OLD Town will host its first Christmas festival in three years in a few weeks' time.

The top of Victoria Road will be closed to traffic on November 27 so that the main stage and food-and-drink area can be set up for this event, with a funfair arranged by Steven Hill along Wood Street.

Performers will include The Voice Kids star Phoebe Maddison, the Lawn Manor School of Dance, Robbie Williams tribute act Marc Hopkins, and a mystery headliner.

This popstar and actor was born in Wiltshire and will perform three famous tracks before joining Santa to switch on the Christmas lights.

The Old Town Business Association is hoping to make this their biggest festive festival after the pandemic prevented the usual celebrations from going ahead in 2020 and 2021.

The association launching the Friends of Old Town loyalty card in January helped raise money to organise the festival, along with sponsorship from TalkTalk, Deacons Jewellers, Future Planning, Los Gatos and Dominos Pizza, as well as Charles Harding Estate Agents paying for powering the lights.

Vice chair Kris Talikowski said: “This investment in the card scheme has enabled us to expand our event onto Victoria Hill and invest in its future with a regular source of income from the card scheme.

“As it continues to grow, we can continue to invest in marketing Old Town to ensure its long-term success as a business district and support businesses with greater footfall and promotion."

South Swindon Parish Council has taken on responsibility for repairing and managing the lights themselves.

Coun Neil Hopkins said: "We really need to thank the parish’s electrical contractor for work undertaken repairing the Christmas lights as they had suffered significant damage.

“For the past four years, the parish council has been delighted to sponsor the installation and take-down of Old Town Christmas lights but from this year, the parish has agreed to take on the installation themselves.

"This great event involves the whole community and brings in many people from all over Swindon."

The Old Town Christmas Festival will be held from 12pm to 5.30pm, with up to 5,000 people attending. Visitors are being asked for a £1 donation per person to help cover costs.

The road closure will be in place from 6am to 9pm on Sunday November 27 from outside The Victoria pub up to the mini roundabout where Bath Road becomes Joiner Lane.

Book tickets at www.eventbrite.com/e/old-town-christmas-festival-2022-tickets-445086825677