Northampton Borough Council events programme goes virtual

Northampton’s annual Diwali, Guy Fawkes Day fireworks, Christmas light switch on and Frost Fair celebrations are set to be marked in a unique way this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Following the cancellation of all large-scale events scheduled to take place in the town centre, Northampton Borough Council and its partners will bring the community together through a number of virtual celebrations.

The action-packed schedules are being finalised and will include virtual performances, drone footage and images from previous events, speeches and poems, virtual mystery tours and virtual parades.

Although most of the Christmas related activities will be virtual, Northampton residents and visitors will still be able to enjoy the traditional large Christmas trees across town, cross street lights and street entertainment that will take place in social distanced manner.

Councillor Anna King, Cabinet member for community engagement and safety, said: “Whilst public gatherings are no longer possible, and we are all discovering a new normal – we are delighted to put together small scale digital celebrations for audiences to enjoy and experience in the safety and comfort of their own homes.

“In the months since the coronavirus pandemic began, together with partners we have successfully delivered the VE Day celebrations, Virtual Northampton Pride Festival, Armed Forces Day and many more via our Facebook and YouTube channels.

“We’re really excited to bring to you these events in a virtual format and cannot wait to share with you the programme, please keep an eye on our website and social media channels as we will be releasing more information in the coming weeks.”

To stay up to date with Council’s virtual events schedule, head to www.northampton.gov.uk or follow @NorthamptonBC on Twitter and Facebook.