What's in store

Preston is gearing up for its biggest free event of the year - and what a line up is in store for 2025.

A mix of comedy, music, dance and… potatoes will have Prestonians counting down to Christmas as the lights illuminate the city streets once more.

The event is kindly supported by leading independent broadband provider, Brsk, high end supermarket, Booths, the superb SpudBros, award winning parkour, stunt and free running academy, The Street Monkeys, Eatinout, a game-changing food and drink app, and Preston City Council.

Staged by the BID team with support from city centre businesses and Smooth Radio North West, the Switch On takes place from 5.00pm – 7.30pm on Saturday 22nd November, at the city’s Flag Market.

Performing live is Paul Zerdin, the visionary ventriloquist, and star of countless TV shows and London Palladium pantomimes. Paul made international headlines when he was crowned the winner of America’s Got Talent, which lead to him having his own headline residency on the Las Vegas strip! Arguably one of the world’s best ventriloquists, Paul’s toured the globe with his trusty companion, Sam, who said: “It’s so exciting to be coming to Preston. We’ve played Hollywood, New York, Vegas and now… Preston!”

Joining Paul will be an amazing mix of music, including ‘The Trilogies’, an energetic three-piece outfit, starring Emmerdale actor Bradley Johnson (Vinnie Dingle), Bank of Dave actor Nigel Passey, and singer song-writer Freddie Bolt, whose pitch-perfect harmonies and dynamic dance moves are sure to get Preston in fine festive spirit!

And speaking of melodies, TikTok star Henry Oliver – who wowed the audience at last month’s BIBAs – will be making his Preston debut. Henry has an army of devoted fans around the world, including none other than Neil Diamond – which led to Henry receiving support for his work from the man himself!

And the festivities get going earlier with aspiring city rapper ‘Peggy’ taking to the stage, fresh

from his appearance on BBC Music Introducing Hometown Freestyle series.

World and European champion dance group, DLN Dance will kick start the show, followed by the brilliant ‘Kids Party Live’ show, featuring live performances of some of the biggest TikTok anthems, plus, hits from the likes of Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, and Miley Cyrus.

Preston’s very own potato pioneers, SpudBros, will also be popping up to share something very special with everyone in the audience; keep your eyes peeled for this!

And don’t forget to look up, as local performers from Wolf Entertainments will be entertaining the crowds during the early part of the show with their specially created stilt walking characters.

Plus, for the first time in years, Panto is back in Preston! Get ready for hair-raising adventures with the cast of Rapunzel. Packed with toe-tapping songs, dazzling costumes, and laugh-out loud moments for the whole family, they’ll be appearing and performing at the Switch On.

As if that wasn’t enough, master of impressions, Jon Culshaw, will be joining in the festivities – and maybe doing a few take-offs of famous faces – when he appears on stage. He comes to the city, fresh from his acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe one-man show and playing King Arthur on Monty Python’s “Spamalot” in the West End, as well as playing the iconic David Bowie for a recent BBC drama.

Better still, there's FREE parking from 1pm on selected car parks! No need to fumble around for change, or download any apps, just drive in, park up, and enjoy the festive fun.

Follow our Event page on Facebook to stay up-to-date