A surprise VIP will turn on a Wiltshire town’s Christmas lights during this year’s huge festive celebration.

Devizes looks ready to kick off the festive season in style with their annual winter festival, headlined by the much-loved lantern parade on Friday, November 24.

The event, which attracts around 3,500 visitors each year, will see local schools, artists, residents and businesses light up the streets with an “enchanting display of holiday cheer.”

A surprise “festive VIP” will also make an appearance and will have the honour of turning on this year’s Christmas lights, according to organisers at the Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts (DOCA) team.

This year’s winter festival has been given a theme of “look to the future” and will boast an array of other activities.

Residents and businesses are urged to take part in window wanderland which will see windows transformed into creative works of art between November 18 and November 26.

A series of festive markets will also take place, both indoors and outdoors, on the weekend of Friday, November 24, in both the Market Place and Corn Exchange.

Meanwhile the Shambles indoor market will feature an art installation inviting people to “unleash their artistic spirit.”