Christmas is not cancelled, council boss says

A council boss says Christmas will still take place in Coventry

Christmas is not cancelled in Coventry, the city council's events manager has said, after criticism over the cancellation of the annual lights switch-on.

The city is organising a “Festival of Christmas” instead of a switch-on event, as the council faces financial challenges.

There will also be a Christmas market and big wheel, which opens to the public the week before the event.

Jon Hogan from Coventry City Council said the change was driven by “trying something different” rather than saving money.

“The council is still investing in Christmas,” Mr Hogan said.

“We know some local authorities have withdrawn. Not here in Coventry. Christmas is definitely not cancelled in Coventry.”

But figures shared with the BBC by the council show there would be a drop in Christmas spending this year.

The council spent about £226,000 in 2023, and about £300,000 in 2022 and 2021.

It will spend £160,000 on Christmas lights, decorations and activities this year, saving £10,000 by shelving its light switch-on event.

Shoppers upset

Gary Ridley, the Conservative opposition leader in Coventry, said “it’s hard to understand the logic behind cancelling” the switch-on event.

He said the decision would only add to the challenges faced by retailers who rely on increased footfall in the city centre during the Christmas period.

He asked: “Why has the council has chosen to play Scrooge this year?"

The festival, from 16:00 GMT on 20 November, will feature “icons of Christmas” spread out across the city, including bouncing elves, Father Christmas and an angel aerial acrobat.

Late-night shopping will begin on the night of the festival, which aims to draw people into the city centre and boost the area’s retail economy.

“Using different smaller spaces across the city means we can accommodate large numbers of people, with the Christmas market also taking over Broadgate," Mr Hogan said.

The council is attempting to make £8.4m in cuts to services in 2024-25 to help plug a £20m gap in its finances.