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Light up the Champs-Élysées with your Christmas message
Paris is inviting people to participate in lighting up the famous street from home this year with their own personalised messages
The traditional inauguration of Christmas illuminations on the Champs-Élysées in Paris will take place online this year due to restrictions in place because of Covid-19.
But the city is calling for people to participate in illuminating the street from home instead by lighting bulbs via an online platform.
You can also leave a short, personalised message that will be displayed on the street.
The lights will be switched on from Sunday, November 22, when there will be a small event broadcast online.
Anyone can choose to light a bulb, regardless of where they are from or where they live.
The initiative is led by the Comité des Champs-Élysées. Anyone wishing to join in can go to their dedicated site here. When they log in, they will get a dedicated bulb and be able to write a personalised note if they wish.
They will then receive a message telling them which part of the street their bulb or note will be displayed at and an invitation to return to the site from November 22 in order to light their bulb.
This year’s event will be hosted by French singer Louane, who will have the honour of pressing a button to kick off proceedings. She will be joined by a small group of 30 people, including Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo.
People can join in with the event online, and send in messages that will appear on the live feed.
The theme of this year’s event is “flamboyance”, as it was last year.
In 2019, more than 70,000 people attended the street event.
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