Crowds pack Regent Street as 'Spirit of Christmas' angel lights are switched on

Regent Street's Christmas lights were switched on on Thursday 5 November, and large crowds gathered in the West End to watch the 'Spirit of Christmas' angels light up.

Footage shared with UB1UB2 shows a packed crowd counting down from four at about 6.30pm. The angels then light up overhead, followed by lights along the rooftops of the street's curved terraces.

Because the switch-on fell on Bonfire Night, many visitors went from one celebration to another, with phones held high all along the closed road.

Ten years of the angels

The display is made up of 30 angels, or 'spirits', built from around 300,000 LED lights. They hang above Regent Street and continue into St James's, including Jermyn Street and St James's Market, with more lights on nearby Glasshouse Street, Swallow Street and the Quadrant Arcade.

This is the 10th year the angels have flown above the street. Organisers promised some new additions for the anniversary, which were kept secret until the switch-on.

The angels were designed by Paul Dart. Regent Street has described him as the creator of the flowing figures, which stretch along the length of the road.

London's first Christmas lights

Regent Street has a long history with festive lights. It was the first street in central London to put up a Christmas lights display, in 1954, and the tradition has continued almost every year since.

Oxford Street, its nearby rival, began its own lights a few years later, in 1959. The two streets are now among the busiest places in the capital during the Christmas shopping season.

Switch-on night and what happens next

For the switch-on, Regent Street was closed to traffic from 5pm to 9pm so the crowds could fill the road. There was family-friendly entertainment, and many shops on the street held their own events. Hamleys was due to reveal its Christmas window display at 5pm.

The Regent Street lights came on a day after Carnaby Street's display was switched on, on Wednesday 4 November. Marylebone and Covent Garden are due to follow on 11 and 12 November.

The angels are due to stay lit every evening through the festive season and into early January, so there are plenty of chances to see them without the switch-on crowds. Weekday evenings are usually quieter than weekends.

For readers in West and North West London, Regent Street is easy to reach by public transport. The Central line runs from Ealing Broadway, Greenford, Northolt and West Ruislip to Oxford Circus. The Elizabeth line runs from Heathrow, West Drayton, Hayes, Southall and Hanwell to Bond Street. The Bakerloo line runs from Harrow and Wealdstone, Wembley and Harlesden to Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus, and the Piccadilly line runs from Hounslow, Heathrow and Uxbridge to Piccadilly Circus, at the southern end of the street.