The festive season officially arrived in Dundee on Friday as around 25,000 people braved the cold for the switching-on of the Christmas lights.
Dundee’s Christmas Light Night more than doubled in size this year with over 700 participants entertaining crowds.
The event kicked off with a peal of the church bells before a torchlight procession, led by Lord Provost John Letford, made its way from the McManus Galleries to the City Square.
At around 6.45pm the provost counted down from 10 before flicking on the lights to cheers and applause from the crowd.
He said afterwards that despite this being his 11th year of carrying out the honour it is something he never tires of.
He added: “It was absolutely fantastic. There was a brilliant crowd. It really was a great experience despite this year being the coldest one I have done.”
Entertainment included live music and street performers. There were also local choirs performing carols.
The Wellgate and Overgate centres opened late for the occasion, as did many other retailers, including our own shop at the DC Thomson building in Meadowside.
Images from Scotland’s favourite comic strips were projected on to the front of the building, turning it into the famous Glebe Street tenements.
For one family from Arbroath the trip to the city was well worth it. Jim Beattie and his wife Gillian had never been to the switch-on before. They took their two young children, Kara (3) and Ava (6), to see what all the fuss was about.
“Dundee really did itself proud tonight,” Jim said. “We have never seen it before but it was really well done a great night.”
An outdoor disco dance floor off Reform Street proved popular with youngsters and Dennis the Menace also made a guest appearance at the City Square to take part in a surprise Christmas flashmob.
Dancers from The Space at Dundee College were asked by organisers, One City, Many Discoveries, to provide a routine which attracted a lot of attention from onlookers.
A spectacular fireworks display concluded the evening at around 9pm.For a full photo gallery click hereOver 70 organisations and activities were involved on the night compared with 45 in previous years, highlighting the growing importance of the event in Dundee’s calendar.
Councillor Will Dawson, convener of city development, said: “The event is clearly growing in size and significance for people in Tayside and is a pre-Christmas celebration for the whole community.”