In Pictures: Dazzling displays help to spread the Christmas spirit

Up and down the country, people have welcomed the festive season by switching on their Christmas lights.

Published Dec 24, 2023

Nothing quite says Christmas like the twinkling of sparkly lights, and people are feeling festive across the land by switching them on in celebration.

Here are some of the biggest and brightest displays celebrating Christmas 2023 around the UK and Ireland.

Houses illuminated by Christmas lights on Lower Morden Lane in Morden, south London (Aaron Chown/PA)

Bond Street Christmas Lights — Shoppers have been taking in the festive spirit as they pick up gifts on Bond Street, London (Matt Crossick/PA)

Towns and cities across the UK put on their own fabulous displays, using everything from the walls of a cathedral to fishing creels for festive fun.

People walking through an illuminated archway during a preview of the Christmas at Kew festive trail, at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Northern Lights Christmas Trail – Newcastle — Leazes Park in Newcastle was transformed into the Northern Lights Christmas Trail, a mile-long walk through illuminations, sculptures and special effects (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Yorkshire winter illuminations — Freddie explores the Enchanted Forest and Winter Illuminations at Stockeld Park in Wetherby, West Yorkshire (Danny Lawson/PA)

Wild Lights at Dublin Zoo — Dublin Zoo sent visitors on a wild trail through magic and fantasy lands with their Wild Lights silk lantern exhibition (Niall Carson/PA)

Festive lights — Ian and Ann Cooper’s Christmas light show, which features 28,000 lights, has been raising money for the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (Ian Cooper/PA)

Christmas lights 2023 — Andrew Walters from Stillington, County Durham, is raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust with his captivating display (Owen Humphreys/PA)