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New Christmas display with 32,000 lights unveiled

Norwich BID Crowds stand and look up to thousands of hanging Christmas lights, arranged in strips, which are blue, purple and green. The lights hang over an open street, next to a Primark store and near a Starbucks. Norwich BID
Organisers said the light display was inspired by "dancing snowflakes in a winter landscape"

A new bespoke Christmas lights display featuring 32,000 LED bulbs has been unveiled in a city centre.

The Canopy of Light was opened on Thursday in the recently redeveloped area of Hay Hill, Norwich, as part of the city's Festive Switch-On.

The Norwich Business Improvement District (BID), which arranged the new display, said it was inspired by the vision of "dancing snowflakes in a winter landscape".

Stefan Gurney, the BID's executive director, said: "We wanted to bring a new experience to Norwich for the new public space at Hay Hill."

Norwich City Council Norwich City Hall, with its numerous large columns, lit up in blue and purple. Christmas trees adorn the balcony and hundreds of people are stood outside, many of them holding up their mobile phones.Norwich City Council
Last year Norwich's public Christmas lights were switched on outside City Hall

He added: "Something that would change with the elements, create awe with movement and offer different perspectives from every angle.

"The breadth of controllable lighting options we have is a first for the UK using this technology."

The BID said the new display featured 1.6 miles (2.5km) of LED bulbs and, like all public Christmas light displays in Norwich, were being powered by renewable energy.

Each Christmas period between 2016 and 2022, the city hosted the Tunnel of Light, a video tunnel of 57,000 LED lights which emulated the Aurora Borealis. Organisers said they believed the display, which cost £60,000, to be the largest of its type in Europe.

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