List of Oxford Street Christmas lights celebrities facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oxford Street Christmas lights |
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The 2016 Oxford Street Christmas lights
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| Genre | Christmas |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Venue | Oxford Street, West End of London |
| Coordinates | 51°30′55″N 0°08′31″W / 51.515269°N 0.142013°W |
| Years active | 65 |
| Previous event | 2018 |
| Next event | 2019 |
| Organised by | Field and Lawn |
Oxford Street is a very famous shopping street in Central London. Every year, it gets decorated with beautiful Christmas lights. This tradition has been happening for many Christmases since 1959. These lights are a popular and regular part of the holiday season in London.
Contents
History of the Oxford Street Lights
The Oxford Street Christmas lights first appeared because of another street nearby. Regent Street had already started putting up Christmas lights in 1954. Shop owners and the local council on Oxford Street decided to add their own lights. They wanted to make shopping feel extra special and exciting.
When the Lights Stopped and Came Back
In the early 1970s, the tradition of the lights stopped for a few years. This was because of money problems at the time. But in the 1980s, local shop owners worked hard to bring the lights back. Their efforts paid off, and the lights returned!
How the Lights Work Today
Since 2010, a company called Field and Lawn has been in charge of the lights. They also put up the lights on Regent Street. Each year, about 750,000 light bulbs are used to decorate Oxford Street!
The Celebrity Switch-On Event
Every year, a famous person is chosen to turn on the lights. This usually happens in the middle or end of November. The lights then stay on until January 6th, which is known as Twelfth Night. Being asked to switch on the lights is a big honor. It shows that a celebrity is very popular.
Special Moments and Changes
- In 1963, the light switch-on was put off. This was because of the sad news of the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
- In 2015, the lights were turned on earlier than usual, on Sunday, November 1st. Because of this, Oxford Street was closed to all traffic, which was quite rare!
- In 2018, there wasn't one main celebrity to switch on the lights. Instead, several performers played music at different stores along the street.
Celebrities Who Switched on the Lights
Here are some of the famous people who have turned on the Oxford Street Christmas lights since 1981:
1980s
- 1981 — Pilín León (Miss World, Venezuela)
- 1982 — Daley Thompson
- 1983 — Pat Phoenix
- 1984 — Esther Rantzen
- 1985 — Bob Geldof
- 1986 — Leslie Grantham, Anita Dobson
- 1987 — Derek Jameson
- 1988 — Terry Wogan
- 1989 — Gorden Kaye
1990s
- 1990 — Cliff Richard
- 1991 — Westminster Children's Hospital
- 1992 — Linford Christie
- 1993 — Richard Branson
- 1994 — Lenny Henry
- 1995 — Coronation Street cast
- 1996 — Spice Girls
- 1997 — Peter Andre
- 1998 — Zoë Ball
- 1999 — Ronan Keating
2000s
- 2000 — Charlotte Church
- 2001 — S Club 7
- 2002 — Blue
- 2003 — Enrique Iglesias
- 2004 — Emma Watson, Il Divo, Steve Redgrave
- 2005 — Madonna
- 2006 — All Saints
- 2007 — Leona Lewis
- 2008 — Sugababes
- 2009 — Jim Carrey
2010s
- 2010 — Children from Kids Company
- 2011 — The Saturdays
- 2012 — Robbie Williams
- 2013 — Jessie J
- 2014 — Cheryl Fernandez-Versini
- 2015 — Kylie Minogue
- 2016 — Craig David
- 2017 — Rita Ora, Vick Hope & Roman Kemp
- 2018 — N/A
- 2020 — Mia & Amalia Corsi
- 2020 — Gareth Eighteen
