Ashton Christmas celebrations draw criticism from residents

What should have been a joyful start to Ashton’s festive season has instead left many visitors frustrated, after families reported missing the Christmas lights switch-on on Saturday and described the event as underwhelming compared to previous years.

In the days following the event, social media was filled with disappointed comments from residents and visitors who said the switch-on happened earlier than advertised, with little fanfare and limited entertainment on the streets.

One parent wrote: “Is that what you call it? They didn’t even have a Santa or a concert and no countdown for lights switch on that was meant to happen at 5:30pm. We travelled from Manchester to find out they just turned the lights on without a countdown and my children were disappointed and upset about coming all the way there for nothing.”

Another attendee said their family’s visit lasted just minutes: “We went this afternoon and there was nothing there… not even any Christmas music. The last one we went to had a band playing live music and was very festive. Nothing much for the kids… Took us 5 minutes to walk around it all. We ended up coming home.”

Others claimed they were told incorrect timings and missed the switch-on entirely. “We were there and missed it due to being told 5pm – that was just gone 4. So we took the kids out of the cold, and they switched them on,” one visitor shared, also raising concerns about cars driving through the market area while families were walking.

More criticism followed regarding the scale of the decorations and event organisation. One comment read: “Tameside Council are shocking. The lights are diabolical, the switch-on was utter drivel… we were in Ashton at 4:30 and the lights had been turned on, the food stalls were packing up. Total waste of time. Where did the money go?”

The disappointment comes despite Tameside Council promoting a full schedule of Christmas celebrations in Ashton town centre on Saturday, with roaming performers, theatre shows, arts and crafts, markets and family activities.

According to the council, Ashton was set to be “transformed into a festive wonderland” with a day-long programme running from 11am to 6pm.

Families were invited to enjoy: Goofus Theatre’s “All in a Mouse’s Night”, The Show Globe’s Living Snow Globe, Jacks of Frost, festive arts & crafts, free face-painting and balloon modelling, a street food market, a Christmas artisan market and Street food vendors.

To encourage attendance, the council also offered free parking at several town centre car parks throughout the day and announced that free parking from 4pm would continue during other festive events across Tameside.

While the council’s advertised schedule suggested a packed day of festive activity, many families said the atmosphere felt sparse and that key moments were poorly communicated or mistimed.

Some residents praised individual performers and craft activities, but the dominant sentiment online was one of disappointment, especially for those who travelled into Ashton specifically for the countdown and main switch-on.

A Tameside Council spokesperson said: “Due to the ongoing transformation of Ashton-under-Lyne’s market square, the Christmas lights were already switched on in both the Market Hall and the tree, so there wasn’t a dedicated switch-on time as with our other celebrations.

“The festive programme ran from 11am to 6pm and featured a wide range of entertainment and activities, including:

• Festive market
• Brass band performances
• Craft activities
• Living snow globe
• Puppet theatre
• Food stalls
• Music
• Lights

“These attractions helped animate the town centre and created a welcoming atmosphere for visitors. Due to the ongoing works, the available space was limited and used for performers and entertainment rather than a traditional light switch-on event, which we couldn’t accommodate safely around the tree. Residents were invited to join us for our wider Christmas celebrations, which received positive feedback on our social media channels.

“In addition to Ashton’s festivities, celebrations have been taking place across Tameside, including the main Christmas celebration event which was the Winter Parade in Stalybridge last week and events in other towns, ensuring communities across the borough can enjoy the season.

“We’re excited about the transformation taking place in Ashton and look forward to next Christmas when we will have a much bigger event space available to host even more festive activities.”