Truro City of Lights

What’s it all about?

Nothing heralds the Christmas season quite like the warm glow of festive lights and this year the theme is Kings and Queens. The hugely anticipated Truro City of Lights festival and parade lights up the city in in spectacular fashion delighting the crowds who gather to see display. Music & Arts start from 5.45pm. City of Lights Parade from 7pm.

What happens?

One of the most anticipated family events in Cornwall’s festive calendar, the City of Lights is a vividly creative celebration incorporating art, music, dance and, as its name suggests, light. The event features a dazzling procession of giant handmade withy and tissue lanterns floating through the streets carried by professional artists accompanied by a host of smaller lanterns carried by Cornish school children and local community and youth groups. Every year the procession as a different theme and is escorted by feast of music and dance including samba, brass bands and pipes & drums. In advance of the procession, there is music throughout the city including performances by school groups and the festivities continue after the procession with more outdoor music performances at various locations.

How can you take part?

The parade starts at 7pm and the city gets very busy so then advice is to get there early, do a bit of festive shopping then find a good view point along the mile long route. This year it starts from the junction of Moresk Road and St Clements Street, the procession moves up to Pydar Street, left along Union Street and down Castle Street.

It gets very busy in Boscawen Street so please spread out throughout the route to get the best views of the beautiful lanterns.
There will be a 5 minute pause at The Leats on Castle Street before the procession moves on into River Street and then St Nicholas Street.
There will be another 5min pause point on St Nicholas Street before moving into Boscawen Street and through to Princes Street.
There is another pause in Princes Street and onto Green Street and into Lemon Quay.

The Park and Ride will be operating a 10 minute frequency for the festival. The park and ride will operate a temporary stop on Calenick St from 3pm.

Did you know?

Truro’s gothic revival cathedral spectacularly illustrates the city’s prosperity in the 19th century. Copying the great cathedral builders of the medieval age, its huge spires soar over the city skyline, and inside there are some of the finest examples of Victorian stained glass in the UK.