When it comes to London’s Christmas lights, every area has their own speciality. Oxford Street goes big, Regent Street goes heavenly, and the Churchill Arms goes spectacularly over the top. As for the highest, you’ll need to look to London Bridge, because The Shard’s Christmas lights are coming back with a bang for 2022.This evening (December 6), Western Europe’s highest festive display will return, complete with a brand new theme.
When The Shard’s display turns on, the top 20 storeys of the building will become a fiesta of festivity, composed of hundreds of light installations. This year, the skyscraper takes on the theme of London at Christmas time, and the transformation of this city during the twilight months of each year.
Last year recognised the theme of togetherness and celebrating the festive season with loved ones, following the best part of two years with reduced interaction with one another amid the pandemic. Similarly, 2020 saw the Shard illuminate in shades of blue and white to show gratitude to NHS staff and key workers.
A display of energy efficient LED lights and fixtures will be used to bring the display to life, and you’ll be able to see it every night at 5:30pm from tonight (December 6) until New Year’s Eve, at which time a brand new display will mark the moment we mercifully cross into 2023. Beginning at the stroke of midnight and lasting into the early hours of New Year’s Day, it’ll hopefully signal the arrival of a far better year!
This year, anyone can also watch the enchanting display without even leaving the house! Thanks to a handy new live stream, you can pop some headphones in and listen to a bespoke audio track in sync with the light show every night.
If previous years (👆) are anything to go by, The Shard Christmas lights will be an unmissable display. They’re sure to get commuters into the festive spirit in the lead-up to Christmas – or at the very least, serve as a stark reminder that they should probably hurry up with the present-buying…
Also published on Medium.