BRIGHTON’S Christmas lights will be switched on next week and organisers are pledging it will be bigger, better and more festive than ever.

The city centre will burst into festive spirit from 5pm on Thursday with a free party in East Street.

The event is organised by Brilliant Brighton in association with 107.2 Juice FM and Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice.

The Christmas lights are being sponsored by Southern Water.

This year’s event showcases some of the best talent in Brighton.

The 40-strong all-female Brighton choir We Bop will be taking to the stage along with Hove’s Singing’s Cool and performers from The Theatre Workshop.

Comedic group AFOUR, Barry Elford of Storage Hunters UK, The Voice’s Marvin Manouke and Simon Cowell look-alike Andy Penfold will also be performing their fun, tongue-in-cheek Christmas song Four Kings.

Gogglebox stars Chris Butland-Steed and Stephen Webb will lead the countdown and switch on of the lights..

Christmas 2017’s lights will see the return of favourites from last year - including Ding Dong, #Fairy and Love - along with playful twinkling tidings in North Laine and a golden canopy of lights in The Lanes.

Gavin Stewart, CEO of Brilliant Brighton, said: “We’re really excited for this year’s Christmas lights switch-on event.”

There will also be a raffle with prizes including a £200 voucher from Sorriso, a food hamper from Marks and Spencer and a cut and blow dry with North Laine Hair Company’s salon director, with all donations going directly to children’s hospice, Chestnut Tree House.

Brilliant Brighton is an organisation formed of 517 businesses who put on the switch-on event and collectively pay the £75,000 per year fee to ensure the city is lit up at Christmas.

For the last decade the businesses of Brighton have dug deep to continue the tradition of lighting up the city centre.

Entry to the big switch on is free.