Christmas lights switch-on to move to a Saturday

The Christmas lights switch-on in the Isle of Man's capital is set to move to a Saturday for the first time.

The festive illumination of the main shopping street and surrounding area in Douglas has traditionally been held on a Thursday evening in late November to herald the start of late-night shopping.

This year, councillors have decided to move the event, which attracts thousands of people to the city centre, to 21 November to allow a full day of festive activities ahead of the switch-on itself in the evening.

However, the local authority has said late-night shopping for retailers in Dougals would still take place on five Thursday evenings in the run up to Christmas.

The council said the "new all-day format" would create "even more opportunities to enjoy the city centre, visit local businesses and take part in festive activities".

The full programme of events and timings is set to be released nearer the time.

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