Excitement is building across Dundee as the city prepares to welcome the festive season in style with the Dundee Christmas Switch On event on Sunday 15 November.
Promising a fantastic day of festive entertainment for all ages, the city centre will come alive with live music, roaming performers, street food, funfair rides, market stalls and, new for this year, an exciting family drone display. Plus, everyone’s favourite festive mischief-maker, The Grinch, will be making a welcome return to Dundee.
Kicking off the celebrations will be the return of the popular Dundee Santa Dash - a festive fun run taking participants through the heart of the city. Active Dundee coaches will take to the stage to lead runners in a festive warm up with special guests from the MKM Dundee Stars team and their mascot Starsky cheering them on.
The festive atmosphere will continue to build throughout the afternoon, with Tay FM’s Gregor and Lynsey taking to the stage from 4pm to entertain the crowds with music and live performances.
As darkness falls, all eyes will turn to the skies for a family friendly drone display, just after the city’s Christmas tree lights are switched on at 6pm, marking a magical start to the festive season, with a special appearance from Santa himself.
Following the big switch-on, headline act Just the Brave, who are an up-and-coming Scottish boyband, will take to the stage to keep the festive atmosphere going and round off a fantastic day of Christmas celebrations.
The full programme is as follows:
Morning
10.30am – Santa Dash Warm Up with Active Dundee (City Square)
11.00am – Santa Dash Fun Run (City Square)
All day activities - City Square
10.00am - 7.00pm
Christmas Market
Christmas Crafts tent with Scrapantics
Family Fun Fair Rides
Snow Globe photobooth
Street Food
Afternoon - High St/City Square
12.00pm - Festive Playlist with Tay FM, Street Performers:
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The Grinch
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The Giant Snowglobe acrobatics performances: 1.30pm, 2.45pm, 4.30pm, 5.25pm
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Show Globe – A Living Snow Globe (2pm, 3pm, 4pm)
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Acrobatic Elves
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The Candy Cane Fairy and The Nutcracker Prince stiltwalkers
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Ross Brown Football Freestyler
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Santa! Picking up letters from the on-site postbox at 4.30pm
3.30pm – Live Music & Entertainment hosted by Tay FM’s Gregor & Lynsey
3.40pm – Dundee Instrumental Band
4.00pm – Rock the Halls
4.20pm – Downfield Musical Society - Cinderella
4.45pm – Thomson-Leng Musical Society – Mother Goose
5.05pm – Dundee Rep Theatre - Snowqueen
5.25pm – The Vintage Girls
5:50pm – Switch-on Party (6pm Tree lights switched on)
6:00pm – Family Drone Display
6.10pm – Just the Brave
7.00pm - Event Close
Speaking ahead of the event, Just the Brave said: “We can’t wait to headline Dundee’s Christmas Lights and give them a show to remember. We’d love to meet everyone on the day too and can’t wait to teach Santa and the Grinch some backflips, and perhaps even the Lord Provost of Dundee some harmonies. We’ll also be performing a brand new song for the first time on the day.”