HEREFORD will be stumping up for this year's Christmas lights switch-on performers... after sponsorship funding dwindled.

There may still be months to go, but for businesses and organisations across Herefordshire the countdown to Christmas seems to be on.

And to mark the start of the festive season in the county, Hereford is this year expecting a similar show for its Christmas lights switch-on event to last year's.

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Draft minutes from the most recent meeting of Hereford City Council's Community Development Committee reveal that the show will follow a similar format to 2023.

Giving a verbal update to councillors on the acts booked for the entertainment, Mark Edwards of Sunshine Radio said the show would start with local acts, as was the case last year, when the first five acts were local artists and performers. 

It will then build up to the celebrity headliner nearer the switch-on time, the minutes said.

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Last year saw performers including Let Loose, 2016 X Factor winner Matt Terry, Hereford Soul Choir, One Vision Talent School, and Hereford's Finn McGowan take to the stage before 80s star Rick Astley did the countdown by video link, followed by the Vengaboyz Experience.

But, the minutes said, funding was being sought from the council to contribute to the fees for the artists due to reduced sponsorship over the years.

The minutes said Sunshine Radio will be covering around £3,000.

It was resolved by councillors that £3,000 be allocated from the Christmas lights budget to support the professional fees of performers engaged by Sunshine Radio for the event.