Project Wrap-Up Report – Cambridge BID
This festive season, the City has been brought to life with a magical festive atmosphere that delighted residents, visitors, and businesses alike. Cambridge BID delivered a vibrant and distinctive citywide lighting scheme with Field & Lawn, marking the eighth consecutive year of this project. Alongside this, two seasonal launch events ignited the start of Christmas trading and strengthened the City’s positioning as a festive destination of choice.
Lighting & Placemaking Impact
Across twenty key streets, a combination of and returning festive features transformed the city with light throughout November and December. The scheme included fifty-three lighting crossings featuring glitterballs, shooting stars and bespoke branded displays, 135 lighting motifs, 799 metres of shop-front icicles, and 520 metres of warm festoon lighting. A 3.5m x 4.5m bauble selfie feature at Station Square and a 5m LED Twinkly Christmas tree in Market Square provided high-impact visual draw and social media engagement opportunities, with Town Hall architectural lighting elevating the city centre experience further.
This placemaking investment ensured Cambridge felt welcoming and festive for shoppers, diners, workers, residents and overnight visitors, reinforcing Cambridge BID’s role in city experience leadership.
Event Programme & Audience Engagement
The festive programme launched with two well-attended celebrations:
Station Square Switch-On – 13 November with 750+ attendees
The BIG Market Square Switch-On – 16 November with approximately 4,500 attendees
The Market Square event showcased 13 local and community performance groups, creating a strong family-friendly atmosphere and supporting talent development across the city:
Great St Mary’s Choir, 4D Dance, Jolly Old Time, Colours of Dance, Razzmatazz, All Stars Performing Arts, Sing! Choirs, On Stage Performing Arts, Vocal Remix, Stagecoach, Target Dance, Safira Pinder, ADC Theatre
This wide community participation was reflected in audience sentiment, with 18% of attendees knowing someone on stage, strengthening civic pride and belonging.
Community & Partner Reflections
The BIG Switch-On continues to be a moment of celebration for the people and organisations who help bring Cambridge to life. Performers, arts groups and local businesses expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to be part of a joyful and high-profile city tradition. Their reflections highlight the sense of community pride, seasonal excitement and partnership working that define the event.
“Thanks for another fantastic year and allowing our students to be part of the event — they loved it!”
On Stage Performing Arts
“Being just before the light switch on was amazing and an experience I’ll cherish. It wouldn’t feel like Christmas is approaching without the BIG Switch On.”
Safira Pinder
Local businesses also felt the energy of the event and the value of being included within the launch of the festive season:
“Thank you so much for having us! Was a fabulous event to be involved in.”
Minnie George, Permit Room
These authentic voices reinforce that the Switch-On is not just a spectacle — it is a moment that unites performers, businesses and residents in a shared celebration, strengthening the cultural fabric of the city while driving real economic benefit.
Visitor Behaviour & Economic Contribution
The events demonstrated their ability to attract and retain people in the city centre:
40% of attendees came specifically for the Switch-On
73% extended their stay due to the event
16% specifically went out for a drink or meal before/after
Additionally, the event supported the visitor economy:
38% of those travelling from outside Cambridgeshire stayed overnight in Cambridge, demonstrating clear value for hotels and hospitality.
Spending intentions were varied, indicating value captured across a range of businesses including retail, food & beverage and entertainment sectors.
Business Impact
Business surveys conducted the following day show the Switch-On as a clear economic driver:
74% saw increased footfall, averaging +25% uplift
64% reported increased sales, averaging +23.6% uplift
75% of businesses felt the event had a positive impact overall (large & small impact combined)
Businesses also noted more families and larger groups in their venues, aligning strongly with Cambridge BID’s Purple Flag mission to promote a safe and inclusive night-time economy.
Satisfaction & Experience Quality
Audience response was overwhelmingly positive:
95% rated the event positively (better or as expected)
91% would return next year
87% want to keep the Switch-On on a Sunday
This reaffirms that Cambridge BID is delivering the right event, in the right format, at the right moment.
Areas for Improvement
Constructive feedback provides clear opportunities to refine and scale delivery:
Enhanced visibility around the stage
Greater distribution of entertainment across wider streets
Increased pre-event publicity and earlier business communications
Continued improvements to visitor movement and accessibility
These refinements will support operational flow and benefit a wider number of levy payers.
Conclusion
Cambridge Christmas 2025 successfully delivered vibrancy, economic value and a joyful sense of community at the most important trading period of the year. The combination of stunning festive lighting, strong digital promotion, and inclusive event programming helped boost business performance, generate footfall and position Cambridge as a world-class festive destination.
The project demonstrated the core role Cambridge BID plays in city leadership: supporting commercial success while investing in the atmosphere, culture and civic pride of Cambridge.
