Carnaby Street's new eco Christmas lights have been condemned as a "waste of taxpayers money" as tourists lambast its new "very basic" look.
Carnaby Street is usually known for its colourful and vibrant Christmas lights each winter, however chiefs have taken a new eco approach this year.
The “Into the Light” display is made up of 60,000 LED energy-efficient lights that make up several six metre sculptures across the area.
The sculptures take the form of geometric shapes such as rectangles and stars and shine a yellow-white light - starkly different from last year’s “Carnaby Universe” that saw neon planets and galaxies suspended above pedestrians' heads.
The installation will be reused for the next few years
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In a campaign to be more sustainable, the installation will be reused for the next five years.
However, Carnaby Street visitors were unimpressed with the Christmas lights.
One person told GB News: “These [lights] aren’t very inspiring. Not as much imagination and inspiration. I’m bringing my two god children to do a Christmas lights walk and I don’t think I’ll bother with this. It’s lacking a WOW factor.”
Two friends who came to see Carnaby Street’s traditionally unique designs said they were confused this year.
“They normally do something a bit more wacky. That’s why we came, for something different. It was really interesting. That's what attracted us to come here," they said.
Another onlooker said: “I think the Christmas lights in London, like Oxford Street, Carnaby Street, it's a really big thing. People come here, we've got lots of tourists taking pictures. I think they could have done more like what they did the previous year.”
He added: “This isn’t enough. This is very basic - I could have made this design.”
Another person expressed his annoyance at the expense of the lights: “I think they need to stop wasting taxpayer money on lights. We already have street lights, what is the point of having these Christmas lights?”
Influencer Benny Greenstein who comes to Carnaby Street often to carry out street interviews for social media told this channel that the lights were lacking colour.
One pedestrian said the lights were lacking colour
GB News
Greenstein said: “I’m someone that really feels colour, and I feel like if you’re coming from Far East Asia or South America to take pictures, you want to take a picture of something nice and colorful and not something just…yellow.”
People on social media have also expressed their disappointment with the lights this year.
One user said: “Every year I’d be so excited to go to Carnaby Street & see the amazing, colourful & cool Christmas lights display. This year it’s some boring rectangular blocks. So disappointing.”
Another posted on X writing: “They [the lights] look like supermarket trolleys.
"Carnaby street Xmas lights are usually so good people actually buy tickets and travel from outside of London to see the lights get switched on but this year I saw people getting mad cus they spent money on hotels and everything.”
GB News has contacted Westminster City Council for comment.
