Light Up Cheltenham is a Hit!

Hundreds of people lined the streets to launch Light Up Cheltenham and catch a glimpse of illuminating drummers Spark!.

Despite the cold, huge crowds paraded through the city past lit up Cheltenham landmarks with the drumming group. The performance ended in Imperial Square taking in the views of the giant 35 metre high observation wheel. The wheel is a first for Cheltenham and will be here for the entirety of the event. It was already popular on Saturday with long queues of people hoping to get a birds-eye view of the town.

Spark!, a group of 5 light up drummers, were a massive hit last year and were invited back by event organisers Cheltenham BID.

Cheltenham BID Director Kevan Blackadder said:

“We were delighted that hundreds of people turned out for the launch of Light Up Cheltenham. We ran the event for the first time in February last year because it is traditionally a quiet time of year when people are less likely to visit towns and city centres.

“It was so well received that we decided to extend it from a week to three weeks this year and add a major attraction, the Giant Observation Wheel, which is already proving very popular. We have also increased the number of buildings involved from around a dozen to more than 40.”

Cheltenham’s business was booming on Saturday with the organisers hoping the event attracts more people to the town.

“The buzz around it will bring people to town to the benefit of both night-time businesses and retailers. Many were saying that Saturday was far busier than they expected and that it was entirely down to Light Up Cheltenham.”

The event runs for three weeks from the 2nd February to the 24th. A special performance on Cheltenham High Street from the Photon Juggling Glow Show on Saturday 16th February will be a great way to kick off the half term holidays.

The giant wheel will give guests a chance to enjoy the sights from above with adults tickets at £5, £4 for a child and £15 for a family ticket.

The 40 Cheltenham buildings will also be turning red for Valentines Day, the perfect backdrop for a romantic proposal..