This Christmas Southport is set to get a breath-taking LED conical Christmas Tree this festive season, funded by Southport Business Improvement District levy payers. The tree, which will be one of the largest in the UK will be the centre piece of Christmas in Southport.

The custom built tree will be a new and exciting experience for Southport and is capable of sophisticated light displays. Visitors will be able to witness over twenty thousand sequenced sparkling lights and will even be able walk inside the tree itself to witness the magical light shows!




Taking two days to build, the stunning tree will sit in Town Hall Gardens. Work will begin on the installation early next week ahead of the BID’s big switch on event on Sunday the 18th. The switch on will be headlined by 90’s Superstars S Club, 911 and Livin’ Joy with a full afternoon of entertainment planned. CBeebies Cook & Line will be putting on a hilarious show in the afternoon and a huge programme of entertainment from 1pm onwards along with fairground rides, street entertainment and more. When the lights themselves go on at 5.30pm the audience will be stunned by a breath taking light display on the tree as fireworks explode from the roof of The Atkinson, all set to Christmas music.



The festive fun doesn’t end there, from December the 7 to January 5, Town Hall Gardens will be transformed into and open air ice rink surrounded by a host of Christmas Chalets. Delivered by Sefton Council and Southport BID the Winter wonderland will allow families to skate underneath the spectacular tree to the sound of Christmas music. The BID is also funding two days of festive street entertainment on the 8th and 15th of December.

Hugh Evans of the BID says “We wanted to really make this Christmas in Southport one to remember. Each year we install over 400,000 individual Christmas lights in the town, but this year we wanted to go one step further and make an impact with something spectacular. The tree is something completely different for the town and we hope it will create a real buzz for Southport”

waste of money probably cost thousands

I feel sorry for the bid payers who have been robbed by the extra tax for less people in the town centre.

#sack the bid

please clarify,,,so its not actually a tree??,,,its just lights???,,,not really festive

its not a tree just a pile of lights..shocking really

Where's the tree? Just a cone of LEDs. Not festive at all.

Reading the moaners on here why not just pack the whole damn thing in and leave the town centre to the morons, vandals and brain dead, someone is trying to bring some brightness and light, give credit where credit is due, anyone who wants something different, put your money where your mouth is, get support, raise the money and do something, or badger the council for some spectacular display then moan about the expense.

It will look bright and lovely.

Originally Posted by whiplash

It will look bright and lovely.

Unlike some of the residents who are stuck in a rut of relentless negativity.

Originally Posted by silver fox

Reading the moaners on here why not just pack the whole damn thing in and leave the town centre to the morons, vandals and brain dead, someone is trying to bring some brightness and light, give credit where credit is due, anyone who wants something different, put your money where your mouth is, get support, raise the money and do something, or badger the council for some spectacular display then moan about the expense.

only 900of us have put up the money with a gun to our head on an undemocratic vote .this is just end of term vote seeking.the town already is in the hands of those morons etc you mention .5yr on where not in that better place we where told the bids golden grail will reveal.its a con job and jobs for its offshoot boys!

Originally Posted by jamyramy

only 900of us have put up the money with a gun to our head on an undemocratic vote .this is just end of term vote seeking.the town already is in the hands of those morons etc you mention .5yr on where not in that better place we where told the bids golden grail will reveal.its a con job and jobs for its offshoot boys!

Think you can do better, Why don't you.
Just in case you haven't notice high streets around the country are suffering. Fact is you have become surpluses to requirements.

Originally Posted by Ceam

Think you can do better, Why don't you.
Just in case you haven't notice high streets around the country are suffering. Fact is you have become surpluses to requirements.

am forced to pay ,how much are you paying,as for surplus to requirments doing ok .busier now in my field but not off the high st locally.its unacceptable that only 900 are required to pay under duress,for a council offshoot that isn't bringing in results,as you say highstreets all over are suffering so why the need for the bid in view of that point.

It looks lovely, but just wondering if the Bid management could do unpaid night watch duties, then it doesn't get vandalised.

Originally Posted by Ceam

Think you can do better, Why don't you.
Just in case you haven't notice high streets around the country are suffering. Fact is you have become surpluses to requirements.

on another point,how would you feel if the council imposed an additional 1.5% on your domestic rates bill to support your residential towns development in the name of the bid,just because you live within its boundrys of control?as your in such support of its role.ps what are you doing for it also.

Originally Posted by jamyramy

on another point,how would you feel if the council imposed an additional 1.5% on your domestic rates bill to support your residential towns development in the name of the bid,just because you live within its boundrys of control?as your in such support of its role.ps what are you doing for it also.

I don't need anyone to promote the town centre to get me work. I'm not in the centre, I do my own promotion. Have a web site which is tweaked to get high google hits, which I pay for, gets me customers from all over the North west, The rest I get from word of mouth. I offer a service that is very limited in the area and can't be bought on the internet.