Ipswich Town bosses to join Christmas lights switch-on

Why it matters: The Christmas lights switch-on kicks off what Ipswich Central describes as its “biggest and brightest Christmas campaign yet”, bringing together the town centre’s shops, restaurants, markets, events and attractions under the Follow the Stars theme.

The details: Mayor Pat Bruce-Browne will switch on the lights from the Cornhill at around 18:45 on Sunday, 15 November, joined on stage by O’Neil and Ashton.

The switch-on will also exhibit the town’s new Christmas lights, which are fully programmable so they can run light shows and displays. Ipswich Central says they will bring the town to life every day of the festive season.

Ipswich Town has sponsored this year’s Christmas tree.

What’s on: More than 120 events have been gathered into a Christmas What’s On guide, available on the All About Ipswich website, with free printed copies in dozens of venues across the town.

This year, the digital advent calendar returns with prizes donated by local businesses. Prizes include vouchers, football shirts and spa days.

Last year, the calendar attracted more than 10,000 entries.

The lantern parade: Described by Ipswich Central as "the jewel in the crown" of the campaign, the lantern parade is brand new for 2026 and will see people carry hand-crafted lanterns from DanceEast on the Waterfront to the Cornhill. This will take place at 18:00 on Saturday, 19 December.

• Leading the way will be Eko the Sea Giant, a 13ft (4m) puppet managed by a team of performers from Autin Dance Theatre.
• Earlier that day, Eko will give two performances, one in the town centre and one on the Waterfront.
• Free lantern-making workshops will run at venues including AMPP studios, a local pub and DanceEast, and a guide to making lanterns at home will also be released.

Ipswich Central says the parade will bring “spectacle, light and music to the town as well as a boost to the town’s retail and hospitality economy”.

What they’re saying: Lee Walker, chief executive of Ipswich Central, said: “This year is a chance to bring the entire Ipswich community together for a brilliant campaign.

“This is an incredibly ambitious campaign that showcases the best of Ipswich, and I am so proud to be working closely with businesses to make it happen.”

Mark Ashton, chairman of Ipswich Town Football Club, said: “It’s a real pleasure to be asked to be involved with the Ipswich Christmas light switch on alongside our manager Gary O’Neil. We’re a club that is immensely proud of its town and we’re delighted to be able to sponsor this tree for this year’s event.”

Tom Bowes, head of creative programmes at DanceEast, said: “It’s a great opportunity for us to bring dance out of the Jerwood DanceHouse, and to give people the chance to see live performances on their streets as they go about their festive celebrations.”

For context: Ipswich Central is the Business Improvement District (BID) for Ipswich. Partners on the campaign include Ipswich Borough Council, Ipswich Town Football Club and DanceEast.

The bottom line: From Sunday’s switch-on, to a 13ft sea giant leading hundreds of glowing lanterns through the streets, Follow the Stars aims to light up Ipswich and bring the town together this Christmas.

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