-)