Light up the Wight, the Isle of Wight’s official Christmas lights map and competition, brought to you by Island Echo and sponsored by Southern Vectis, is back for 2023! Hundreds of families are expected to jump in their cars – or on the Southern Vectis tour bus – to explore the variety of Christmas lights displays across the Isle of Wight this December, before voting for their favourite online. 26 amazing displays are included on this year’s map, which can now be downloaded at www.islandecho.co.uk/xmas. You can download/print the map in PDF format, or use the digital interactive map. Last year’s winner, Goldcrest Close in Carisbrooke, will be hoping to secure another podium place this year. The spectacular display, curated by Matt Whitham, has officially switched on this evening (Friday). The display is lit up each night between 16:30-20:30 until 26th December, then 17:00-20:00 between 27th and 31st December. Matt began putting the twinkling display together at the end of August, spending up to 12 hours a day meticulously placing tens of thousands of lights on, in front of and behind the house. 
Both Wellesley Way in Newport and Bannock Road in Whitwell, which came 2nd and 3rd in last year’s competition, respectively, also return with bigger and better displays for 2023. Southern Vectis’ annual Xmas Bus Tour has already proven so popular that all dates have sold out for 2023! This year it will be touring around the Island for 16 nights straight from 8th December.
To download the official map and vote for your favourite display head over to www.islandecho.co.uk/xmas.
Voting closes on 31st December 2023 and the winners will be announced in early January. Some displays may not be switched on until 4th January due to work commitments and how the weekends fall
