Politicians in Belfast's City Council were informed last month that the existing holiday illumination programme will probably need to be reduced for 2023 due to the council's "static budget" situation.

Council members had been advised that due to the escalating costs of insurance, electricity, and manpower, not only was there no funding this year to permit lighting arterial roads, but that there would also be a 50% reduction in city centre illumination.

On the other hand, it was revealed during a council meeting on Monday night that additional funding for the illumination had been discovered from “underspends or otherwise from reserves.”

Michael Long, a councillor for the Alliance Party, stated during the meeting: “I believe it is wonderful we have found a resolution to this. Christmas is back, and the redesigned Christmas switch-on will likely include participation from the new Lord Mayor as well.”

This, in my opinion, indicates that we have something quite great to look forward to.

In a statement, he continued, “Christmas is a beautiful time of year, and Christmas is particularly spectacular in Belfast, with people travelling great distances to enjoy the mood and take in the lights while spending money and benefiting the local economy.

“Trading would have suffered if the lighting plan had suffered, there is no doubt about it.”

“I would like to express my gratitude to the council officers who assessed the situation and found a way to adjust by using financial reserves to cover the very tiny gap. Many people have the impression that Christmas has been spared for the city, especially for the merchants who will require the economic boost that Christmas foot traffic brings due to rate rises.”

In a statement, a representative for Belfast City Council said: “Councillors have decided that Belfast will celebrate the holiday season in 2023 with a combination of a traditional lights-on celebration and a city-wide schedule of entertainment and animation on weekends leading up to Christmas.”

As in prior years, “this will also include holiday lighting displays.”

Typically, information about Belfast's Christmas switch-on ceremony is made public in the late fall.