Byron Road Christmas lights 2023 – scaled back display to raise funds for Oakhaven Hospice

It will be a scaled-back Christmas lights display this year for a Barton street made famous for its dazzling spectacle.

Once judged Britain’s most festive street, Byron Road in Barton has featured in TV and newspaper coverage around the globe for its incredible displays, but this year organiser Ged Hollyoake has scaled it back to involve just his own house.

The lights will be officially switched on this Sunday (26th November), when families are invited to join a small disco and countdown with local DJ Brett Tizzard.

Ged, who sadly lost his long-term partner Sue Rideout in February and his neighbour and friend Mike Youngs in April, has decided to continue with this year’s display in their memory, with all proceeds going to Oakhaven Hospice.

For the past two decades, Ged has decorated his home and neighbouring properties with a dazzling display of twinkling LED lights, nativity scenes and life-sized festive creatures to raise over £85,000 for local charities.

This year Ged decided to decorate his own house and garden, creating an elaborate display featuring woodland animals, a life-sized Father Christmas, and thousands of festive lights. He has been hard at work on the construction since early October and is adding the finishing touches this week.

In previous years, Ged’s incredible festive displays have seen him featured on Good Morning Britain, ITV News and as the backdrop for a Cadbury’s TV advert.

In 2017, the display was judged to be the best in Britain in a contest in the Daily Mail, judged by Christopher Biggins, which won Ged an extra £10,000 for his chosen charity.

Over the years the lights have helped raise over £85,000 for various charities and featured on television stations in Australia, USA, Russia, and Spain

The small switch-on event and disco will take place at 5pm. The lights will then be illuminated every evening from 4.30pm to 8.30pm until New Year's Day.